Moving forward by going backwards!

I have been reading Expressive Drawing by Steven Aimone – one of 3 books I treated myself to from Amazon recently. All 3 books are about drawing. Why? Because in the last 3 years my work has become a bit tentative in some ways and I miss the boldness of earlier work.  Earlier works were more about mark making and the process. I loved to feel the materials in my hand, and being transferred to the support. Mark marking – drawing. Hence the books.

I am in an exhibition in Auckland with the NZ Art Guild later this month and I was going to do more poppies or similar. Then I started reading my new books and just knew I had to produce some works that are primarily about  mark making instead. I have limited myself to a heavy body titanium white, fluid zinc white, fluid carbon black and heavy body red black. I *might* end up with a single red mark at the end; I’m not sure yet – it depends on how the work feels when I reach that point. I have done 4 layers so far and can feel the end approaching.

Tony came into my office last night and had a look. “What is it?” he asked. Nothing, I said. “Oh” was his considered reply. Got to love him 🙂

For the record, the photos are the current 20×24 work at layer four, and some work from 2008.

Shadows on black #2. 2008 C Sheard

Work in progress. 2011