 Drawing 08·27·2022 No.1, pencil on paper, 16x20 inches  Drawing 08·27·2022 No.2, pencil on paper, 20x16 inches I think this is a "Eureka Moment" — At Last I've accepted my mission. I fought hard. I fought for too long. I tried to defeat my instincts. I tried to challenge the instincts of the Masters. In drawing and painting. identifying a theme is most important. I always disliked the work of Jackson Pollock; now I know why. Pollock had difficulty finding an idea, a theme, an impetus, a reason to be. As result, Pollock scrambled everything, made it look mostly unreadable, thus he tried to hide his inability to find intention.
Here I am, accepting myself. I do have ideas. I do feel. I do know. My art is becoming centered, like Art made by Picasso, de Chirico, and many others. Wishing to centering is being oneself. Pollock missed this particular boat. Pollock’s paintings are nonsense made real. These drawings, and the one's I have recently revised, are recognizing the important of being centered, both philosophically and visually. I will continue to revise my failures, force them to come to reality of self-importance. Every one of my works must be able to identify itself in terms of its reason to exist. This is me centering myself by centering my works of Art. Come back tomorrow to see me transform my first drawing of 8/26/2022 into one better centered, more intentional, then it is now.  Drawing 08·26·2022 No.2, pencil on paper, 20x16 inches  Drawing 08·26·2022 No.1, pencil on paper, 16x20 inches By drawing I am practicing touch and flow. It is here I an undergoing sensitivity training. The dynamics of value, form, and space (negative and positive), are within me; I am practicing making them outside of me. I am an athlete in training. I am sharing my sensitivity with you. These two drawings are among my very best. Most interesting is the technical aspect of centered composition, which is especially true in drawing No.2. Centered compositions were Picasso's default. A wide range of play in form, value, and space are allowed when centering is achieved. Centering grabs the viewer. When viewer is secured, the possible journey is wide and long, a fullness of dynamics and emotions are allowed.
 "Pillar" (2022 No.5, state 02), oil on canvas, 45¼ x 46½  Drawing 05·24·2022, graphite on paper, 16x20 inches I made a simple promise to myself. Turns out the simplest of promises are difficult to keep. The painting and the drawing I worked on yesterday, these grab my promise, make it real; that is, these works center their compositions, make viewers immediately aware of their intensions.
 Drawing 01·08·2022 No.1, pencil on paper, 20x16 inches  Drawing 01·08·2022 No.2, pencil on paper, 16x20 inches Yesterday my energy and intensity stood high. I was flying, stimulated, optimistic. I believed I can produce art of quality and lasting merit. As consequence, today I show two good drawings. I have no doubts. Yes, but... Are these drawings charged with sufficient appeal to be instantly attractive to a large swath of viewers? Both these drawings make a lot of sense to me. The first is simple, direct, partakes of many of my recent interests, including dynamism of negative space. The second is complex, yet engages with an obvious center. These qualities are important to me, i.e., emotive negative space, and viewer engagement through centering. I believe I have made real the first two rules necessary to profound, emotive art. First and foremost, Art must engage. If that fails, all interest is lost. Without engagement there is nothing.  Studio, January 8, 2022  Drawing 10·23·2021, pencil on paper, 16x20 inches Comparisons in Art are difficult; Art's range of content runs the gamut of human emotions. Today I give you a comparison of my drawing from yesterday to a painting by Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960-1988). This is not an easy comparison. To me, it is apt; it represents my struggle to be true to myself. I am drawn to Basquiat's extreme, forceful content, but... I am me and he is he. The one simple and obvious connection I make with this Basquiat painting is its organization. Basquiat slams you into its center panel; he grabs the the viewer with color contrast, as well as formal centering because of content that are complex and patterned shapes. Basquiat painting is a lesson in classical compositional organization. There is no getting around the effectiveness that is centering the viewer's attention through any means possible, which include large forms, strong color, obvious shapes, interesting patterns, and high value contrast.  Jean-Michel Basquiat, "Untitled", oil on wood slats  "Measure Anew" (2021 No.9, state 6), oil on canvas, 54½x54⅛ inches, {"I had become a new person; and those who knew the old person laughed at me. The only man who behaved sensibly was my tailor: he took my measure anew every time he saw me, whilst all the rest went in with their old measurements and expected them to fit me." -George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950), "Man and Superman" (1903)} Mundane it seems, but tis true. Locking in the viewer by simple and quick engagement works best. Easiest solution is Initial engagement by centering the viewer's gaze. After initial capture, all hell can break loose; the viewer will hang in there. Juan Gris knew this better than Pablo Picasso. I know it now. Take a look at yesterday's solution to the composition of my painting, "Measure Anew", now in state 6. It is obvious. It engages with a robust center.  Juan Gris, "Flowers", collage, 55x46 cm, 1914  Drawing 10·15·2020, pencil on paper, 16x20 inches Drawing well challenges my soul. Here, in this drawing, I understand the requirement of the all-over. The all-over must not be the dominant force; the all-over must support the two-dimensional power of a flat rectangular work of art. This drawing gets centered by the smallest of the three complex forms, left, right, center. Consequently, a powerfully centered, all-over competition, is presented.
 Drawing 10·08·2021 No.1, pencil on paper, 16x20 inches I do not need to write anything. This drawing is manageable, straightforward, like the art of Agnes Martin.    Drawing 09·26·2021, pencil on paper, 20x16 inches It is getting scary. The drawing I present today is undeniably deep and profound. That's the scary part. This drawing's in-your-face centerness insists you look, not look away. When is scope and depth undeniable? Take a look at Alberto Giacometti's "Diego" (below). That is one answer in addition to the one I give you in my drawing. Look and hang; you will discover yourself.  Alberto Giacometti, "Diego", oil on canvas, 1953  Drawing 09·25·2021, pencil on paper, 16x20 inches I have thinking about the all-over design of the things. My first thought in making the last couple drawings, and the last painting, was about the all-overness of the design. I began yesterday's drawing (the one shown today), with all-over touches of the pencil. This forced me to deal with every aspect of the blank, white paper in front of me; I think successfully. This drawing is dramatic, referential, abstract, well composed, and insists upon the viewer's center stare while begging for the viewer's eye to wander in lust. The black areas dart around the paper, and the lighter value areas are systematically, strategically packed; this makes for easy visual comprehension of the total design while dwelling on the all-over.
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February 2023
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