Sunday, June 7, 2009

I am Edison, yeah, that's it, Edison

Here are a few past drawings from my sketchbook, from Flickr photographs.




One in pencil:



















And one in pen:













Thomas Edison tried thousands and thousands of filaments before he found the right one for his light bulb. I am heartened by that, because lately I have had mostly failed experiments.

But I haven't yet blown up the lab and that is good.

Here is one, below, I guess. My most valued critic says that it is hard to tell what the colors in the background represent (it is a very close mountain peak, so there is no sky or mountain shape to clue the viewer). This is true. She says it is a boring subject, and that it looks like two twigs on a field of blue. Yes and yes. And that it's been done before. Certainly. But I kind of like it, and I promised to share the journey, so here it is. And did I mention that I kind of like it?






There have been some beautiful monotypes posted on the Belinda Del Pesco Fine Art Blog lately. I have no access to a press or anything of the kind, but I decided to try to achieve the same sort of effect with watercolor pencils and this was the result. It's not a monotype, so I'll call it a zerotype. Why not? It is based upon a beautiful photograph taken by my son, Ian, in North Carolina a few years ago.



6-5/8" x 10-3/8", watercolor pencil on 140 lb. cold press watercolor paper

8 comments:

  1. Your work is packed with talent!

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  2. Your work does contain a lot of talent, so keep at it! The pen portrait is very intriguing. I love how it is blocked in, dark and misterious. Like you I do like your tree watercolor. Though I cannot see a mountain I do see a sky through your trees. Now go back to playing some more, test your 'filaments' it is your art and it matters to you as to whether it is good or not, noone else.

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  3. Your portraits are awesome! Love the "zerotype", too, it's beautiful!

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  4. Love the pen and ink. Also thats a great quote by Danny Kay.

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  5. In order to grow we all have to be Edison, so keep at it, Thomas A. Your portraits are very well done, and your "zerotype" is soft and lovely. nancy

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  6. I really like your stuff on this blog, looks splendid. I especially like this latest pen drawing, I love it when the hatching is kind of rough.
    Thanks a lot for leaving a comment on my blog, it was much appreciated!

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  7. Thank you all so much for your encouraging words. Glad you all like my "zerotype" too! Thanks for visiting.

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  8. I didn't see this one earlier because my computer was slow loading whatever...but this is just awesome! Talking about capturing expressions, you're the true master here!
    Thanks for the comments on my last drawing and it's really nice to be back too. The couple actually like it and I am very happy with that :)

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