41.  Original Plein Air Drawing, “Portrait of Max Painting in his studio, 5.28.24”, graphite, 18 x 24”, 2024

Location: Denver, CO

This drawing is my absolute favorite work of art of Art Tour 2024. On the heels of ArtX Flagstaff, my first ever art festival or art event period I was allowed to join, I drove to Denver for a few days afterward to unwind, visit, and not necessarily make art with my friend and fellow artist Maxwell Forrest Roath. Max and I met during our time studying optical oil painting together at The Ryder Studio in Santa Fe in 2021. Since then, we’ve been on parallel full-time-art career trajectories, with the in-person hangouts punctuating countless hours of phone catchups. Max is always working on his drawing and painting, and this drawing was made in his studio / apartment as he worked on a large oil painting of his boots. At left are visible several self-portraits, as well as a painting of his family bulldog, George, and at right on the wall in the kitchen is a painting of a pear made by Celeste Ryder, wife of Tony Ryder, the wonderful artists who run The Ryder Studio. This is my favorite drawing because I love drawing people in graphite, especially unposed (doing what they normally would be doing, in motion), and this portrait shows one of my best friends doing what he loves to do, in his environment. It was ambitious for me at the time, and took about two hours, working as fast and as accurately as I could. While painting is rewarding in its way, my heart belongs to graphite drawing.