Original Figure Drawing, “Queen Gloria”, charcoal and ink on paper, 24 x 36”, 2020

This is one of the more visually interesting studies I’ve made of the model Gloria.  In organge ink and black charcoal, I worked quickly to draw her incredible portrait in profile, and the striking color of an orange fabric drape at the back of her chair.  It is rare for a figure drawing to come together successfully; making quicker work like this relies on occasionally slowing the practice down to do more studied and precise figure pieces.  I enjoy the challenge working in twenty minutes or less provides - there is no time to second-guess, only to advance, and let the pose and gesture of the model inspire the notation of their aspect on the paper.  This drawing, 24 x 36 inches, has the added aspect of being very physical to create, using big movements, rather than the detail or precision of smaller-scale work.  I see larger figure works like this one as a kind of gateway to the very large scale 30 x 42” watercolor plein air landscape paintings I began making three years later.

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