sketches and studies

This is sort of my catch-all page for all those little scribbles of ideas and sketches that hope to manifest into larger paintings one day. Feel free to give me a push on anything that you would like to see become something larger!

SANTA FE 2020

Covid Spring became Covid Summer in 2020 and landed me in limbo in the land of enchantment, the artist’s dreamland of Santa Fe, New Mexico. At the urging of my friend Diane Sherman, partner in art, yoga, teaching and deep self-exploration, I embarked on a series of quick, 1-minute contour drawing self-portraits. Most include words and markings that reflect my current thoughts, worries and revelations, as a chronicle of my day-to-day self for one month in the midst of the confusing and life altering pandemic.

What’s a contour drawing? It’s a playful and quick sketch with pen to paper without looking at anything but your subject. Without lifting the pen or assessing or correcting progress, one captures the visual by instinct with spontaneity and energy. They are fun to do, a great exercise in truly seeing your subject, a warming up of creative muscles, and are accessible to anyone! Many of these sketches were then colored in partially or fully. I’ve included a before and after pair so you get the idea.

I think I’m onto something new here for a series of big paintings one day and would love a Part 2 of these as portraits of friends and family. One of my drawings below was featured in the book, “The Magic of Art Journaling,” by Diane Sherman.

Here are a couple I did of my husband Tommy, who lucky for me was willing to sit still for 1 minute! (The drawings don’t do him fair justice as we all know he is much more handsome than these drawings depict!)