These portraits from 1988 and 1989 are all from my sketchbook. Most of the models were friends from work or were students I asked to model to illustrate how to draw portraits.
Student in Profile, Ballpoint pen on paper, 1989
I asked my students to use sketchbooks extensively because I wanted them to draw as often as possible. Waiting until you are in the studio makes sense for media that needs elaborate prep but drawing doesn’t. You can do it on anything anywhere.
Kathy Lay, Ballpoint pen on paper, 1989
I would demonstrate my use of a sketchbook by using them as models in the lecture portion of the class then have them do the same, using each other as models.
Sheila Gomes, ballpoint pen on paper, 1988
I wouldn’t often get very far with the drawings while they were actually posing for me, usually just a line drawing like you see in the first few drawings. But I would work on them later and show them at a later session to show how you can start with very basic lines and take off from there, even without the model being present.
Theresa Castro, ballpoint pen on paper, 1988
I taught that there is power in focus. You don’t have to complete a drawing edge to edge, as a matter of fact, leaving most of it barely sketched in often allows the focus to be where you want it.
Judy Sugg, ballpoint pen on paper, 1989
These may look pretty realistic to some but they really aren’t. They are a stylized realism, not photo-realism. I taught that an absolute likeness is not essential unless you are being paid to do that. If not, then you can and should feel free to compose and stylize as you wish. It’s how you develop your own look and style.
Kristine Hayes, ballpoint pen on paper, 1989
Individual style comes from adaptation of what is into what you want it to be. In my case I love definition, contrast and volume so I increase the lights and darks much further than they were in real life to achieve that.
Suzanna Jones, ballpoint pen on paper, 1989
In my opinion, no one needs a photographic copy of someone in a drawing. There is photography for that. The acclaim that comes from someone saying, ‘Wow, it looks just like a photograph!’ is nice, but in my opinion it’s just a gimmick unless something much deeper is being expressed (which is possible with photo-realism, I just don’t see it often).
Janet Arsenault, ballpoint pen and Prismacolor pencil on paper, 1989
And of course, my work wouldn’t be complete without adding in a cartoon image, preferably including my longest running characters, Singing Snake and Turtle.
The Wounded WomanThe Unhappy Wife the Moment Her Fences Flew AwayThe Renaissance Room at the MuseumThe Water AngelMother and SonThe Dancer Dancing in Her Favorite Spot During QuarantineThe Sad Queen Just Wanted To Be LovedThe Dishwashing Attorney With Her Bra OffThe Very Popular Exhibition at the Usually Unpopular Art MuseumThe TV Producer Dreaming She Was a BlowfishThe Translator Getting Ready For WorkThe Tattoo Artist With Issues
A Woman in Summer, 2020A Memory of MineShe’s So UglyThe Hurricane DanceThe Vision and the WeightA Discussion with the GoddessThe Prayer and the SignThe Thinking SkyscraperThe Runner’s PrayerThe Sign in the DesertThe Artist KnowsTonguesCovid LandscapeThe Circular ThoughtShower Singing
She wanted to go to the Forum where she could show off her new hairdo and earrings and watch wrestling and talk and eat and flirt and listen to people say profound things and maybe get a mani/pedi. She would see her friends and have fun, laughing and enjoying the day.
She didn’t want to walk all the way up the hill and look at disgusting dead people on crucifixes all by herself. It was hot and her feet would get dirty and there would be flies and vermin and the smell would be aweful. Plus, people might see her up there and think she is somehow connected to those dead people and then people would start talking and not want to be around her.
She stood there a long time before she made her choice.
I think this might make an interesting T-shirt for a lot of interesting women. They are busy with their interesting lives, doing interesting things and aren’t interested in men being interested in them just because they look interesting.
