BARBARA FUGATE Drawings And Paintings

The Search

"Painting from nature is not copying the object, it is realizing one's sensation."  Paul Cezanne

A selection of the drawings I made last night in my Life Drawing session.  This quote from Cezanne comes to mind...drawing as a constant search to further realize how things are--without reservation, hesitation, or conscious thought of anything but the pursuit.

These are all 24x36" and larger.  Mixed Media:  chalk, watercolor, soft pastel, charcoal--one or more of these.  Click on images for larger versions.  Contact me for purchase inquiries.  Thanks for visiting!

Wall Drawing Commission

One of my great joys in life...drawing on walls!  Last Friday night I installed birds on the ceiling and walls of a home in Bellingham, Washington.  Here are a few pictures of the flying budgies and one perched hummingbird, too.  I forgot my digital camera, so I had to take these shots with my phone camera...thus the low resolution and a bit dark. These birds are inspired by my drawings in sketchbooks from visits to the zoo in Seattle where there are free flying budgies and other birds in a large aviary.

Portrait Drawing of Hans Today

This afternoon I had the great pleasure of drawing from Hans (Handsome Hansel was his race name of one race only).  Hans is a 13-1/2 year old greyhound, and still mighty handsome indeed.  He was a bit reluctant at first to take the "model stand" but he soon settled into my couch and was the perfect portrait model.  Here's a photo of Hans and the drawing as well with a detail.  The drawing is 16X20" on ivory colored Fabriano paper and made with sepia chalk and watercolor washes.  Thank you for visiting. For portrait commission inquires, please email. 

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Life Drawing on Sunday

Two selections from Sunday's life drawing session--both drawings are just over 30x40".  They are drawn with sepia chalk, watercolor. The figure more in profile also has soft pastel.  Both are available for purchase--email me for inquiries.  Thank you for visiting.

Here's an interesting comparison between my drawings (and drawing in general) and photography.

From an article on Eudora Welty's photography in April 2009 Smithsonian magazine, Welty is quoted:
"I learned in the doing how ready I had to be.  Life doesn't hold still.  A good snapshot stopped a moment from running away.  Photography taught me that to be able to capture transience, by being ready to click the shutter at the crucial moment, was the greatest need I had.  Making pictures of people in all sorts of situations, I learned that every feeling waits upon its gesture; and I had to be prepared to recognize this moment when I saw it."

Drawing from Life Last Night

In "The Language of Drawing" Edward Hill states more than once that drawing is an experience.  I believe that, practice it and know it's true for any type of art-making. 
While drawing last night the conversation in my head vacillated between two ideas:
(1) drawing is an experience of the present--it's aim is to be as cognizant as possible of every breath, heart beat, emotive/energetic shift in me and the model. The drawing is devoted to them, how they present themselves at that moment, including what they look like.  My focus remains locked on them, their skin, contours, and proportions.  
(2) drawing is an experience that traverses into alternate planes and my job is to hook into whatever journey (energetic journey or spirit?) presents itself and draw from that image.  The more universal, open, accessible the marks and resulting image the better--a visual likeness to the model is secondary if at all a part of the art.  The model is inspiration, a springboard, a way to make images of "a person" rather than of "them".  Less specificity the better.  I react and respond from the gut first and foremost with my marks and color choices.  The drawing is more about movement, energy, reaction, recognizing/realizing something of the human experience, rather than a visual likeness.

Here's a selection of the drawings I made last night during that internal debate and visual exploration.  These drawings switch back and forth between these two tactics/modus operandi for the artist, me, as I made marks on papers while observing the model.

All the drawings are a minimum of 24"X36" up to 30"x40".  I used charcoal, chalk, drawing ink.  Some are Gesture Drawings (ranging from 30 seconds to 1 minute) and others are 20 minutes up to 40 minutes (drawing of a woman seated in a chair).
Most are available for purchase.  Email me for pricing. 

Click on images for larger versions.  Thank you for visiting.

Life Drawing Selection

From last night's life drawing session in my studio with my drawing buddies.  These range in size from no smaller than 24"x36" and no larger than 32"x40".  Various drawing media.  All are available for purchase, just email me for pricing.  Thanks for visiting.  Click on images for larger versions.
 

Latest Portrait Commission

Here's my latest portrait drawing commission.  It's 16x20" on Fabriano Rosapina paper, made with sepia chalk and watercolor washes. 

A DETAIL and full version of the portrait--click on images for larger versions. 

If you are interested in a Portrait Commission, please don't hesitate to email me.  I will forward a listing of commission pricing and possibilities.

Thanks for visiting!  And be sure to check out my current listing of Art Workshops I am offering in Seattle and on Guemes Island, WA in the post below.
 

Monday's Portrait Drawing Commission

On Monday I drew from Una and Max--a portrait commission.  They sat together for the whole sitting to include the energy between them as well as their own individual personalities.

30"X40" on ivory colored paper, sepia chalk and watercolor.  Below is a DETAIL and full version.  Click on images for larger versions.

Thanks for visiting!

Drawing from life last night...

A selection from last night's life drawing session at my studio. 
24x36" pastel, ink wash and watercolor.  Email me for purchase price. Thanks for your visit. 
Click on image for a larger version.

See my ART WORKSHOP OFFERINGS (scroll down to a previous post). 

Expressive Figure Drawing and another on Gesture Painting this month of April. 

There's space for registrations in both.

Drawing in the Studio on the last day of the first month of 2008

Draw don't think.  Let it come to you.  Focus without tunneling your vision.  Remain loose (open) with your marks, mind, gut, and spirit...it all takes so much discipline.  It's true that those seemingly simple things are deeply complex--and hard.

Here's a selection of drawings I made tonight alongside my Life Drawing buddies.
All but two of them are 24" X 36". The media varies, to include: charcoal, sepia chalk, soft pastel, opaque watercolor, and watercolor washes.
All are available for purchase--simply email me for pricing.
Thanks for visiting!  (Click on images for larger versions.)