Passionate About Watercolors

I'm a big fan of working with watercolors. I disliked them once because they can be difficult to control and unpredictable. Now I love them for the same reasons! It's very rewarding gaining control and mastering different techniques and yet because they can be unpredictable, the unexpected effects can be very appealing and exciting! I like working on fast sketches from live models with watercolors. There is no time to get bogged down with too much detail yet enough time to capture a gesture or mood. These are two 20 minute sketches that I did recently at the Society of Illustrators. The beautiful model in the top sketch is Tangerine Jones who describes herself as a 'performance artist and illuminatrix supreme served up with a side of burlesque'. I just love the personalities I meet in NYC! Take a peak at Tangerine's blog Fresh Made Fierce.

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Don't Tell Mama....

Last night I went to see my friend sing at 'Don't Tell Mama', a cabaret and comedy club in midtown Manhattan. I grabbed my sketch book at the last minute and was really glad I brought it with me. What a talented and glamorous group of singers including my friend Linda Mancini, Sian Berman, Jane Deeken, Leorah Haberfield, Magee Hickey, Roberta Klein and Karen Steinberg who are all part of Manhattan Cabaret Arts. I'm now hooked on sketching performers! It's a good excuse for me to go to more gigs around town but I'll have to source venues where there is a bit of light to sketch. In some instances last night the lights went so low I could hardly see my paper. I know my mother would be frowning if she could see me trying to draw in the dark so 'Don't Tell Mama'......

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Valerie Green Dance Entropy

Yesterday I was fortunate enough to be invited to sketch a company of dancers during rehearsals at Valerie Green Dance Entropy. The not-for-profit modern dance company will be appearing at Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival on August 9th, 2012. They will be performing 'Thread', in which three women tangle, unravel, and knot together in fluid motions; 'Kin', a joyful, action packet duet; and 'Rip Tide', a work for six dancers that evokes the violence and beauty of the ocean. I felt very lucky as I sat in a corner watching and sketching these incredibly talented and fit dancers. Drawing one minute poses at life drawing sessions now seems like a very long time. The dancers were not in a pose for more than a few seconds! I eventually got the hang of creating very fast gestures based on the dancers and what I know of balance and proportion of the human figure. A few of the sketches are of the dancers during their break. A big thank you to Valerie Green who visited me during Open Studios in May and was kind enough to invite me to her dance studios. For more information on the incredibly talented and accomplished Valerie and her company please visit: www.danceentropy.org

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