Notes from the Studio
Welcome to the interpretive section of the website, detailing my creative process. Check back in for perspective drawings, geometry, media experiments, sketches, etc.
Geometry and Composition
I often compose my finished studio paintings based on principles
of dynamic symmetry. In planning the Painting
“Alpine Storm”
I spent some time doing small inkwashes from my plein-air studies. Initially there was
no grid, no schema, only the proportions of the desired format. In this case
I was working in the ratio 1:1.237, which is basically two golden section
rectangles (1:1.618) standing on end. I intuitively arrived at an arrangement
of light and dark which "felt right", then used the underlying geometry of
the format to perfect the arrangement.
Click on the image for more details.
Charcoal Drawing Demonstration
The evolution of a charcoal drawing in five stages. Made in preparation for the Painting “Man in a Gale”