Sketchbook Pages

Sketchbook pages can be as fragmented as bizarre dreams, shifting kaleidoscopically from one impression to another.

Portraits and Pianos

I felt as if I had the room to myself, a private performance of musicians who came through the snow to play for me.  A bit surreal.  My mind wandered.

An empty stage and Valentines

Red metallic hearts hung from the ceiling, spiraling in the occasional draft of air that made its way through the door and around the corner.  I traded sheets of paper for my sketchbook, needing a connection between my wandering mind and my hand.  Memories of writing poetry forty years ago in the dim-lit bars of Boston crept like ghosts into the room, filling the empty chairs.  I needed live music then and I still need it now.  In place of words I draw lines, filling them with colors.  Am I addicted to the music or to making marks on paper? ….. I wonder.

Images: Top – pencil portraits of Arne Englund and Don Plowman, ink drawing of piano in the corner.

Bottom – drums and empty chair, sketch of Doc Z, Valentine Decorations, ink and watercolors

 

Painting in the Dark

A large table and wide windowsills makes painting at the Larry Holmes Ringside Restaurant far less of a challenge than the standard 30 inch square tables of the local pubs.

Painting at the Blues Jam

Thanks to Monica for taking this photo last Tuesday evening.  The table was large enough that I was able to spread out a bit and let a couple of other people try their hand at painting.

I decided to work in full color again, choosing my palette to give me a full value range from light to dark.  When painting in low light situations it is easier to paint by value rather than hue.  I look for light vs. dark and warm vs. cool.  Aside from that, I just go with the beat of the music and the energy of the environment.

The next morning I take a look at the paintings and see how the hues have interacted.  So many happy accidents occur while painting in the dark.

Jimmy Somma, Chas Cochran, Craig, Fang and Joe Mac