Minor Disasters

I have to apologize, it's been quite a while since my last posting - more than a year!  I've  produced a few more of the small paintings for the series I call "Minor Disasters" -  Originally these were based on a number of simple line drawings done reflecting on my own past  accidents, injuries or surgeries . I've shown some of those here back in the past - both preliminary ink drawings and more finished acrylic paintings like "Fever" here right.

While the drawings were a form of personal release for me, the small paintings were an attempt to communicate gut level reactions and perhaps set up recognition of common experience, common humanity. To that end I've expanded my own views to include the kinds of disasters we see so often in the news these days. Above is one of the latest, the larger (unfinished) "Orlando". It may turn out to be a stylistic variation from older pieces like "Fever" but that's alright. I'm not a new artist trying to establish a presence.

Pain or love or danger makes you real again... (Jack Kerouac)

As soon as there is life, there is danger. (Ralph Waldo Emerson)

Of all our infirmities, the most savage is to despise our being. (Michel de Montaigne)

Modeling Again

In my previous post I introduced a new model, a young lady who'd never modeled for an artist before. Now I want to talk about more experienced ladies, those who have been working for a number of years. Women who for one reason or another find themselves on the modeling stand a few years beyond the time you'd expect. I have seen many models who continue working beyond the prime years of early twenties who because of talent and experience bring more than a fresh body to the artists attention. They know the poses the artist wants, have trained themselves and their muscles to hold long poses, - they have what it takes!  

But I'm not talking about those! This group represents the other end of the spectrum. Each of the ladies pictured here were well over seventy when they "took the stand" for us. The first above, drawn with ballpoint pen, was a tall and truly elegant woman who I'm sure had been a fashion model.  She moved as if in heels and a long gown.  I didn't ask but I'll bet she had an interesting story.

The second, done with ordinary pencil, was a nice woman, very competent, - did a great job.  She obviously had modeled somewhere before. I don't know much more about her,  just the fact of her age .

The last, the one below drawn with Prismacolor pencil, was an "accidental" model. We'd had a regular model scheduled for the group and she was late. In fact, she never showed up that evening. We started to do what we usually do in that circumstance, taking turns doing short poses for each other (clothed!) when this "young lady" put down her drawing materials and volunteered to model for the evening. She'd modeled nude when younger she said and was sure she could still do the job. He husband was there, part of the class and he backed her up, saying she had modeled for him and would be fine. Here she is, well past the usual age for female models, doing her bit for art!

"There's many a good tune played on an old fiddle."  Proverb

"Age is strictly a case of mind over matter, if you don't mind, it doesn't matter."  Jack Benny

"The secret of staying young, is to live honestly, eat slowly and lie about your age."  Lucille Ball  

Choices

It's a rare day when the people I draw are in such sharp contrast as these. The sad old woman here on the left was nearing ninety-five and close to the end when I drew her a few years ago. The thoughtful young lady below, not quite 20 at essentially the same time, had not yet found the ultimate direction of her life.  Both sat very quietly, one looking inward at long gone times in memory, the other contemplating a future stretched years into an unknowable future.  It's a common cliche that seniors may have remorse for old actions but more likely regret things not done at all, - while the young see few problems or choices except those immediate.

In the begining and in the end you are your own mentor and motivator; you direct your own life, you do what you have to do and enjoy what you have while you can. 

The longer we live, the more we are obliged to confront the deeper meaning of what we do.   (David Toop)

To be old can be glorious if one has not unlearned how to begin. (Martin Buber)

I never feel age... If you have creative work, you don't have age or time. (Louise Nevelson)