Drawings!
All my drawings, and printwork, start with a blank sheet of drawing paper, a nice graphite pencil, and an idea.
I then decide the approximate size, and what animal, or other elements, I want to use to help me explore my idea. Once that is figured out, I lay out the basic composition. I do this thoughtfully, so that each line has meaning. When I am satisfied with the layout, I add shading to establish the tonal range. There are a few exceptions where the line drawing seems to say all I wanted to say so I leave them in that state. A couple examples of this can be seen below in Whose Nose/Who Knows - Rabbit, and Horse, as well as in Kindred - Fresh, and Salt.
That being said, if I find shading helps add meaning I continue. As I draw, abstract shapes evolve as I think about my subject matter. These abstract shapes begin to play off one another leading to further abstraction, layers of meaning, and a more balanced overall feel to the entire composition. I step back numerous times during this phrase of the drawing so that I will know when the drawing has everything it needs, but does not become overworked. I also tend to clean up the white areas, refine the shading, and finalize the dimensions. At this point, if I have succeeded, the drawing has come to life. It is now a complete visual statement fusing together my subject matter and my idea.
Below is a link to my recent video titled Evolution of a Drawing on You Tube. In it I shared the creation of Midday Star (the panda above). It can also be seen, along with all my other videos, by going to the videos page on this website.
Some drawings, including the one above, are then transformed into hand-made serigraphs. Both the drawings and the serigraphs are original works of art and have a different look and feel. In creating the serigraph, color placement and capturing the tones of my drawing are very important. Since my work is celebrating the drawn image, the touches, or blocks, of color are limited, and rich black ink is used to add contrast when I am designing my serigraphs. An example can be seen below in MidLife Anchored, and Adrift.
I wrote this post because I have just begun to make a limited number of my drawings available to patrons. Contact me at kathleen.zimmerman@me.com if you want to know the availability and current value of any of my artwork, or to schedule an exhibition.
Kathleen Zimmerman