The Art Students League of New York

Oil on Canvas

This is one of my paintings from the Art Students League that I did while studying with Mary Beth Mckenzie. The ASL is a magical place with a rich history; it was founded in 1875 by a group of art students. Some of the artists that have attended the league are Georgia O'Keeffe, Jackson Pollock, Robert Rauschenberg and Roy Lichtenstein. This is one of my favorite places to be because I’m surrounded by great artists of all disciplines and there is a wonderful energy that you can feel when artists come together to share and create. One of the best things about the ASL is that it is inexpensive and anyone can attend, enrollment is monthly so students can try different classes. I’m thinking about trying sculpture this fall.

Detail

New Paintings

So far I have only posted drawings, so I’m going to try and start posting some of my paintings. Over time my style and technique has been through many changes and now I think I’m finally starting to see my own voice emerge. I paint with a thick impasto style and I usually use a pallet knife more than brushes. I’m starting to incorporate more conceptual ideas into my work. My work still continues to change and currently I’m working on total abstraction, which I will soon post. Regardless if my work is figurative or abstract I’m most interested in conveying energy and emotion.

"Partnership In Avoidance" 22"x30" oil on canvas

"Partnership In Avoidance" depicts two stoic and immobilized figures juxtaposed in front of a hell like atmosphere. The two figures are unaware of each other and their surroundings. The artist poses a question about personal and social accountability regarding the environment and each other.

Emotion In Art

What drives my artwork most is the expression of emotion. Over time my art has become bold yet simple, utilizing the fewest lines as possible. When I was in college I used to rely on detail as a crutch because it was something that I was good at, and people were easily impressed by it. It was a big leap for me to keep things simple. My focus changed from trying to dazzle people, to reaching deep inside and finding something that is genuine.

Pen and Ink

To change things up a little, I switched to drawing in Pen and Ink, and also started using a smaller sketchbook. Since the sketchbook is much lighter, it is more convenient while standing and drawing. It allows me to quickly pull it out of my bag when I see something good I want to draw and I always keep my pen attached to it so I don’t have to search for it. I have missed good opportunities because by the time I got my sketchbook out and found my pen the person had left or moved. I loved my other sketchbook, but because it was so heavy and bulky my hand would cramp from holding it, so I’m trying to use that one for when I’m sitting down and doing longer sketches. I’m using the Moleskine brand because it is very thin and streamline. I’ll admit I didn’t like it at first because it’s not regular sketch paper, it’s more like thick poster board which is not good for pencil but it’s working fine with pen and ink. I recently found some really unique leather bound journals in Borders, they are from Italy and are really beautiful, unfortunately most of them had lines and the ones that didn’t were too bulky. I feel the pen and ink is great for very quick sketches because the pen moves quickly over the paper and since I can’t erase, it’s very spontaneous. Most of these drawings were done either on the Long Island Railroad or subway.

Drawing In Public

It wasn’t always easy for me to draw people in public, but I forced myself to get past the fear and you can too. Many artists say they are too embarrassed to draw in public out of fear that they will be criticized or appear like they are staring. When I first started commuting into Manhattan everyday for work and school, I had a very long day. If I wanted to get any drawing done I needed to utilize every minute of my day which included drawing on the train or while waiting on line. It’s bold and exciting to capture real life unfolding before your eyes. Long Island Railroad
Appear Confident
1. If you look confident people will be at ease. When you look sheepishly at the subject you’re attempting to draw, they can feel your hesitation. On the other hand, if you project yourself as a serious artist who has the “right” to be doing what you are doing, people will have more respect for you and it will make them feel comfortable and even somewhat honored that you chose them to draw.
I think everyone feels awkward at first, especially in NYC where people rarely look each other in the eye. I was surprised when artists who seem very bold and outgoing told me they felt too uncomfortable to draw people in public. It can actually be therapeutic and exhilarating. Like many people these days, I used to suffer from anxiety, especially in public places. My heart would pound from every little thing, so it was a huge leap for me. I started little by little and after a while I became desensitized to it. Some artists remember being embarrassed the fist time they drew a nude model, but after a short time it becomes a normal part of everyday life. Like anything difficult, the key is repetition.

Difficult Challenges
2. One of the main challenges is people moving around or leaving, never to be seen again, so you have to work quickly. If you have ever done life drawing where you do 1 or 2 minute poses than you have a head start. First thing is don’t panic about finishing, if they get up and leave you can just start with a new person. Eventually you will be able to work quickly enough where you can get a lot done in just a few minutes. Actually, some of my best drawings were done in under 5 minutes. People move around a lot but they usually only move in two or three different positions. If they move, just give it a few seconds and chances are they will move back to the same position. If they are reading and then they move to answer their phone and you think they may be a while, you can always start over on a new page and then if they go back to the first position you can finish the other drawing. You can also try to capture all the different movements which can be very exciting and challenging as well.

Jazz Band Columbus Circle
Most People Are Nice
3. People are for the most part pretty positive about it and are more curious than anything. I think most people just want to see what you are doing and are fascinated by it. There are occasions when people give you strange looks but don’t react startled as if they caught you doing something wrong because it’s like admitting that you are doing something shady. Instead just slowly focus your eyes on something past them and when they go back to reading the paper or whatever else they’re doing than you can go back to drawing. The one thing I have noticed is young attractive women react more than other people. I’m a women and I think that when another women stares at them they get very uncomfortable, like you are eying them up out of jealously. I would imagine a man may have similar troubles. You may want to save the hotties for when you are more confident. Don’t push it, most people are nice but if you are getting negative vibes from someone, you may want to avoid confrontation and move onto someone else. Especially in NYC, you may never know how someone may react. Most importantly, have fun and people will feed off of your energy and will react to you positively.!





Columbus Circle
Rush hour is "quiet time" on the Long Island Railroad.

There was this mom with her three young daughters

returning from a shopping trip in the city and the young girl

asked her mother why everyone looks like "zombies".

Starbucks 60th St and 8th ave

I was having the hardest time with this drawing

and this little boy about 7 came up to me and said he wants

to be be like me when he grows up, it really made my day.

Homeless man Hicksville train station.