V Is For Verone: Part 1

Who is Verone and where did he come from? And why does he have that "V" on his vest? In this two part story I present a little back story to "The Course".

As the cold winter wind broke through the mountains in some unnamed highlands of Eastern Europe a young gypsy thief ran and took refuge under the cliff. His clan had moved on a day ahead and he was seeking to survive.  Little did he know, there was a gypsy clan who had already taken refuge in the cave. He could smell the cooking stew, probably made from a mountain goat or some poor farmers stray cow.

The boy entered the narrow passage way under the overhang. There before him were several small families hunched together around several fires. They barely acknowledged him as he came down the crevice through an awkward rock path. The boy circled the first fire and no one made eye contact. They were concentrating too much on being warm or they just didn't care. He circled the second one and no one even moved. At the third fire the the boy was desperate. If he could not find solace here he would likely freeze to death if he tried to go on. Though, the stew smelled heavenly, he could endure the hunger. He had done that before. It was warmth and rest he longed for.

Chunky Paint

Chunky paint is the medium that bridges the gap between india ink and regular water media such as acrylic, gouache, and water color. If you paint with these media with any regularity you would understand the commonality and therefore the benefits of bouncing from one to the other from time to time. The learning curve is immense and there is almost always something new to learn.

In Little Tree I tested illustration board for its ability to hold watercolor. This is in fact a value study in burnt sienna, but it is also a finished piece. I will boldly proclaim that because it can handle no more detail and it is unnecessary because everything will get lost. Follow the Little Tree link to my Deviant Art page to see the full painting.

On a cloudy day I sought out nature to inspire me to spring board me into my comic drawing stage of the day I came up with this painting and three blind drawings before it. The first 2 of the Painted Flowers series are held in my Experimental Art page.

Blind drawing is an interesting process. It is not blind in the sense that you use only your hearing and feeling senses to detect shape and form. But for the artist it is the opposite. You see with your eyes, but feel the paper/board with your pencil or brush. In effect, you let media feel the contours of the physical object without actually seeing the the page. It always has surprising results and pushes the artist to the next level.

Nature of Inspiration

One of the biggest up hill battles I have fought since I graduated from college is what I am supposed to do with the artistic talent I have been given. In my life there has been no shortage of doubts, struggles, and missteps. But above anything else, the journey has been most fruitful when I let go of my expectations and trusted God to fill in the blanks. That is what this piece, The Nature of Inspiration, is all about.

Amongst my watercolors this color sketch is not the most technical. For me it captures the spiraling, yet linear movement of dreams and goals. How they can often be easily read, but still over a blurry and colorful backdrop. I do not know what my future holds or how today will make sense in reference to tomorrow. Yet, God leads the way and the trail will not finish at a dead end.

Growing Older

Each stage of progression in creating a work of art requires struggle. It requires a change of thinking about what you had prior accepted as the only way to accomplish the task you have set out to do.

Teleki's Old Mother is no exception. It is true that she has always been old even in the first character designs I did for her in 2007. Yet, with time she has aged in an interesting way. She has become a character instead of a caricature of someone I know. There is an important difference. Old Mother had at first a flat personality. She was very generic. Even in the first drafts of the story, she was not relatable. Today, she is both a caring mother and somewhat stuck in her old ways. She is wise at the same time she is incredibly narrow-minded. She only wishes to help her poor son Teleki in his difficult time of need, but cannot help but make him feel more miserable.

If you look in my Sketches page you will see the gradual, but intentional changes that Teleki's Old Mother has gone through over the years.

Over a period of years it has become apparent to me that my skills as a watercolor painter enhance my drawing and inking abilities. Check out my new post on Deviant Art of my recent watercolor, With Garlic On Top.

Title Of Story

Telling stories is a great tradition passed down from generation to generation and from age to age. It is a tradition so universal that pretty much every culture throughout history has maintained it in some form or another. The fact is, that it is one of the best ways to get your point across. Even the most analytical and heavy thinkers with the most scientific minds use it to demonstrate what theory they are trying to explain. Dry facts bore us to death. We might as well dismiss our humanity and plug ourselves directly into our favorite technology if facts are all we get. It is nearly impossible to comprehend something without a proper context. And if that context is not relayed with some accuracy or attention to detail, it also loses its potency.

One of the great things about my friend, Mark Thomas's art is that it has an affinity to give you all of the details you need and you can fill in the blanks about the story on your own. It is important to see art in a setting as opposed to viewing it second hand, because the live version of the art translates the heart and soul of its creator so much better.

On Mark's opening night I was privileged to have the opportunity to draw the very setting of the show. Often, these sporadic interpretations of reality are rough, but the point is not precision or even sobering reality. The message plainly rendered is that you get the mood and you recognize the primary details. So for any artist an opportunity like this presents itself as a practice in seeing and a remembrance of the experience.