Discussions with Mark Norseth

I finally have this finished!  Interruptions aside, I’m pleased to be presenting the painting here on my blog before framing it and putting it in the gallery. As I mentioned in earlier posts, working this large painting up from small drawings and studies, and further developing it from memory and imagination is a nice change from my more literal plein-air practice. It’s probably the wave of the future for me, if you will excuse an unintended pun.

Everyone in our area knows this location from the film ” From Here to Eternity” where Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr made their big splash rolling around in the surf, as well as shipwreck scenes from “Pirates of the Carribean 4.”

For myself, the attraction has always been found in contrasts; darks and lights, colors, fluid/dynamic water played against static volcanic forms, an element of real danger on certain winter days, and a sublime beauty at certain moments, where the water is almost still and the entire cove becomes covered in shadow near dusk.

Halona Cove: The First Step, watercolor on paper, 22 x 30″,  framed size 31 x 39″

The painting is framed as of  today,  and will go on public display the first of April.

These are some images from the last few months or so. Relatively short poses, mostly under an hour.

I’ve been pursuing a more seasoned and sensitive description, allowing for more construction and “thinking out loud” with line.

I’m sticking with charcoal and carbon pencils for a few months, and I’ll possibly go into a Cont’e crayon-mode or other red chalk next. They have possibilities I haven’t explored enough. I make it a habit to work with a single medium for a several month stretch, and then rotate to another so that by the end of a year I may have worked in three or four drawing media. So much of progress is showing up, being energized and diligent, but without going stale. Switching up mediums like that helps, but it doesn’t affect structural or perceptual problems.

I’m still not (often enough) seeing or taking-in the whole form at once…something I’ve been able to do on occasion in the past.  By this I mean seeing the part, an arm or whatever, and it’s place in the entire figure almost simultaneously and drawing it that way. Tricky stuff, but I know there’s a groove where I’ve managed it before, and when it happens it’s where you know you ought to be.

I’m thinking that each drawing, good or bad, is a brick in the wall of your experience.  It’s the sharpening of the eye and refining one’s shortcomings that really matters with these, a nice drawing is the by-product. Not that I don’t shoot for a nice drawing each time. I do, but I find my own criteria for that drawing has changed a bit.  I like chatter in my drawings now, and enjoy seeing bits of construction showing about, maybe even a finger print or two.

I found myself telling a student last night that one shouldn’t “speak in monotone”, that is, draw with a line that has no inflection or personality.  I was surprised that analogy came up, but I think it’s helpful.

There’s a nice season where one measures diligently, renders exactly, and goes as far as they can that way, as far as their talent, training, and knowledge can take them.  I wish it could last forever sometimes, because to get buried in a drawing for hours, for it’s own sake,  is fun. But, now I need to make use of what skills I may have obtained to make things that find their way into the marketplace, my objectives being in paint these days.

Thankfully,  I have the blessing of regular weekly classes and motivated students where I can maintain some edge to those skills, an endless process I thoroughly enjoy.

This has been a fun and fascinating concept, with a great bunch of students (and models)  willing to brave the sun and occasional mosquito for the rare opportunity to work from the live model out-of- doors.  The class is three hours each session, enough time to for me to provide a demonstration, and then get everyone painting and drawing.

These photos are from our fifth session together, where I did a drawing demonstration.  I’ve also managed to include demonstrations in watercolor and pastel as well as oil;  the basic information is much the same for all three.   The students have risen to the challenges each day, and it’s been a pleasure for me to teach.

My usual big advice, to work from the outside shape inward, and from general to specific, is scrawled across the top of this drawing. My friend Linda Crank has a offered a great quote from Frank Benson, the great Boston painter of figures in sunlight, which beautifully elaborates the point I try to make.  His words:

‎”If you make things right in the order of their importance, you will never get into trouble. This business of fussing around with the details before you have gotten the masses in correctly is what makes for a poor picture.” – Frank W. Benson

It’s the sort of thing that takes thought, time and effort to comprehend, but once it does, a light comes on that changes everything.

The class will be expanded to eight sessions, and repeat itself over the summer months.  Let me know if you wish to reserve a spot.