New Patterns on Old Forms

I always had a penchant for drawing people who had unusual shapes; legs that were short and stocky or perhaps overly long or thin, an oddly shaped head, long thin hands. The pencil drawing I just completed was of a woman who had a very short thick body with a large head and copious black hair. She was my favorite model and could hold a pose for long lengths of time - even standing. There were few details in my original sketch but I do remember the dark pink bodice with the lace trim and the thin neglige. I had to invent the patterns of the lace, background textures, and floor patterns.


My lack of recorded shading makes many of these revised pattern drawings flattened. But that is fine by me because I am very fond of the flat patterns found in Japanese prints, which I hope to emulate. So the journey through my sketch books of the past in order to glean art for the present continues, replete with pattern upon pattern in a celebration of design upon strange bodies.