Anselm Kiefer @ The National Gallery of Art

Here's one I've been tinkering with for a looooooong time. In September, Nicole and I went to Washington, D.C. for my cousin Erin's wedding. We took an extra day and visited the National Gallery of Art on the Mall. It was something I'd really wanted to share with Nicole and it was an incredible experience. We spent most of our time in the East Building which contains the contemporary collection (20th Century). Nicole was particularly drawn to this massive mural by Anselm Kiefer. I took a picture and began this sketch after the fact (October sometime?). I've been poking at it ever since...trying to capture some of the rich textures in the original, experimenting with different cross-hatching techniques, various pens and pencils...It still doesn't feel quite finished but I'm going to put it to bed as is.

EDM #91 - Apple

I've been neglecting the blog for a bit...but I've got a good reason. I moved! That's right, got myself a spankin' new apartment in the sprawling metropolis that is Blodgett Mills, NY. I would not be surprised if this is the only blog being produced in Blodgett Mills or the only functional computer for that matter. So isolated is tiny Blodgett Mills, that TimeWarner took two weeks to get a technician out here to set up my internet connection. Anyways, I'm up and running now and here's a sketch to prove it!

This apple was picked before I moved. The sketch is from about a month ago and is only my third attempt at watercolors, so be kind. I tried a little salt to add some texture... not sure about the results.

Butterfly Conservatory

Last Weekend Nicole and I went to Niagara Falls. The weather was gorgeous and we had a wonderful time. The fall foliage was at its peak and the views of the falls were truly spectacular. We even had dinner atop the Minolta tower. We were the last table to leave and had the whole restaurant to ourselves for a private viewing of one of the last fireworks displays of the season. Saturday we had lunch at the Secret Garden restaurant and spent the afternoon at the Butterfly Conservatory just north of downtown. What an amazing place! Thousands of stunningly beautiful butterflies dance around you in a lush tropical paradise. It was absolutely beautiful. Here's a drawing I did from one of the many photographs I took there.

Ballpoint Quickies

I feel like this blog thing of mine is a little neglected. So, here's a couple quick ballpoint sketches done in the last couple of days.

On the left is my left hand and below is a quick face where I ran out of room on the back of one of those page-a-day calendars. (They pile up around my desk and usually get doodled on. This one got a little more attention than usual, which is why you see it here.)

Ancient History Sketches

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Originally uploaded by Tim Clary.

In the summer of 2002 I decided I really needed to get back to drawing. In order to push through my usual bouts of self-doubt and procrastination I decided to use the cheapest materials I could (a $.99 9x12 newsprint sketchbook, charcoal pencils, and a kneaded eraser) and commit to filling the book as fast as I could. Two months later I had 50 pages of fast, fluid linework and dynamic compositions. I was quite pleased.

This was a great exercise and really sparked my creativity. (If only I could sustain that kind of energy all the time!)

(And since I can't figure out how to get multiple images to fly over here from Flickr, here's the link)

Scott McCloud @ R.I.T.!

Whoa! Just saw that Scott McCloud is going to be at R.I.T. on Monday Sept. 18th promoting his new book, Making Comics. Very exciting!

If you don't know McCloud, you should. He's probably the most important writer examing comics as an art form. His two previous books, Understanding Comics and Reinventing Comics are seminal works not just in the comics field but are also studied in Graphic Design and Semiotics programs around the country (possibly the world). Soooooo glad I didn't miss this announcement.

Pete Turner @ Eastman

Nicole and I spent a wonderful day at the George Eastman House in Rochester. For those of you in the area you'll definately want to check out the Pete Turner exhibit which runs until February 4th. From the Eastman website:

The current exhibition, Pete Turner: Empowered by Color, on view through Feb. 4, showcases more than 50 world-renowned photographs representing all facets of Turner's work, from his first African expedition in 1959 to his latest images of architectural spaces. He is a photographic visionary who has pursued his uncompromising thirst for color saturation. Turner is a master colorist who broke all the rules in a pre-computer era, using the camera and wide-angle lens as his tools. His images have influenced generations of photographers and continue to inspire the way we view the colorful world around us.

His work is truly beautiful and if you've never been to the Eastman house (this was my first time) it's definately worth the trip for anyone interested in photography, architecture, botanical gardening, or art in general.

Everyday Matters Challenge #81 - Streetlight

Finally getting around to an actual challenge drawing! Here's a streetlight on the Erie Canal bikepath in Pittsford, NY. I had ice cream with Nicole there last Thursday and took some pictures of the canal. This sketch was done a few days later from the photos using Pitt brush pens and a touch of color pencil for the purple. (First time I've tried the new grayscale brush pens, I'm pretty excited about them) I may add some background detail of the canal but maybe not.

Nicole always asks me, “Can you smell the purple?” when we walk past these flowers.

Africa: An Artist's Journey

Laura from the Everyday Matters group recently posted a list of Artist's Journals that have been published as books. (Thanks Laura!) I'd like to add Kim Donaldson's incredible Africa: An Artist’s Journey to that list.

From Amazon.com:

Africa: An Artist's Journal is a fascinating invitation to share in the art and experience of walking where the animals walk. Kim Donaldson, an internationally renowned wildlife artist, grew up in Zimbabwe on a 150,000-acre ranch of unspoiled African bush country traversed by rivers, hills, and valleys and teeming with game. It is this stunning landscape that first inspired him to swap his hunting rifle for a camera and a sketchpad . . . and begin a lifelong passion for capturing on paper the wildlife of his native continent. Donaldson's stunning paintings and sketches have an intangible quality that can only be achieved by someone who has spent many years in the bush. Filled with spellbinding information about wildlife, culture, and history, this captivating journal is packed with scores of paintings, sketches, maps, and excerpts from Donaldson's diaries and notebooks to create a vivid and multilayered impression of this mysterious continent. Magnificent photographs and dramatic illustrations detail the spectacular plains Donaldson has visited, including Masai Mara, South Africa's Cape and Natal regions, the Serengeti, and Zembezi Valley, and more. The result is an enthralling journey through the magnificent expanse of Africa's most wonderful and surprising natural wonders.

Caribou - Alaska sketch reworked

I decided to add a caribou to the left side of this page. I think it rounds out the composition; but now I wish I'd done a better job with the otters.

Nicole Writing

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Originally uploaded by Tim Clary.

I'm attempting to upload to the blog from Flickr...if it works this should be a sketch of Nicole from last year.

Convention Sketches

If you havn't noticed yet, I'm a huge fan of comics...although I lean more towards independant books rather than the mainstream superhero stuff that most of the populace would immediately call "comics". Anyways, I've attended a couple of small-press conventions MOCCA in New York City and the Small Press Expo in Bethesda, MD. The most amazing thing about conventions like these is that many people will carry a sketchbook that the artists will usually be more than happy to do a quick drawing in. (Usually for free! only occasionally asking that you buy a book or comic.) My book for these show starts with one of my own drawings and at the last two shows I went to my sketches set the theme. The first one, from MOCCA in 2002 was, obviously, Rock and Roll. The second from SPX 2003 was a bit more open...robots, outer space, or cowboys...or any combination of the three! This resulted in lots of fun, creative drawings. I'm not sure if I should put the artists' sketches up without their permission, so for now here are my two drawings.

Craig Thompson's "Carnet du Voyage"

I've be reading Craig Thompson's Carnet du Voyage over the last few days. It is both a humbling and inspiring experience. To see page after page of masterful sketches and realise that Thompson is churning these beautiful illustrations out on-the-spot and in extremely challenging conditions blows my mind. It simultaneously makes me want to stop everything and draw for the rest of my life and also to throw out every pen and scrap of paper I have. Anyone who enjoys, illustration, travel, beauty, trees, architecture, etc. should run out and get a copy of this wonderful book. (Then treat yourself to his other books, Blankets and Goodbye, Chunky Rice.)

Alaska

My sister recently returned from a trip to Alaska. Her photos (and those of her friend, Grant) inspired these pages.

Small Noises

Small Noises Interesting daily Journal comics blog

Surgery!

So, my girlfriend, Nicole, went in for a minor knee surgery today (is there such a thing as MINOR knee surgery?) and I did a couple sketches. One of her right before they wheeled her into surgery and one of all the books I got for my birthday (July 24th - you can still send gifts!).

By the way, Nicole is home and doing just fine.

First Post - Lion Sketch

Ok, this is a test post. Here's a sketch of a lion that i did a while back: