I have today been sorting out the chaos that is/was my studio. In one drawer was an empty carrier bag which I nearly threw away, but first glanced in to find the ‘original’ of the first artistic Pen & Ink drawing I ever did.
The scene is of Cothele House in Cornwall, and I see it is signed Oct 1979. I thought I had drawn it when I was in Germany. However, the last flight from the UK I made was to New York and return with Mrs. Thatcher (according to my Flying Logbook), in December 1979.
I can only conclude that, I knew I was going to Germany in the January 1980, and that I was going to start pen & ink drawing as a hobby. In preparation I bought some pens. I had thought I would try my hand, and used the cover of a National Trust bag as a reference.
Interesting, for me anyway, is that most of the shading lines (hatching) in my drawing are vertical. Thereafter, I invented my own system, or so I thought. Later, my stuff was printed by a very old and traditional printers in Roermond, Holland. They informed me that the liked my style as it was the way the Dutch artists drew a century before. They were pleased and I was flattered.
A wonderful example of your Pen-and-Ink artistry, John.
ReplyDeleteLove this tranquil scene. So restful. One can almost smell the grass and hear the birds.
Your Pen-and-Ink capabilitity is an excellent counter-point to your outstanding new Landscapes. The former is so exact, so demanding, so critical; the latter, so exciting, so broad-brush, so relaxing.
I particularly am impressed with the quality of those extremely fine vertical “hatchings” that you mention. Puts me in mind of when I was a youngster, trying to paint, and my dear Mother (God Bless her) would always say: “Don't go over the lines”. I always did, of course.
The Traditional Printers, in Holland, were obviously good judges of outstanding artistry.
What will be next, John ? A Landscape (Montana) or A Pen-and-Ink something ? Or both ?
Delighted you are back on your Blog.
Best Wishes.
Thanks for that, David. It will be some time before
DeleteI do any Pen & Ink work: my old eyes feel the strain.
Not sure what's next, that is to say after another Montana, that I started today. Maybe try a Seascape or an animal portrait.
Could be some 'steam' ... half P & I and the other paint