Designs

In recent years I have been attracted to a class of art which I have called “designs.” Mostly these are geometric constructions, involving both curved and straight lines, combinations of geometric figures such as squares, circles, rectangles, sometimes connected in various ways, sometimes not. Sometimes they bear a resemblance, or are based on real objects (as the driftwood pictures done this winter [1992]).

The design of course is enhanced in effect by the choice and combination of colors. I think my interest in this approach (essentially abstract art) started when I first really became aware of Northwest Indian art. This occurred on the trip Jean and I made to Vancouver Island and British Columbia when we visited some museums in Vancouver displaying this art form. The Northwest Indian art depicts real animals etc., but it is semi-abstract in character and it is only a small step away from complete abstraction. In fact the first few attempts I made along this line used Indian designs as a basis, modified in some cases but in others following fairly closely the original Indian work.

I find that the work I have done along this line pleases me quite a bit and I find it emotionally satisfying. Perhaps some of the satisfaction in it comes from my engineering background — I always liked mechanical drawing and drafting and these are certainly related to the “designs” as I term them.

Presently the picture Jean has chose to hang over the fireplace is one of the designs which I have named “Roman Candles.” I submitted this watercolor in one of the two shows that the Oregon Watercolor Society has each year (I think it was a year or so ago) but like my other entries on other occasions in OWS shows it was not selected for their traveling exhibition. I also did a semi-abstract design based on the Britt pavilion design; in this case I was prevailed on to submit it for the annual poster design the Festival selects but it also was not selected. I like the painting although I prefer some other of my designs, but Jean say it is her favorite.

Recently I have been considering a variation, or you might term it a development of my design art. This development would be in the direction of a step back toward “realism” although the product would still be distorted in character. One of the ideas I have would be a work entitled “Sam Picasso” picturing a misshapen paperhanger messily putting up wallpaper on which the design was a parody of P. Picasso’s cubist art. The whole idea would be to lampoon what, to me, is pretentious nonsense that has been foisted on the general world of art by equally pretentious and artistically vulgar art critics. I have a few ideas in addition along th same line — “Gun Boy” on the typical NRA member; “The Deer Stalker” on the hunting community and “The Space-Filler” on the typical state, local and national legislator or administrator. I’m sure I could come up with similar themes for other elements of the population that are low in my opinion — such as the hierarchy in the Catholic church. When I will get started on this, if ever, is a question. My current liking for works of the naked female and the design constructions leaves little time available for new projects.

This is particularly the case since there is a third area in which I currently spend some time and that is black-and-white drawings based on the various sketches I have done in the past of trees, buildings, scenic spots, the Oregon coast etc. This is an area in which I have done a number of works over the past three or four years, but it has been slow in developing because I haven’t been able to find the right tool to use. I would like to use a common ordinary ballpoint pen, but the ink in such pens fades with time and while a ballpoint pen is excellent for on-the-site sketching it isn’t a suitable tool for a finished drawing.

I have tried various pens, including those described as India ink pens, that are on the market but without exception they are less than satisfactory. Until now I have simply used a small brush with either India ink or diluted black acrylic and this works well except where relatively straight lines of some length are desired when my technique in using the small brush does not produce the kind of straightness of line and orientation that I want. I have been driven to use a common ordinary nib pen with India ink and this, in combination with a small brush/ink or acrylic may be the answer. However I shall have to extend the nib pen to the type of pen that holds more ink so that the repeated recharging of the pen is reduced.

At any rate this is a type of drawing that also appeals to me and places a demand on my drawing/painting time which would be impinged on by developing the lampooning works.

It is now about eight months [this would set the time as early 1992—LS] since my heart attack and surgery and I am still in the stage of recovering from it.