Twigs and Roots
There was period of windy weather between late spring and early summer in Napa that blew down twigs and small branches of various shapes, some with lichen, many with interesting shapes and textures.Drawing these twigs, and some roots became my way of seeing them not as duff to be dumped, but to see them with new and respectful eyes...as portraits of an aspect of Nature to be considered important enough for more than a second glance.
I place the drawing in a large expanse of white paper, all the better to express each twig or root's unique linear qualities. Their contours create negative shapes made visible by the dark ink on the white paper. The textures are wholly my imagination that comes from a fascination with the crosshatching seen in metal plate engravings to create various depths of dark and light. I play with this method by using sticks, bamboo pens, metal nib and calligraphic pens to express my version of crosshatching. |
