Sketchbook Project 2012 Submitted

Well, I have submitted my sketchbook for this year's Sketchbook Project---just sent it in the mail last week. With the theme of "This is a Sketch Book", I used all of my past sketchbooks as subject matter, drawing from them imagery of all types: still life, figures, abstracts, perspective studies---even a magic poster idea I had back in my college days at NC State.

These small sketches were done in a flurry of activity beginning just a week or so before the postmark deadline for the project. This has been much fun, and I'm hoping it will revitalize my creative efforts for this year.



As a sample, here are the first six pages of my sketchbook:


A magic poster design from my college days at NCSU.


Study of facial features.


More studies.


Perspective and geometric studies.


Magician performing the "Linking Rings".


Mistletoe peering out at the island.

Sketchbook Project 2012

It is time to focus attention on next year's Sketchbook Project. It was a lot of fun to participate in last year's tour. (Here is a link to my digitized sketchbook from last year: http://www.arthousecoop.com/users/greensage )

This year the concept includes a global tour:

Sketchbook Project 2012

My theme for this year: "This is a Sketchbook."

Final Piece to "Triduum"

In 2003 on Good Friday I wrote a song (simply titled "Good Friday") inspired by the events of Christ's Crucifixion and by the appropriate weather I noted on that day. Last year, in 2010, I wrote "Blue Sky Sunday", an Easter song that I finished on Good Friday; and, indeed, the following Easter Sunday of 2010 brought to us a beautiful blue sky---with just a wisp of white cloud, just like I had written in my song---it was a beautiful day.

This year I complete the "Triduum" with not a song, but a poem: "Holy Saturday". The absence of music seems appropriate for this part of the series. There is in Holy Saturday the idea of a suspense, a void, a silence that seems to call for a poem---simply words spoken about that unique day in history between atonement and triumph.

Holy Saturday

Fog hangs in the garden
On this grey Saturday
No light, no darkness
Only stone silence
And tepid suspense

Yesterday the earth shook
Rain soaked the quaking ground
Washed the blood over
Rocks, into rivulets
Seeking the low points

Yesterday the sky thundered
Tears flowed, mingling
With the fear in hearts
What has happened?
What has gone wrong?

Where is our hope?

Light, Love, Hope
Now lay in repose
Suspense
Death

The-Word-made-Flesh had succumbed to Death
But Death did not speak the final word…

---Gregory Eanes, April 2011

Another New Year

Well, we have another bright, shiny new year ahead. Jimmie and I just finished up our Saturday Sessions Collection One project---December 4, 2010 was our last recording session.

Yesterday I finished up my final sketches for Sketchbook Project 2011. Just got my sketchbook in the mail to Brooklyn, NY---two days before the deadline!

And so, onward to other projects. The year is young, but, alas, there is so much to do!

Here is a song I wrote several years back commemorating my favorite time of the year---Fall! I love the crisp air, beautiful colours, and floods of memories that accompany the times. This is an impromptu video done during one of our recording sessions for a little CD project that we are working on called "Saturday Sessions". Thanks to Jimmie on camera and Drew at the helm for the recording!

Sketchbook Project

I just signed up to participate in an art project called "The Sketchbook Project". I thought this would be a great way to rejuvenate my art making and help regain focus.

I have selected the theme "A Day in the Life". I'm looking forward to working on this and seeing where it leads.

Visit to the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art

Giacometti at Work (after photo) - graphite on paper


Olivia and Derek at the Table - graphite on paper

Yesterday I visited the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art for the first time. Hard to believe I've waited so long---the place is right next door to where I work. They have a great collection of art featuring some of the prominent figures of Modernism: Giacometti, Braque, Picasso, de Stael, Johns, Calder---so many others.

I was really pleased to see the Giacometti pieces: a few small sculptures, paintings, and photogravures of drawings. I admire the gestural approach and the presence of these small works---rife with the fingerprints of the artist. Giacometti is one of my favorite artists, and I've done many sketches (from photos) of him working. I also use his gestural approach in my own work when I want to capture a fleeting image. This approach is particularly valuable when drawing from life. The images above are a few examples from one of my sketchbooks from last year.

Before I left I dropped by the museum store and picked up a copy of John Golding's Path to the Absolute---a survey of some of the great works of 20th century modern art. I love reading about these artists and seeing the kind of ideas and images they create---it is all quite inspiring.