Tuesday at the Falls of the Ohio

Here are a few shots from a previous trip to the Falls of the Ohio. The locks at that time were open, and now they're closed. The expanse of water in this image is now an expanse of fossil beds and rock formations. (See weather information below)

This is just below the railroad bridge on the dam. You can see lots of driftwood around the park along the river. In fact, if you have some time tomorrow (Sunday) to go down there to explore, you might find the very spot you'd like to draw on Tuesday.

This is one of the more jungle-like areas with sandy paths that run along the river just before you get to the rocks and fossil beds.

This was a group from that drawing session about to wrap things up. Again, you can see how high the water was. Now you can roam around out in that area without fearing that you'll be swept away.

Directions from IUS:

Grant Line Road to 265E heading toward 65 S, exit onto 65 south, take exit 0 just before the Kennedy bridge. Exit right onto w. Market street and follow that, it will merge onto E. Riverside Dr.. Riverside drive goes to the Falls of the Ohio State Park.

I will park as close as I can to the rail road bridge that you would have to drive under to go on to the falls, so stop there first to get paper and to turn in your 'Wind' drawings. You can also do some car pooling there so it will be more affordable to actually go into the Interpretive center parking lot. If you click on this it will take you to the web site for the park. That will fill you in on some more of the visual features that you'll see there.

So on Tuesday, I will remain at the rail road bridge until 1:30 for those who have any problems with traffic. It's about a 15 minute drive from campus, so to be safe, if those of you who like to car pool can meet at the drawing studio between 12:30 and 12:45, that should get you to the river in time. It'll be warmer, so dress for success. You might also bring water with you, or something to drink. You can work with pastels and/or charcoal, the paper is not so great with graphite.

In case of rain please come to campus instead.

See you Tuesday.

Fall 2010 - DRAWING

Drawing is closely connected to personal ideas and expressions; creativity directly connected to our experiences. Nurturing our 'artists-within' has much to do with freeing our hands to follow our hearts and minds and freeing our eyes to respond to the world around us, and there's a lot happening in this world that warrants our responses. Each of us is immersed in this world, we're caught in the wake of stimuli that is visual, emotional, social, and cultural. That information is constant and often unrelenting. This massive accumulation of experiences and the energy and excitement of being alive While it's happening are valid as material for our art. Learning how to translate your perceptions into an art form, such as drawing, is the essence of becoming an artist. An essential aspect of this process is learning to respond sensitively and knowledgeably to artworks, those made by others and your own work during the act of creation. We'll be spending a lot of time in that arena.

Drawing has changed in form and purpose relative to the role art and artists have played in various societies over the past several centuries. Such as that illustrated in the cave drawing above, did it represent the day's hunt or animals that were revered? The REnaissance was a huge changing period for drawing, as it was vital to the spirit of investigation and cultural rebirth. Look at the drawings of DaVinci or Michelangelo, their expressions are vastly different from the folks living in the caves. In the late 19th century, innovation played a big part of the drawing process with the addition of collage, layered pastel work, and monotype. Today drawing has reached a new height of independent status. Drawing can be enormous and richly textured. The format and vocabulary of drawing have been extended into room-filling environments with the addition of found objects, printed materials, and even video animations.

Drawing today is about the importance of individual expression and originality, and by means of its flexibility of form and processes, it's directness of execution, drawing is ideally suited to communicate the artist's touch and thought to the viewer. Let's start drawing toward our discoveries.