In, I guess you could call them, the early to mid- 80s, I was dabbling with lots of different techniques and styles.

Hawaiian Tree- there on our Honeymoon, I had packed my brushes when this tree caught my attention.  With no other resort, I slapped the paint onto canvas directly from the paint tubes.  The result was pretty cool, these thick slogs and batches of colorful paint.  It was raining and so humid out that this took so long to dry, I wasn't able to put it away but had to carefully carry it through our journey. 

Backyard Tree- I do believe this was first on-site water color sketch. 

Blue Boy- An attempt at drawing an image, not that I saw but something imaginary- a scene I invented- just not my thing, i suspect.  Somehow, for me, capturing the scenes and events that I come upon somehow seems much more compelling. 

Self Portrait 1984

Self Portrait, 1984

Self Portrait, 1984, Detail

But I have always also enjoyed painting, and around that same time, I did this self- portrait that was published in a publication at Pratt called 'Ubiquitous'. 

I drew it looking onto a dirty, broken mirror up against a white wall which is what some of the funky stuff is about. 

On- Site Sketching

South Street Seaport

Municipal Building

It was a drawing class at Pratt Institute in 1984 that really jump- started me in the world of on- site sketching.  Walking around the streets of New York capturing the things that I saw was quite an experience and set me on a path that I'm still on today.  

My teacher, Barbara Carr told us that drawing isn't so much about drawing as it is about seeing.  I (obviously) still remember that and still find it to be true today.  To wander around looking and taking pictures of things isn't really seeing them.  But to sit (or stand, or keep walking) and draw them- that's when you have to really see something.  

We had to draw everything on large newsprint paper with big, fat markers- usually Nubian Brown with some occasional color.  I think I also learned an appreciation for drawing very quickly in those days.  

9th Avenue

9th Avenue between 39th and 40th Streets.

Chinatown