Stoop Day

Took a day out of the studio today to go draw with my friend and fellow artist Josh Cave. It was a gorgeous spring day--perfect for sitting around on stoops, watching the day go by.

Kimmy

Kimmy, charcoal on paper, 2010

I had been so focused on the complications of big paintings that I had totally forgotten about sketching from life as an end in itself. More importantly, I remembered how quickly that skill goes away and how crucial it is to creating lively work. We did short poses for nearly an hour (all bad) and when I finally settled into the longer pose (1 hour), I was ready for it.