Figures, flowers, and figures

 

 

 

The above were from Friday’s figure drawing with my friend K at the Spring Street Studio in Soho, NYC.  Rachael was our model.   K and I always have a great time when we draw together.  K’s drawings look like Leonardo’s or Rembrandt’s.  Except he often gives the models feet that are too big.  This makes me feel slightly better about my drawings.   LOL!

Above are a couple of watercolors which are almost done.   I was looking at an old Watercolor Magazine from 2009 with an article by Janet Walsh.   I took some of her studies from the article, changed them up a bit and this is how far I’ve gotten.  I like both so far.    I remember when I was taking figure drawing at the Art Student’s league and the teacher passed around a Charles Reid book of watercolor figures.   She scrunched up her nose like she was smelling gas and said “He was really good until he started doing FLOWERS.”    The word “flowers” should be pronounced in your head while you are reading this dripping with contempt.

Christie’s auction house just sold Warhol’s  “Triple Elvis” and “Four Marlons” for a combined sale of  $151.5 million!!!!! Talk about figures!!! I want to say “don’t get me started” but it’s too late. I got started.   Who has that kind of money?????   And if one does have that kind of money, why can’t one use it to help others?  Give to a charity to help sick people.  I’m convinced the TV show “Breaking Bad” was really about the bad choices one has to make without decent health care.  Walt couldn’t afford his cancer treatments so he started cooking meth.   His brother-in-law couldn’t afford high-level physical therapy and you know what happened to him.

And then there’s this: http://www.npr.org/2014/11/12/363313707/famous-paintings-sell-for-millions-at-auction-but-the-artist-gets-zero.

Musicians and writers can get royalties on future sales.  Not so with visual artists.  Bummer.   Only the collectors make money with visual artists.   Which is why right now I’m pretty much the collector of my art.   I wonder if I’ll get rich that way?  I’m gonna go with no.