View allAll Photos Tagged drawing
9x12
pen on paper
here is the reference photo www.flickr.com/photos/32195612@N03/3577663423/in/photostream
see my blog here erictfrancis.blogspot.com/
My drawing was based upon this reference photo by Jenni (Flickr username kaynassen). I changed the sky color in my drawing, but otherwise I tried to maintain the essence of the photo as much as I could. I was inspired by that vibrant pink VW Beetle against the backdrop of such a rustic building.
In 1986 when I was working on my Autographs project, I was able to contact Elizabeth Taylor, through her agent, and she was gracious enough to autograph this drawing that I did of her. I didn't meet her, but I was very pleased she liked the drawing enough to sign it. Also, I think it was because of her signing this drawing that got Michael Jackson to take notice of my work. They were great friends, and when I contacted his office to sign a drawing, he eventually saw this drawing and he agreed to sign the drawing I did of him. Which led to Michael hiring me to illustrate his coloring book, Moonwalker - The Coloring Book.
My Autographs project was something I came up with and worked on during the 1980s and early 1990s. I would do a drawing of a famous person and search them out to see if they would autograph it. I met many of them. Some of the people who signed my drawings were; President Ronald Reagan and his wife, Nancy Reagan (this was when he was President and my drawing was in the Oval Office in the White House!), Andy Warhol, Al Hirschfeld, David Levine, Liza Minnelli, Stephen Sondheim, Spike Lee, Paloma Picasso (I have a signed Picasso!), Lucille Ball, Jeremy Irons, Bernadette Peters, Mandy Patinkin, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Malcom Forbes, The Eurythmics (Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart) and Molly Ringwald to name a few.
I also had a number of rejections; Jacqueline Onassis, Bette Midler, Yoko Ono, Donald Trump, Katherine Hepburn (who wrote me a wonderful note - which she signed - so I got my autograph) and Jerry Seinfeld. There were some others. But, most of the people I contacted autographed their drawings.
It was a great project, I just did it for myself and I had a lot of fun. Meeting many of these people was a thrill!! I would have loved to have met Elizabeth Taylor in person, just to look into those beautiful violet eyes of hers!!
Interior Portrait
You don't survive in me
because of memories;
nor are you mine because
of a lovely longing's strength.
What does make you present
is the ardent detour
that a slow tenderness
traces in my blood.
I do not need
to see you appear;
being born sufficed for me
to lose you a little less.
Translated by A. Poulin
Rainer Maria Rilke
Charcoal and pencil on paper, about 22" x 15".
For more on this one, you could have a look at my blog: davewhatt.wordpress.com/2019/10/05/not-fed-up-with-the-sm...
And here's the final woodcut printed on Rives BFK Cream in an edition of 14. Lots of things I wish I would have done differently as always. I have a massive block I might start a full sheet cut on soon.
Here's the original description posted with the block:
"Kind of went overboard with my love of Paul Landacres' wood engraved nudes and Gustave Dore's wonderful masses of bodies tumbling into the sea during the biblical flood. Of course I did neither inspiration justice - but I'll attempt to justify the visual clutter by claiming it was intentional."
If you are interested in purchasing this print or any others, they are for sale over here at my etsy shop. And of course, I'm always willing to make trades for other prints I admire :)