Ornate labour

So I found these woodblocks at the Brimfield Antique Market in Massachusetts. Here's a website devoted to the sale of these blocks. It provides some information on their creation and use. The site listed above labels these blocks as having their origins in India, but the gentleman I bought them from told me these are from northern Pakistan. He also informed me that they range in age from 30- to 150- years old, the oldest generally being the more intricate pieces. The woodblocks are incredible just as objects unto themselves- gracefully and painstakingly carved treasures. I purchased them both as ornaments in this way and for their printing potentials. The first project I want to pursue with them is an illustration incorporating their patterns into the overall composition. I'll let you know when I've done something with them.

 

Pony Expressed

I launched my website several months ago, but it's high time that I explain my purpose and rationalize its name. First off, I hope it better represents the more employable aspects of my design sensibilities. And please feel free to comment on the design and flow of the site- also, there's new work up!

So why Pony Expressed? I have always been enamored with the concept of the Pony Express, and a recent binge on Westerns only enriched this sentiment- but there's more to it than that.

To me the Pony Express stands as a prime example of the importance of communication between humans. The messengers that delivered packages across the nation in the early days of the postal service did so at great risk to their self. That commitment inherently imbued the words scrawled on personal notes or business communications with gravity and vitality. Today communication technologies are ubiquitous, and we deliver ideas to one another effortlessly and instantly. My goal with Pony Expressed is to imbue the messages I craft in various media with the same import and clarity that those first envelopes galloping across the plains had, but with the efficiency afforded us by digital methods.

I think that communication is best achieved when an author is careful in choosing the most apt medium for his or her concept. A message may be best translated through a piece of fine art, a layout, a video or animation, or a simple hand-written note. For me, the important thing is to never feel limited by, or tied to, a single means of expression. This philosophy accounts for the diversity of media in the portfolio you'll find at Pony Expressed.

But I mean, I also just think that Pony Expressed is a damn cool idea.


And now, ladies and gents, I give you: Pony Expressed.


I should also note that for now my old URL (http://declanvanwelie.com/) also directs you to the Pony Expressed site, although I would like to eventually make a separate page for fine art work.

"The Job Market"

I pursued several iterations of this piece. I was trying to develop a work strategy combining various traditional media together with digital layering. It actually predates the last two illustrations posted on this blog by a long while—I began it around Christmas last year. I was unsatisfied with it for a long time, but found some of the in-process print-outs in a pile recently and decided to finally push on for a finalized version. Below is the result. Accompanying the finish are watercolor versions, the original charcoal sketch, ink and gouache drawing, pencil line-work, and ink-on-acetate touch-up. 

Goodbye Hartford!

My apologies for the delay, but here are the drawings from Monday, Aug. 30th. It was bittersweet, as expected, to say goodbye to the Hartford Art School open figure drawing crew, but I'll be back, and I'm off to meet new drawers and get smart. Anyway, sobs aside, here's the work:

I should say that there aren't any feet on the figure above because her feet were obscured by a pillow she was standing on. I'm very good at making excuses.

It's almost over...

Well next Monday is the last session I'll have at the University of Hartford open drawing before I ship off to Boston to start school (more on that later). It was fantastic to have Carla back- she's one of the best models I have ever worked with! 

Heigh Ho!

Another illustration that's been a long time coming. I used the same basic strategies that I employed in the cyclops piece from the last illustration post. I seem to be fixating on these very dark scenes lately- but I've got a more light-hearted composition in the works. I've listed the final first, an alternate palette, then some color studies, sketches, the ink on acetate drawing and finally the watercolor. Hope you like it!

Bill

Bill modeled for us again this week. Since I had drawn him just last week, I felt comfortable experimenting a little bit. Unfortunately, I had more misses than hits when it came to the experimentation, so I'll post some of the better drawings even if they're just done in my usual mode. I hope to incorporate more color into the works in the next couple of weeks, but short sessions and poses make it difficult to refine anything other than monochromatic pieces. Enough complaining- on with the work: