Youth With Head Ribbon

This sketch of a Roman bronze is from a statue that dates back to the beginning of the first century A.D. The bronze is a copy of an earlier Greek original from the 5th century B.C.that was thought to be a funerary statue.

I am currently interested in studying statues from antiquity and creating a series of prints based on these drawings. It's a means of exploring some of the early examples of Western art and the idealized human form depicted in these artworks.

I'm fascinated by the way woodblock prints lend themselves to the depiction of flat shapes, which can be be manipulated to achieve the illusion of form and dimension. Printmaking is always a way for me to expand my repertoire of mark making and give a particular character to the subjects that I depict.

I have already started carving a block based on this image which will be the first woodblock print in the series, and may decide to do some drypoint prints as well. I will post an image of the woodblock soon.

Sketches after Whistler

Here are a couple of sketches that I completed the other day. One is after "Portrait of the Painter's Mother" by James McNeill Whistler, and the other is after the "Portrait of Theodore Duret."

Whistler's painting of his mother is considered a masterpiece and extremely well known. I find the limited color palette of the original quite beautiful in its subtle hues. I'm fascinated with the way that the dark clothing of the mother, the base of the wall and the curtain all blend into one large block of form, becoming very flat despite the detailed nature of the painting. I have attempted to capture some of the subtle details of pattern observed in the curtains reminiscent of a motif featuring Japanese cherry blossoms. The framed picture on the wall is painted with little detail, but appears to be one of Whistler's earlier etchings.

Theodore Duret as I have learned was a traveller, collector of art, crooked art dealer and man about town, or boulevardier. His father was a wealthy businessman who owned a brandy business in Cognac.

Small Works in The Seattle P-I

by Adriana Grant, Seattle Post-Intelligencer:

Collectively, 'Small Works' leaves a sizable impression

Visit Some Space gallery and you'll find a smattering of great art. All of it, this month, is small. In the second annual "Small Works" exhibit, which opened Thursday, no artwork exceeds 12 inches on a side.

A trippy, intricately patterned, magenta, tie-dyed canvas, "Masquerade" by Robert Hardgrave, is 1 square foot. Similar work (only much larger) was shown at Lawrimore Project early this year. Another 12-by-12-inch painting is covered...

see full article

Cloud Drawings @ Etsy

Cloud Drawing #4
Graphite and white china marker on paper
Image size 9.5 x 7.5 inches
Inventory # 08-J-04

For your convenience you may now browse some of my cloud drawings available for purchase in my online etsy.com shop. These drawings are matted with acid free archival white mats in standard size formats for easy framing. You may wish to bookmark my shop because I will be adding new works regularly as they become available. Check it out! www.noahoverby.etsy.com.

Cloud Drawing #3

Cloud Drawing #3
Graphite and white china marker on paper
Image size 9.5 x 7.5 inches
Inventory # 08-J-03

New Cloud Drawing

Cloud Drawing #2
Graphite and china marker on paper
Image size 9.5 x 7.5 inches
Inventory # 08-J-02

Here is another new cloud drawing. These are fun to do. I've been inspired by decorative Japanese painting and the simple repetitive patterns I find in those works. I like the playful mood in this piece and the ambiguity of the space.

Fall is here

Cloud Drawing #1
Graphite and china marker on paper
Image size 9.5 x 7.5 inches
Inventory # 08-J-01

I love fall. It's such a cozy time of year. It makes me want to be inside working in the studio. I love the muted colors of the landscape and drab, moist weather with splashes of colorful fall leaves.