Eyes that seek the Unseen
Henri Michaux wrote “Faute de soleil, sache mûrir dans da glace” – When there is no sun, know how to ripen in ice. That is a good advice, not only for the incoming Winter, but for one’s general attitude towards life. I tought this was a good subject to be illustrated in my first steps in linocut. Or it can be seen as just a plain winter landscape. The linoleum plate on top, the resulting print below.
Yggdrasil is an immense and central sacred tree in Norse cosmology. Around it exists all else, including the Nine Worlds. Yggdrasil is central to the cosmos and considered very holy. The gods go to Yggdrasil daily to assemble at their traditional governing assemblies. The branches of Yggdrasil extend far into the heavens, and the tree is supported by three roots that extend far away into other locations. This information was provided by Wikipedia, and there are other versions of a giant World’s Tree (Orbis Terrarum Arbore) in several cosmogonies . Imagining the world as a tree is a nice idea – I made a less solemn and more trivial version of the Yggdrasil, oil on canvas 60 X 100 cm
Two more smaller paintings (40 X 40, oil on plywood.) “Chess” and “Jongleur”
Another work in etching. A copper plate covered with a special varnish. A drawing is made on that varnish layer (in this case an imaginary portrait of the poet Fernando Pessoa holding a smartphone). The etched plate is bathed in acid – it burns the copper plate where the varnish was etched. The whole layer of varnish is removed by a solvent and the etched copper plate is inked. Excess ink is removed and a print is made. A sample of the etched copper plate and the resulting final print.
Drawing session last Monday
Some fast sketches of live models, brown chalk on paper
And now I am learning etching techniques. My first etching: taking a waxed/varnished copper plate I made a drawing on it with a sharp steel point
The plate was dipped in acid and after that the wax was removed. The drawing on the copper surface is evident.
The plate was covered with ink, and the superficial coat of ink was mechanically removed by hand
The ink was left on the previously engraved grooves
The inked plate was placed on the printing press
And coverd with a moist sheet of paper
The heavy cilinders of the press were moved
Et voilá !!! The complete sheet and the image In detail . I can cal it “The Mermaid Nun”
A very interesting technique, especially considering that it is done as it was five centuries ago. The initial drawing on the waxed copper plate is quite tricky, but it can certainly be improved.
Next step will be to perform an “Aquatint” techinique on this same etching.
Winter arrived, with rain and wind. Not a good weather for going out with a camera. Time to stay indoors and make some more drawings. Three recent ones from yesterday session.
Last Saturday, another drawing session with live model in Cascais, Portugal. This time in the House of Stories, a museum and arts center dedicated to the works of artist Paula Rego. A very inspiring venue with suitable space and lighting
After the sessions, the participants lay their drawings on the floor. Comparing and discussing some of the results is an interesting parto of the session .
And later on, a gin-tonic by the bay.
A visit to the Gulbenkian Modern Art Center to see some works of a Portuguese/Brazilian artist Fernando Lemos.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fernando_Lemos
Great overview of hist vast production, in photography, painting, engraving, drawing, poetry. A small sample from one of his sketchbooks
“Freedom to go and return without punctuality” “Vanish at any age” “Resist to ill will”
The venue of the Art Center is outstading
First drawing session in 2025, at the Goethe Institut, organized by the Lisbon Drawing Club.
I’m not happy with the resuts, Christmas festivities pause had its effects. One more reason to re-start and to increase the output…
The terrace of the small café at the museum was empty, in spite of the clear blue sky and the usual great view to Lisbon, across the river
I rather prefer to go there when people are sitting there sipping a drink and enjoying the view
(Sketch, brush-pens on paper)
Friday 13th, is, for some, an ominous day, when bad things are supposed to happen.
Not for me.
Last Friday December 13th I went to the movies: a film about czech Photographer Libuše Jarcovjáková .( http://www.jarcovjakova.com/ ) A sucession of her black and white photos capturing scenes from her life in Prague in the sixties – mostly night-life scenes, of marginal minority groups. Lots of pictures also from Japan and West Berlin – fefore and after the fall of the Wall. Not my kind of photography, but anyway a well constructed documentary about her life and work.
Another exhibition of images, now from a portuguese photojournalist Carlos Lopes, who documented scenes from the political activity in the days after the April revolution. Late afternoon I was sitting outside with a glass of wine in dowtown Lisbon. Crowds of people shopping for Christmas, street musicians playing and a general feeling of joy.
At 6:00 PM at Santa Clara Market an interesting exhibition from the “12 X 12 group”. This is an association of former and current Arts students. Their small-format works (watercolour paintings,engravings, drawings) was presented inside plastic CD boxes and sold at low prices.
Later, at the same venue, a drawing session with a live model
By French cartoonist Sempé
From the last drawing session, some sketches in brown pigment. For some poses, the model dressed a sort of mermaid outfit – very convenient for longer poses when she did’n’t had to stand up.
Some sketches
A long street was finally embelished wit a variety of graffiti and mural paintings along its decaying walls. I went there yesterday and took some photos.
The artists were invited by the City Council and they were given total freedom to paint whatever they wanted. This a good way to change an uninteresting (even depressive) street in a sort of public art gallery.
This week-end a Graffiti contest took place near where I live. A long street with empty decaying walls was invaded by many street artist. I was there at the beginning, last Saturday
I will return there next week to photograph the finished work (Part 2)
Yesterday my Drawing Club had a live model drawing session at “Tim’s Garage” where some wealthy car collectors store their toys. Very well- kept cars, classical models, some rarities. Motorbikes and scooters also. I was allowed to take some snapshots of the cars before this very unnusual drawing session: great contrast between the still model and the some very fast cars.
Sketches first
And now the snapshots of some cars
AC Cobra
Ford Mustang
And other cars and motorbikes
João Avelar images 