February Cross Pollination #1, 2010, by Fred Hatt
Drawing with ink and brush has a fluidity that captures the energy of motion. The brush is sensitive to the slightest variations in pressure, rendering lines that have varying weight and dimension. I have long favored this medium for movement drawing, where there is no time to develop the image through shading, color and details. That spontaneous moving brush line is both expressive and efficient.
I’ve previously posted my sketches from Cross Pollination events at Green Space Studio in Queens here, as well as here and here. At these casual sessions, musicians, dancers and artists come together to inspire each other. Often, musicians and artists dance, dancers paint or play music. For an artist, there’s a lot of energy and rhythm to draw upon. For an artist with a figure drawing background, it’s challenging because there’s little stillness. My experimentation has led me to an approach that’s basically abstraction built on figurative forms and fragments.
February Cross Pollination #2, 2010, by Fred Hatt
The above sketch shows various elements of the scene: the long dreadlocks of the saxophonist Sabir, the seated flutist Lori, and Theresa with her sketchbook on her knees. Most of the other forms here are fragments of the moving dancers, glimpsed in a passing instant.
February Cross Pollination #3, 2010, by Fred Hatt
Here I went completely abstract with an octopoid shape. You can’t tell it, but the lines here are also based on the bodies and movements of the dancers and musicians.
February Cross Pollination #4, 2010, by Fred Hatt
Attitudes and bearing inform the one above.
February Cross Pollination #5, 2010, by Fred Hatt
And here the dancers get a little wilder and freer, driven by the saxophone and drum you can see at the center of the composition.
All of these drawings are 18″ x 24″ (46 x 61 cm), sumi ink on paper, using brushes.
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All of them are energetic, fluid and dynamic Fred, -but CP #1 most makes me want to start grinding some ink!
Thanks, Jim. Among the artwork you’ve posted recently on your Flickr site, I really like “Howling at the Moon” and “Last Night’s Mare” – good work!
This is really fabulous stuff. There’s so much energy! And they interweave so many stories — what is this individual doing? Or that one? Are they interacting? etc… Also interesting that all of this activity and depth comes forward even in black and white — you don’t need color as another vehicle. I could stare at each one for a long time, just following the lines with my eyes to see where they lead, interesect, and the object they morph into. Great stuff, Fred!
Thanks, Lori. I’ve been going to these “Cross Pollination” sessions off and on for a year now. My established drawing strategies didn’t really work at these events, but I’ve been gradually homing in on a way that works for me, using brush and ink. This group is the first “Cross Pollination” set where it starts to look unified.
really interested to see these pictures, as movement sessions are becoming more popular over here but they terrify me! I can see that your linear work would lend itself to this sort of style, but it’s interesting that you still found it a challenge and had to find a specific medium with which to approach it – I’ve seen artists over here using inks and big brushes, so perhaps that’s the way to go and I should give a ‘movement session’ a try, next time one comes my way!
Nothing to be terrified of, Jennifer, as long as you use cheap materials and decide it doesn’t matter what you produce because it’s just practice. The only reason you wouldn’t have a good time would be if you allow your internal judge to oversee your drawing. Put that judge to work on hypocrisy and fraud and tell it your practice drawings are out of its jurisdiction!
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