The Blind Swimmer http://theblindswimmer.com a blog of painting, abstraction, and contemporary art Wed, 07 Sep 2011 02:22:53 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4 Another crayon drawing http://theblindswimmer.com/2011/09/06/another-crayons-drawing/ http://theblindswimmer.com/2011/09/06/another-crayons-drawing/#comments Wed, 07 Sep 2011 02:21:12 +0000 Gordon Fraser http://theblindswimmer.com/2011/09/06/another-crayons-drawing/ drawing 20110907

Crayola on arches
30″ x 22″

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]]> http://theblindswimmer.com/2011/09/06/another-crayons-drawing/feed/ 0 Just playing around http://theblindswimmer.com/2011/09/04/just-playing-around/ http://theblindswimmer.com/2011/09/04/just-playing-around/#comments Sun, 04 Sep 2011 16:46:00 +0000 Gordon Fraser http://theblindswimmer.com/2011/09/04/just-playing-around/ image

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Crayola crayons and arches

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]]> http://theblindswimmer.com/2011/09/04/just-playing-around/feed/ 0 The laboratory http://theblindswimmer.com/2011/09/04/the-laboratory/ http://theblindswimmer.com/2011/09/04/the-laboratory/#comments Sun, 04 Sep 2011 16:29:11 +0000 Gordon Fraser http://theblindswimmer.com/2011/09/04/the-laboratory/ image

The studio is a laboratory, I like to be in here conducting my experiments. I remember being fascinated going to Thomas Edison’s laboratory when I was in elementary school. I wanted to have a big place like that filled with bunson burners and beakers. It looked like a lot of fun to be able to invent things.

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]]> http://theblindswimmer.com/2011/09/04/the-laboratory/feed/ 0 Drawing 20110827 http://theblindswimmer.com/2011/08/28/drawing-20110827/ http://theblindswimmer.com/2011/08/28/drawing-20110827/#comments Mon, 29 Aug 2011 01:45:59 +0000 Gordon Fraser http://theblindswimmer.com/?p=798 I started this drawing on Saturday. Again working with crayon and seeing what I can do with it. Find myself thinking about passages and movements of color across the surface. Pushing and pulling areas with warm and cool colors. Basically just responding to the surface, it’s not necessarily spontaneous as I stop and consider/appraise what is happening on the paper and what I think might be interesting to add. I’m also not thinking about feelings or trying to dump feelings onto a surface. The drawing begins with wandering graphite lines creating a movement or structure to the piece. I continue by adding colors in a sort of improvisational manner, sometimes thinking what color to other times just looking down at the box and seeing which color catches my eye. In both cases I think about where the color may be needed. Occasionally I’ll just start adding it someplace and see how it affects the composition and respond by what seems to be needed at that point.

Let me know what you think!

 

Gordon Fraser, Drawing, graphite and crayon 08/28/2011

Gordon Fraser, Drawing, graphite and crayon 08/28/2011

Gordon Fraser, Drawing, graphite and crayon 08/28/2011

Gordon Fraser, Drawing, graphite and crayon 08/28/2011

Gordon Fraser, Drawing, graphite and crayon 08/28/2011

Gordon Fraser, Drawing, graphite and crayon 08/28/2011

Gordon Fraser, Drawing, graphite and crayon 08/28/2011

FxCam_1314569128575.jpg

 

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]]> http://theblindswimmer.com/2011/08/28/drawing-20110827/feed/ 0 Drawing 20110823 http://theblindswimmer.com/2011/08/24/drawing-20110823/ http://theblindswimmer.com/2011/08/24/drawing-20110823/#comments Wed, 24 Aug 2011 18:29:00 +0000 Gordon Fraser http://theblindswimmer.com/?p=718 gordon fraser drawing 20110823

graphite and crayon

gordon fraser drawing 20110823

graphite and crayon

gordon fraser drawing 20110823

graphite and crayon

gordon fraser drawing 20110823

graphite and crayon (detail)

After struggling and struggling to get down to the studio. I’ve been forcing myself to get into the studio the past few days, if only to sit there and read, stare at the wall, listen to music, or pick my nose. Monday, I found myself pulling out some small sheets of paper and sketching and yesterday I started drawing on this large sheet (48″x51″) I had tacked up a month ago for a watercolour I was going to work on. I guess the watercolour is on hold because I had fun drawing, and a stream of ideas started flowing through my head.

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]]> http://theblindswimmer.com/2011/08/24/drawing-20110823/feed/ 0 The financial monster http://theblindswimmer.com/2011/08/22/the-financial-monster/ http://theblindswimmer.com/2011/08/22/the-financial-monster/#comments Mon, 22 Aug 2011 20:57:43 +0000 Gordon Fraser http://theblindswimmer.com/2011/08/22/the-financial-monster/ Worry about debt keeps me stuck, and is emotionally draining. It keeps me out of the studio and I hide out watching tv or playing minecraft instead of drawing painting shooting photos or anything creative.

I’d love to hear people’s thoughts about how they manage or overcome their worries. How do you get yourself into the studio or out into the world?

No tag for this post.]]> http://theblindswimmer.com/2011/08/22/the-financial-monster/feed/ 8 Collaging the figure http://theblindswimmer.com/2011/05/26/collaging-the-figure/ http://theblindswimmer.com/2011/05/26/collaging-the-figure/#comments Fri, 27 May 2011 02:02:00 +0000 Gordon Fraser http://theblindswimmer.com/?p=745 I went to the figure drawing session in our studio last night. I plopped down on the floor with a newspaper, a pile of construction paper, and my box of crayons 64 colours. This is some of what I did in a couple of hours. All based on the two models of course!

figure collage 1

figure collage 2

figure collage 3

figure collage 4

figure collage 5

figure collage 6

figure collage 7

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]]> http://theblindswimmer.com/2011/05/26/collaging-the-figure/feed/ 1 Monday night http://theblindswimmer.com/2011/05/11/monday-night/ http://theblindswimmer.com/2011/05/11/monday-night/#comments Wed, 11 May 2011 15:41:37 +0000 Gordon Fraser http://theblindswimmer.com/?p=731 I’ve been playing around a bit just drawing and painting on news paper. Mostly just making a mess, having fin and not taking myself or the work too seriously.

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]]> http://theblindswimmer.com/2011/05/11/monday-night/feed/ 0 Drawing in the studio http://theblindswimmer.com/2011/05/09/drawing-in-the-studio/ http://theblindswimmer.com/2011/05/09/drawing-in-the-studio/#comments Mon, 09 May 2011 14:31:52 +0000 Gordon Fraser http://theblindswimmer.com/?p=717 Here’s some pics of drawings I did yesterday.

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]]> http://theblindswimmer.com/2011/05/09/drawing-in-the-studio/feed/ 0 Slowly slowly http://theblindswimmer.com/2011/04/19/slowly-slowly/ http://theblindswimmer.com/2011/04/19/slowly-slowly/#comments Wed, 20 Apr 2011 02:02:00 +0000 Gordon Fraser http://theblindswimmer.com/2011/04/19/slowly-slowly/ image

This painting is going extraordinarily slow. I’m doubting myself and choice of method tonight. I need to figure out the process. Might need to pick up some small canvases and work with some different approaches just to see if something else works better. I’m concerned that once again in my eagerness I jumped into a big canvas too quickly. On the other hand it forces me to sink or swim. If nothing else this is a practice in patience.

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