a town of spirits, alive and wondrous.

Abstract drawing is the practice in which one represents their work using emotive powers, allowing the artist to fall into a meditative zone, representing ideas of the ‘unseen’, creating evocative works.

A transitional process, from the representational work to the abstract; tools are available to further this creative process.

This is how I break it down:

Representational works &/or depictive : drawing what you see; a drawing that describes.

depictive:italian laundry

Abstract works &/or the evocative: drawing what you don’t see; aspects of design, feelings and emotions.

evocative: italian laundry

So begins the investigation of ‘crossing over’, to the abstract and representing the emotive works about Civita.

Here is an example:

I start with naming my work, which conjures feelings and new emotions about the subject. In the representational exercise, I use tools to describe the subject with line, texture, value, edges, shape, color; those I see within the subject. Then, in the abstract exercise, I delve further into design notions and their relationships. I investigate and probe design concepts mark making: movement, dominance, unity, variety, composition, emotions and feelings; those unseen within the subject.

These studies and design tools aided me in the first steps of ‘crossing over’ to the evocative; mark-making about a place and time, aspects purely felt on a given subject.

My workshop in October 2017 is about the finding the emotive. My goal is to introduce you and immerse you in the amazing town of Civita di Bagnoregio; full of beautiful people, feasts, wondrous landscape and the Italian Culture. Our collective work will delve into both realms of drawing, depictive and the evocative, as we gather evidence the poetry each day in Civita.

Civita’s crossing: evocative

“I do not believe in ghosts; however, I do believe in spirits. Spirits are everywhere; 

and yes, in they are in Civita too.As I began my sketching session this 

morning, different spirits touched upon me.

Let me tell you the rules:

These spirits are those, past and present. 

I think of them as the grand teachers that have touched my life up to now. As my pencil or

paintbrush dances along the page, words of wisdom and creativity flow: 

Many spirits flow in and out, moving me along. Most important, the spirits continue to

keep me present and inside my right brain.

Though Civita has reluctantly gained the nickname, ‘City of Ghosts’, I am certain Civita is

instead a town of spirits, alive and wondrous.

Who will be meeting me next?”  AH Lehmann 2013