Felicitas 2008

A portrait of my favourite model, in her usual morning stance.
The print in the background is M.C. Escher "Earth" woodcut, that he made on commission for Eugene & Wily Strens, friends and print collectors, as holiday gifts for New Year 1956. Actually the writing behind Felicia is "Felicitas 1953"

Indian ink on paper, 24x33cm
Click on image to enlarge

Snowfall

Another drawing from this summer holidays.
Actually the snowfall happened last March, but I did not feel like drawing this until last August. And once it was pencilled and inked, I did not find the will to colour it until yesterday.

Watercolour and Indian ink on paper, 24x33cm
(Click on image to enlarge)

A reason for this is that HP just replaced my scanner, which quite unfortunately had a faulty blu sensor and made everything yellow. With my bright, shiny new Scanjet handy I felt greatly inspired. In fact, this weekend alone I reached the production volume I usually make in a quarter:

1) water-coloured this drawing
2) sketch of Clara playing chess with Felicia (will become a ink+watercolor)
3) sketch of Felicia sleeping on the piano and first turpentine+burnt sienna draft on cardboard, ready for oil
4) sketch of Elena kicking a yokotobigeri (will become another Photoshop graffiti)
5) and many ideas for future pictures...

Footprints

Before moving up to Brengaz our house in Valtournenche was just in front of the lake of Maen, a shallow reservoir which holds the water from the Marmore river. We often took the kids for a walk around the lake, especially to reach a little playground on the opposite side.

This drawing is made after a picture I took some years ago. The children are really young, Alberto is even using a pacifier. And they are all concentrated in making marks and lines on the snow.

I always liked this picture because it shows the twins close to each other and doing the same thing (just like today), Clara engaged in the more difficult task of sketching with her finger, the crisp light of a sunny day, the bright, saturated colours of the jackets, the calm image of Cime Bianche in the background.

Watercolours and Indian Ink on paper, 24x33cm (Click on image to enlarge)

I fancied long-since about this subject but I could not decide what technique to use. Then last August I went for Indian ink and watercolours, which seems about right. Still I think that I should try also something different, maybe thick oil colours and knife? Or would it be too cheesy?