For those of you who have seen or read this preview review
sent out by the NCLAG, just skip to the second part….
Part One (Written as
a pre-review of her work a few weeks ago….)
For an artist, the ability to make spontaneous markings is
an essential skill. The gift to have them be successful is rare. Most of our
sketchbooks and scribbles, are just that, notes for future reference. Sometimes we happen upon a doodle that
“works”, it exists on the page as a complete image, possessing all the elements
of a quality piece. Those pages are a
treat. An artist soon to be showing at the North Canton Little Art Gallery has
that gift of successful spontaneous imagery and not just in one media, but in
several. Lisa Vincenzo records moments in time. I mentioned her work in my
review of the recent May Show and come to find that she is not a “new” artist
in the sense of being a younger member of our community, but a woman of about
my age that just did not see any reason to put her work out there for us to
enjoy. With some mentoring and encouragement by gallery director Elizabeth
Blakemore, we will get the opportunity to peer into her sketchbooks.
The pieces I have seen are not literally pages from a
sketchbook so don’t be expecting rough edges or torn out pages as some of her
works are created digitally using an I-pad. Now you all know how I feel about
the use of such devices to create artwork, but sometimes one must step back
from personal bias (probably from ignorance and envy more than anything) and
see the hand of artist.
Other pieces are traditional ink and wash (and drawing
media) on paper, with all the raw, fresh, bold markings of a skilled
observer. Her study of horses is not the
typical delicate record of the head often seen by those who choose that subject.
Her drawing records the mass and movement of these animals with thick lines and
jagged edges, a wash of toned ink causing other marks to bleed, forcing one of
the animals into the background. The final result does not feel planned which
is what makes it so beautiful. A second ink drawing of four women playing
violins captures a distinct personality in each one of the ladies. To do that
quickly and without marks of hesitation is very difficult. Once again her use
of the space on the page is instinctual and intriguing as one senses the depth
of the scene and the drama of their interaction. Can you tell I am impressed? Yes, I get
judgmental because I am old school… the ability to draw is still my personal yardstick
for those who “can and are” and those who “want to be and really aren’t”. There are natural born artists, there are
those who make art, and there those who make stuff. Sure, drawing can be taught, but drawing from
life and doing it well, cannot. You either got it or you don’t. Lisa Vincenzo
has got “it”.
The pieces where she adds color to her washes are just as
fresh. Too often artists will apply layer upon layer of wash and loose the
crispness of the markings and disregard the effect of the paper underneath. Her
washes are thin, allowing colors to bleed in some areas while building a weave
of markings in others. The bones of her piece in the form of an ink sketch
remains on view most of the time, guiding the location of her washes. The
application of a single brushstroke full of color, defining a shape just once
and not to be altered again shows a masterful knowledge of the media. No pencil
lines guide her, no added pieces of paper or materials force the paint to do
something else, she just lays down her scene and moves on.
I only got to preview one piece of her digital work but
found no real difference between how she uses a brush and how she uses her
fingers. The markings are the same, only how the machine makes color and line
appear on paper are different. The use of shapes and space as well as the essence
of good composition are all present, it is the final presentation which changes
to a more commercial appearance, much like the silk screens of pop art. The
final result is almost a Matisse like rendering. I have to say I like it
because the image is not “flat”, it is still “sketchy”. Seems I may have to find some new words to
define how digital drawings are described, the future is upon me and I just
have to get used to it.
Overall, I am excited about this upcoming show. Once her
work is seen by others I am sure she will feel confident enough to start
entering more shows and selling her pieces.
Part Two (After viewing the actual work currently on exhibition at the
North Canton Little Art Gallery….)
Seeing the works in person is necessary to fully appreciate their
delicate and direct markings for they are even more stunning in context of
scale and visual gradation, something not attainable by viewing only digital images.
Techniques I did not get to preview such as the Haunted Kitties Series is
simply amazing. Despite what I said in the preview review, many of the pieces
on view actually were taken directly from her sketchbooks and framed for this
show. Lisa is not completely comfortable with sharing her work so Gallery
Director Elizabeth Blakemore went above and beyond in her mentoring and
preparation for this exhibition by the time all was said and done. Less NFS and more $ would be nice, but not everyone is ready to part with their own souls.
I want to highlight a few pieces here and point out that "little
gem of mark" which raises the bar on what is considered spontaneous sketching.
Start with “Airport”, an India ink drawing of people waiting for a plane. Two
things to note are the unconnected neckline of a figure in the upper left and
the shape of an old man’s profile in the lower right. 99% of us would probably
have connected the neckline so as to anchor the head, which currently floats,
but such a line would have been unnecessary and end up overworking the gesture. The
profile of the man in the foreground is simply filled in as a dark shadow,
forcing the viewer’s eye back into the picture frame. Her drawing of the line
to contain the shape and shadow has no hesitation marks. None of her work has
any hesitation marks which is truly amazing.
“Rain Storm / Green Sea Ocean” is a pencil sketch which uses
quite a bit of pressure changes on the pencil itself to create depth and
tonality. A technique difficult to teach, one has the innate understanding to do this, or
they don’t. The male figure in the lower left could be right out of a Manet
painting. “Spirit Horse” is a watercolor
that if untitled, would be a bit ambivalent, but with the title the viewer is
drawn into the shapes, and the spaces they create, by the use of the media itself. How
or where one sees a horse, if it so exists at all, is irrelevant really as
this work should prove to those reluctant ones out there why we as artists
should not leave works untitled. A view pieces to spend time upon as well are “Midas
Breaks Free” and “Woman with Red Umbrella”.
Media used include lithograph, charcoal, conte, pencil,
watercolor, India ink and I-pad. The majority of the pieces are current within
the last three years but a few from the late 80’s and mid 90’s are included
which further prove that her marking is a natural gift as it does not vary all that
much by the passage of time.
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| Judi Cooke sketchbook drawing circa 1978 - magic marker |
