Tag: drawing

“X & O”
graphite on 5″x7″ museum board

“Horizons”
graphite on 5″x7″ museum board

A couple of small drawings for the upcoming “Five x Seven” exhibition and art sale at AMOA-Arthouse. They can be yours when it kicks off with the SPLURGE on April 4th.

“Untamed”
graphite & coffee on 11″x14″ paper

Here is another coffee toned drawing. The thing about using coffee is that I can only use it after I’ve brewed a batch. That means I can only paint with whatever’s left in the morning. At least I know I won’t be drowsy when I start to work.

Buy the original drawing

Buy a print of Untamed

“Head Case”
graphite, soft pastel & coffee on 14″x11″ paper

I rarely draw skulls and, when I do, this happens. Several weeks ago, a friend of mine was wearing a hood whose desgin had the profile of a skull printed on it. That prompted this idea when I thought, “Hey, what if…”

Buy a print of Head Case

Buy the original drawing

“Unto Others”
graphite on 9″x12″ paper

Another recent drawing from my sketchbook.

“Meta Incognition”
graphite on 9″x12″ paper

I haven’t been producing and presenting much work recently. Other things have been occupying my time.  That doesn’t mean I’ve neglected my sketchbook. So here’s a drawing from it.

This is the first drawing I signed as David de Lara. It’s pretty rough compared to where my skills are now, but not a lot has changed with my subject matter has it? I wish I knew what this is called though. I didn’t have it archived digitally and I didn’t write the title on the back like I do now.

The drawing is dated October 9, 2001. That means my tenth anniversary just passed. Other than doing a giveaway of ten prints in ten days on my Facebook page, I let it come and go without much fanfare. Throwing a big celebration would have been too much trouble and I felt it would be better to reward some of the fans of my work.

Although this was the first artwork I signed as David de Lara, it doesn’t mean that’s when I began creating art. Ten years ago I was already serious about wanting to be an artist and was in college pursuing my art degree when I started using the name. I’ll admit David de Lara is not my legal name. It’s a surname I adopted from my ancestors. Using it helped establish an identity that is me the artist. It’s almost as if it’s an entity that helps create a barrier between my personal life and my work. David de Lara tends to get away with more though because everything is done in the name of creativity. Sometimes it does get me in trouble (remember my near lawsuit?), but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

So, here’s to ten years of being David de Lara. Let’s see what happens in the next ten.

From 2004: “Plumed Plum”
graphite, colored pencil, watercolor & pastel on 18″x24″ watercolor paper

I have a self-imposed rule that my portfolio on this site doesn’t have any work before a certain point. The funny thing is, although I’m not showing that art anymore, I still have some of them hanging in my home. Plumed Plum is a favorite of mine and I even used it on the invitation for a solo art show in 2005. I was thinking about this piece recently and wanted to show her off again.

“Hindered Waverer”
graphite, soft pastel & coffee on 11″x14″ watercolor paper

Yes, you read that right. I used coffee on this drawing.  I’ve seen other artists use tea to paint like a watercolor. Several years ago I was drawing in a coffee shop and decided to see what would happen if I used coffee to paint since both coffee and tea stain paper. I discovered that, while it doesn’t appear very dark, it does leave a very nice sepia-like tone. In fact, back when people used to actually develop photographs, they would use coffee or tea to stain the prints and give them a sepia tone.

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Just a random mind blown drawing from my sketchbook.

Would you like some original artwork created just for you? I’m available for art commissions.

“Isolated Divide”
graphite on 11″x14″ watercolor paper

Ever the neurotic artist, I sometimes doubt myself. I think maybe I’m not working at the level I know I could be at or that I’m not doing enough artwork to keep my skills sharp. Every now and then I reassure myself that I’ve still got “it”. One night I was motivated to do this drawing. Graphite pencil drawings at this size were where I started with my body of work ten years ago. Going back because I had something to prove to myself put me at ease that my technical skills aren’t even close to regressing. It also resulted in one of my favorite pieces in a while. I think I managed to create something with a genuine subversively suggestive feeling or emotion a viewer could identify with.

The original drawing of “Isolated Divide” is for sale and prints can be ordered too.

Would you like some original artwork created just for you? I’m available for art commissions.