QUIET REPOSE | CHARCOAL | 20 X 15 | 700
“Quiet Repose” was selected as a finalist for the Strokes of Genius 14 Drawing Competition, presented by the editors of Artists Magazine. “Quiet Repose” is a portrait of a poignant moment, a simple act of introspection, an 82-year-old man reflecting upon life’s journey and personal choices. I captured in this moment of deep contemplation, a fleeting morning light casting shadows of mystery. The charcoal drawing was well suited to defining these emotive thoughts. The application of mid-tones and dark values with vine and compressed charcoal immediately established the mood while the cascading light of shapes and lines were defined with the eraser. Drawing, a hands-on tactile medium is personal and immediate, sensitive to pressure variability as the drawing emerged. My efforts were to capture the feelings of a confident and successful man in a very vulnerable moment.