Why Draw Trees?

Why Draw Trees?

Climate change, the accessibility of drawing, and universality with trees are the factors that inform my current drawing series. 

Travelling across Alaska while in the army, and my residency in Hungary led me to explore the impact of humans on the landscape. Trees grant us our existence on Earth. Without them we do not have a future. Most people see trees as the proverbial abstract forest; I see them as individuals. Each tree has a personality and a story to tell us. 

My drawings center on the interaction between the texture of the bark, the natural design of the limbs and depiction of the scars left by time and weather. I look for deep shadows in the knots and patterns in the bark. I draw to transform natural detail into massive, solid shapes, achieving unique perspectives from an up close and personal vantage point. 

When I draw a tree, I get close up and study the detailed textures, bark, branches, etc. Older trees show the scars of living and time, just like people. A broken or twisted branch is beautiful in the story that it communicates. 

I have been working in graphite as my primary medium since 2008. My process is as follows. I travel to locations where there are older trees like the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, Pisgah National Forest or locally north Charlotte’s Ribbonwalk. There I observe the trees and spend time with them. I sketch on location, sometimes using rubbings of the bark’s texture. I also photograph the tree for future reference. 

On return to my studio, I use the sketches, texture rubbings and the photos to draw very detailed close-up drawings in graphite. I include the living, dead and broken branches. Before I put marks on the paper, I score the paper with rough objects like rocks, etc. This scoring shows up as white texture in the dark values of the final work. I then apply the graphite in values light to dark. At various times in the process I randomly make marks on the paper with graphite or other instruments to emulate the bark imperfections and variations. 

On observation, the viewer can literally see the divine, through the divine proportion in the bark and branches. I emphasize the ratios found naturally in branches that result in the wonderful asymmetrical balance that stimulates and fascinates our unconscious minds. My drawings are heavily focused on a full range of light and dark values and include as much of the tree’s individual personality as possible. As in nature, some branches of a tree are almost invisible until you get really close. I reward the viewer to get up-close and linger with my drawings. 

 

I want viewers to develop a more personal relationship with trees, leading to greater understanding of their importance in the ecosystem.

The 20 Best Comic Books of ALL Time

This is my personal listing of the Best Comic Books of ALL Time! I owned most of these comics at one point in my life. I based my selections on the quality of the art and story line and it application to my life as a boy, an artist or as a father. Some of these books I read over a long stay at the beach, some were given to me by friends, some I read with my son, and others I used as references in my own drawings. 

The 20 best comics of all time. #20: 1985. This is the marvel universe told from the point of view of a 12 year old boy in 1985. Great art with a Stranger Things vibe.

The 20 best comics of all time. #19: New Frontier. This is the DC universe reimagined from today's perspective. Great art from Darwyn Cooke who sadly passed away. Includes many lesser known heroes like the Sea Devils. Takes place in the 60s so a lot of space references, but the racism of the 60s is also included.

The 20 best comics, according to me, of all time. #18: Space:1999. The art is very much of the times, 1970. Its funky and psychedelic. The stories are original and not repeated from the TV show.

The 20 best comic books of all time! #17: Future Quest. This is throwback Thursday on steroids! This retro extravaganza features Jonny Quest, Space Ghost, Dino Boy, Birdman, Dr. Zinn, The Herculoids, and on and on. If you are a kid of the 60s, which I am, this book is awesome.

The 20 best comics of all time. #16: The Six Million Dollar Man. This was a large format black and white book. The 70s art makes awesome use of rub on dots. Original stories were a nice change from many TV comics.

The 20 best comic books of all time. #15: Nick Fury - Agents of Shield. I like Nick Fury in all his various permutations. The 60s Nick channeling James Bond with great gadgets. The movie and ultimate universe Samuel L.Jackson trench coat cool. Or the SGT Fury WWII machine gun totem hero. All are great to read.

The 20 best comic books of all time. #14: A tie between Civil War and Identity Crisis. Civil War was a great series that launched the Marvel movie universe. However, I think Civil War was a response to DCs Identity Crisis. Both are great reads with awesome art.

The 20 best comic books of all time. #13: Aquaman. He had his share of detractors, but growing up in Florida on swim teams he was a favorite. I like this water bearer hand series even though many critics did not.

The 20 best comic books of all time. #12: Steve Canyon. This is a little old school, but I just loved Steve Canyon in the Sunday newspaper comic strips. He's tough, he's resourceful, he has a variety of sidekicks, and he's a ladies man. And, the art is downright awesome in black and white ink or full color.

The 20 best comic books of all time. #11: Hawkeye. This series about Hawkeye on his off days is a graphic designers retro dream. Simple color palette, little shading all action. Features pizza dog! Writing by Matt Faction is superb.

The 20 best comic books of all time. #10: Thor. This series of the Mighty Thor by Michael J. Straczynski of Babylon Five fame is fantastic. The armor Thor wears in this book is the model for the Thor movies costume.

The 20 best comic books of all time! #9: Star Trek by Golden Key comics. The drawing likenesses were not always on point with the TV show, but I just ate up ever issue as a kid.

The 20 best comic books of all time! #8: The Phantom. I loved Sunday when the Phantom was in the paper. He was scary and exotic. The generational aspect of decades of the ghost who walks as fascinating.

The 20 best comic books of all time! #7: Ultimate Fantastic Four. There is no better comic than the Silver Surfer stories of the classic FF, but the Ultimate story line is just as good for the modern age. It is scary for a comic; with a dose of suspension of disbelief. They discover a alternate dimension where all the super heroes are zombies! When I was a boy I wanted to be the Human Torch, nuff said.

The best 20 comic books of all time. #6: Ultimate Avengers. The whole book is awesome, but the refresh of Nick Fury really sets it apart. Modelled on Samuel L.Jackson, he would play the part in the movies. There is an 8 page fold out spread that is unbelievable.

The 20 best comic books of all time! #5: The Lone Ranger. The Lone Ranger was one of my heroes as a kid, I even had the action figure. There were multiple cartoons besides the live action TV show from the 50s & 60s. This is a 2000s retelling of the tales of the masked man and Tonto. This comic features the Lone Ranger with the RED shirt and black pants, which is the real costume over the blue shirt and pants from the TV show.

The 20 best comic books of all time! #4: Avengers Annual featuring Kang the Conqueror. In the early 70s I was on my way to the beach for a few weeks, so I stopped by the 7-11 to get a comic. This huge annual jumped out at me from the rotating comic rack. This book features the classic Avengers against Kang who travels in time. The Mantis of Guardians of the Galaxy fame appears and a minor Avenger dies. Awesome read.

The 20 best comic books of all time! #3: Ironman Extremis series. This comic book and its art gave birth to the Marvel movie universe. The armor in this book is just awesomely illustrated. The story was not used until the 3rd movie.

The 20 best comic books of all time! #2: Starlord. The initial launch of Starlord in the 1970s Marvel Preview is amazing. The story is great and the art by John Byrne is so inspiring. I have included several of the 2 page spreads.

The 20 best comic books of all time. Drum roll...#1: Captain Action. DC published this series for 5 or so issues. It was relaunched in the 00s. The book tells the story of an action figure, Captain Action. He was a competitor to GI Joe. Love how he pushes Superman out of the way on the cover of issue 1. My good friend William Mize saw the comic at a convention in the 90s and brought it for me. A true friend.

Drawing 11 in the Tree Series in Honor of Earth Day 2020

Drawing 11 in the series is pretty bold. No branches, no leaves, just texture. There are two pine trees in the drawing, one was struck by lightning. The edge of the bark was really fun to work on. 

Earth Day 2020 was last week.  I want my tree drawings, and the viewer’s understanding of how they relate to world climate events, to be as universally accessible and familiar as elementary school art class.

I hope that this Tree Series brings trees into our daily conversation so we can talk about climate change in a way that is personal to us. I share my work with others to provide common ground to work toward common purpose.

Art Marketing 101

Marketing 101 for Artists

Start exhibiting and selling your art in 2020!

Join regional artist Wil Bosbyshell as he shares his experience on Marketing Art in Charlotte and the Southeastern US. Marketing 101 is a three-session class that will cover all the topics you need to begin to market and sell your art. Wil has sold over 500 original paintings and drawings in galleries, private shows, charity shows, juried exhibitions, and festivals. Wil uses new and old media to exhibit and sell his art.

Three Sessions; Tuesdays, May 26, June 2 and June 9 from 7:00 to 8:30 PM.  The class will be on ZOOM. The Charlotte Art League, 4100 Raleigh Street.

Cost: $65 - Register Paypal to Maura Bosbyshell (mbosbyshell@gmail.com) with PayPal or Venmo.

Topics: Resumes, Biography, Artist Statements, Pricing to sell, Framing to sell, Display to sell, Social media marketing, Juried competitions, Taxes, Sales Success in private shows, Prints, Outdoor shows and festivals, Working in Series, and more

Questions: Call Wil 704.458.0600 or Kate 704.376.2787