These Old Things

Now that I've joined Facebook, I have a lot of people, in the list of friends, from the college years. Which, for me, closed up in spring 1997. I kicked around in that college town for an additional two years after, finally leaving Rock Hill, SC (and the Winthrop University community) in the spring of 1999. Anyhow, now that I've put this into some context, I've gotten a little nostalgic (Facebook) about some of those days. Not just for the people memories, but also for some of the art I was making at the time. Back then, I was shooting exclusively for the world of "fine art"--with mixed-media drawing/painting. Last week I sucked it up and opened some of the old slide files. Thumbed through some old work. I tend to not like doing this.

But, interestingly enough, I do think this stuff, in parts, holds relatively strong (which is saying a lot, cause typically I cringe up tight when I look at anything I've done in past times). So, why not share some here? Definitely a shift from these to where I'm at now, illustration-wise, but my emphasis was on drawing then, and my emphasis is on drawing now. So it makes sense. There was another transitional work period, for me, in between these drawings and today. Maybe I'll show that work at another time. To connect the dots.

These are/were mostly medium-to-large in size. In the 20" x 30" range. And mostly on paper. If interested, click on the image to get a closer look.




From the group, I like this one best. The bat up top--I like it. The two down low kinda throw the composition though...





This is a collaborative painting I did with painting and printmaking Prof., Paul Martyka. Acrylic, graphite, charcoal, gesso, on board (wood panel).



This is the smallest piece of the bunch. About 8" x 8". On paper. Collaborative with pal, Paul Matheny. He's a museum curator down in Columbia, SC now. And still painting. Nice guy.



Large mixed-media drawing/painting on a found piece of drywall. Left this behind in my move from SC to Chicago. Sits above friends' fireplace mantle today. Still in the south.



The bird is cool. The rest is rubbish.


Thanks for allowing my indulgence down memory lane. I also got to use my scanner, for the first time, to scan 35mm slides in doing this. All in all, a decent exercise.