The Barcelona Drawings 2012

In January/February 2012, I spent time at the Jiwar Artist Residency, in the Gracia neighborhood of Barcelona. In addition to working on small paintings on paper (which became the “Illustrations for an Unpublished Novel series,” I undertook a series of sketches, while out-and-about with the other residents, Marceau, Sameer and Mirjam. In bars, cafes, along the beach or Las Ramblas, I sketched anything and everything. This drawing practice, almost always blind contours (where I only look at the object drawn, and not at the drawing itself during the creation of the work), has consumed me since I began down this path, in 1990. Since that time, I have filled 100 sketchbooks with more than 8000 of these drawings. This is one example of a series of them, though I have drawn such works in cafes, bars, along beaches and streets, in airports and living rooms, for more than 30 years.

All works ink on paper, 10” x 8”, $100 unframed

To see a video of me drawing a blind contour, check these out: