Drawings (1989)

A few days ago, I was cleaning up my study and came across a drawing book I'd totally forgotten about. I think I started drawing in it during the very first season of the Dark Room Writers Collective in Cambridge (which I thought was in the spring of 1989, though I dated the drawings taking place in the fall). The first drawing in the book was an unfinished sketch of Richard Hall, whom I barely remember, but the second is a finished drawing of his face (see below) and the third captures the reading by Michael Thelwell, whose voice and presence are still very strong in my memory. A few pages in I also had a study of Toni Morrison's face, which is below; I subsequently did a portrait of her based on this study and others that I'd done during her reading at the Unitarian-Universalist Church in Cambridge in 1989 and then framed it and gave it to her in 1992 when she came to MIT to read from Jazz, which had just been published. She graciously accepted it, after the MIT officials inspected the box I'd packed it in to ensure it wasn't anything dicey. (Since I don't know her, I'm not sure what happened to the drawing.) The final drawing is one of a series in charcoal, and is undated, though several after it have a 1989 tag, then the dates jump to 1990 and 1991. I'll post more of those soon.

Toni Morrison facial study (the hardest part was capturing her eyes and nose); I think the final came out well (at least that's how I remember it)

Michael Thelwell, at the Dark Room House (1989)

Richard Hall, at the Dark Room House

Back of a man's head, Boston (this was during the era when flat-top fades were very popular). Viewing the high collar now, I think I drew it during wintertime. I didn't write down where I drew the picture, so it could have been either on the T or on the bus, though most likely it was the T.