The night before last on June 19 I was the guest speaker at the monthly meeting of the Burbank Art Association. This is a not-for-profit organization that's been in Burbank since 1950. Believe it or not I went there as a guest and wound up becoming the president. I'm still trying to figure out how that happened.
As part of my presentation I was asked to create a simple demonstration of how I work. I began by describing that at a young age I was influenced by the art I saw at church. Growing up in the eastern orthodox church I was immersed in the byzantine style of design. Since most of what I do is concept development I thought it would be interesting to create drawings of Jesus in that manner. These are the sketches I came up with.
I'd also like to mention that my book was part of a raffle which the Association conducts during their meetings based upon what their guest artist contributes. I was told the amount of money they raised from the raffle that night broke their record. It was a very positive experience for everyone.
4 comments:
It's cool to see you draw some religious art Charles. I myself am a Christian. And it's nice to see how you draw the big man with the beard. He looks very cool!
Thanks Jacob. I don't know why I decided to draw Jesus for the meeting. I guess the Spirit moved me. The demos got a good reception. Everyone present seemed to appreciate it. Some of the artists there joined in with drawings of their own.
Nicely done Charles! As Jacob said, it's nice to see you try your hand at drawing religious figures such as Jesus. It reminds me of the stained glass art style at my local church in New Jersey. It's also nice to hear that the drawings of the Big J got good response.
I'm also proud to say that I'm Catholic and proud of it too!
Thanks Pat. I wasn't trying to be religious. I just felt like drawing Jesus in a byzantine kind of style. The members of the Burbank Art Association didn't seem to mind. In fact they got into it.
I don't have negative attitudes about religion in the slightest. I think society is so way out of whack that anything that hints at religion is seen as something negative that should be attacked. Catholics have a high regard for the sanctity of life. I see how they take care of the elderly for example and all the good that has come from the Catholic community in America in spite of the scandals.
Look at all the hospitals and schools that have been built because of religious people and organizations. I'm glad I was able draw Jesus in a way that I could explore his look creatively without experiencing hostility.
Post a Comment