Some of my work is Portraiture, character studies. Some are black and white. I call these ”MANCHAS” because the technique I use, frequently involves a “smearing” whether with my thumbs or a piece of cloth. I almost never use pencil or charcoal on the drawings. I use bristle brushes which give the benefit of texture and tone, useing a dry brush technique. I like to use Black Tempera because of its richness and it has a matte surface. It is also non-toxic and lead free. I draw using live models and photos, some which I take myself. The photos give me the freedom to distort and change and even changing the gender of the subject. My subjects are mostly androgynous figures, sometime melancholy and withdrawn. I work minimally, where every line is important, and economy of stroke is essential. I like it when form takes shape from what isn’t drawn and when the eye of the viewer completes the image. Lately I have been fixing some portraits on panel, cutting the image out, and adding Water Colors and Acrylics. I also paint Water Colors of landscapes around the Southwest where I live.
