Hanna, Post-Modern Olympia

Perhaps one of the greatest privileges of working with a single model over a period of time (we've been at this now for about two months) is the way it helps me see Hanna as a complex human being. One would think that drawing the same person repeatedly would make the task easier, and yet I find it harder; one becomes aware of the subtle shifts from self-possession to pensiveness, from inner certainty to the young poet who could write:

You never asked me to think of you, but I disobeyed.

(It's from one of my favourite poems of hers, written several years ago I think, but I haven't put it up yet).

Alas my eye is still quicker than the hand, but it slowly gets better.

The first of these was done last week; it's a retake of one we did about ten days ago, but I rather messed up the drawing. I really liked the pose, what with the arm resting on the cushions and the hand floating above the shoulder, and asked Hanna to repeat it. (She usually takes her own poses).



This one was done at the same time as the original for the one above. The photo seems fuzzy because the drawing was; by the time I got around to sharpening it I though better of doing so.



This last was a quick sketch, we had almost run out of time. Lots of drawing errors, but then again, there's nothing like a shortage time combined with tiredness to force one to loosen up a bit, and just focus on capturing a sense of what one sees. Which is maybe why I like it best.



All work is on 24"x36" Kraft paper, using Nupastel.