Arabella's Anatomy 2020

The earliest work I have on anatomy comes from 2020, the age of Arabella. I remember making drawing of Greek sculptures on the kitchen table at my grandmother’s house. Her home was a time capsule of the 70’s and all my memories there seem like film. I can remember every picture, odd sculpture and pillows. Forever engrained in my mind, though I know there is a lot lost to time now that it is all gone

The book at hand for these drawings and notes is called “Human Anatomy for Artists” by Elliot Goldfinger, 1991. It’s a classic of the genre, and it is one of the books I brought with me to Texas initially. It has served me well and I am excited to get to know her again.

There is nothing out of the ordinary about my initial anatomical studies. I begin with the skull, move on to body proportions, then hand and face proportions.

Curiously, on page 8, I describe a process for purifying clay which consumed me for the entire summer. There were jars of bright orange dirt arranged all over the floor as I extracted various layers of sediment from each. Fueled by visions of making bricks and pottery, the princess wanted to build her own castle.  

Page seven is a drawing of a Michelangelo sculpture from another book. I began a series of paintings to study Michelangelo’s work beginning in February 2020. They took years to finish and became my prized possessions. I have replicated or drawn a number of his works.

I have always had a specialty for portraits since I was a child. At the end is an exploration of male facial proportion.  

Between grand mommy’s, building walls in the backyard and pouring dirt back and forth in my room, I was very occupied this summer. I got to know H a bit more, but we didn’t form a relationship until the end of the year. There was a change that happened as it was nearing time to leave that has never reversed, my mind is forever stuck in dissociation since. I would go away to school and come back defeated within a few months. There was a lot of direction in my life in the beginning of 2020. Now, over five years later, it seems like my life is still recovering.

end Arabella’s Anatomy April-August 2020