In Contrast
The mixing of dark and light, sunlight and shadow, yin and yang, is what
I like. I do that by drawing with black archival ink pens on white acid
free paper. High contrast, intricate design and thoughtful composition
are juggled about with directions from my muse in an effort to create
an artful picture. In some of my pictures the line plays a more prominent
role. In others, figures and backgrounds are placed within the composition
for contrasting effect. Finally, I sometimes create a less representational
work by filling the white field of paper with intricate patterns, textures
and designs. I have found that the repetition of a tiny shape will create
a texture or pattern that may appear soft, sharp, harsh, empty, infinite,
joyful, and more.
I make use
of those textures and patterns in almost all of my drawings, but in some
the line plays a greater role. For example when drawing pictures like
Sweetgum, Oak, and Hickory Leaves I tried to suggest an ephemeral
beauty inherent in the shapes and lives of leaves by using texture less
and the line more.
When
figures emerge in my drawings they are defined in stark contrast to a
background. The figure(s) may be dark as in Mary, Mary… ,
pure white as in Cain and Abel and Man and Dog, or white
but transparent as in Bough or Imprinting. The object in any case
is to draw attention to the figure. The white figure emerges from a background
of darker patterns or designs. The dark figure is filled with pattern
and is placed against a white or light background. I like to think the
dark background is a reflection of what’s really going on inside
the near blank silhouette(s) such as those in A Couple and Some Lizards.
Conversely, the dark patterns that fill the silhouette(s) as in Mother
Earth, are more likely a reflection of the figure’s world.
Some
of my work is less representational. Edisto Beach was drawn shortly
after I revisited that beach for the first time since my teen years. .
In that picture shapes, patterns, and textures are mixed in a way that
I hope suggests the power, the motion, the danger, the beauty, and the
pleasures of those early visits, now revisited. Vine is another picture
that is a mix of black and white design that fills the page with layers
of pattern in an effort to celebrate patterns in nature juxtaposed with
what appear to be manmade patterns.
I am self taught, but I have a passion for drawing that is matched only by my passion for looking at art. Some of my favorite artists are: Joan Miro, Wassily Kandinsky, Jasper Johns, Andy Warhol and Ellsworth Kelly . I regret that I don’t have more years to work at being an artist. But, at the end of the day, I hope I have created an artful combination of black and white that mimics the often stunning contrast I’ve experienced in people and places I have known.
Nancy Wyman Ray
803 327 7938
raynat@comporium.net