Rachel Rubin Wolf - Strokes of Genius 2: Light and Shadow

STROKES
of GENIUS

THE BEST OF DRAWING
LIGHT AND SHADOW

Edited by Rachel Rubin Wolf

www.artistsnetwork.com

Strokes of Genius 2: The Best of Drawing Light and Shadow.
Copyright 2009 by North Light Books. Manufactured in China. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review.

Published by North Light Books, an imprint of F+W Media, Inc., 4700 East Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45236. (800) 289-0963. First Edition.

Other fine North Light Books are available from your local bookstore, art supply store or visit us at our website www.fwmedia.com.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Strokes of genius 2 : the best of drawing : light and shadow / edited by Rachel Rubin Wolf. -- 1st ed.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN-13: 978-1-60061-158-2 (hardcover w/ jacket : alk. paper)
ISBN-10: 1-60061-158-3 (hardcover w/ jacket : alk. paper)
eISBN: 978-1-44031-748-4
1. Drawing--20th century--Themes, motives. 2. Drawing--21st century--Themes, motives. I. Rubin Wolf, Rachel. II. Title: Strokes of genius two. III. Title: Best of drawing. IV. Title: Light and shadow.

NC95.S772 2009
741.9243--dc22 2009009464

Edited by Erika OConnell and Jennifer Lepore Brune
Designed by Doug Mayfield
Production coordinated by Matthew Wagner

ABOUT THE EDITOR

Photo by Don Lambert

Rachel Rubin Wolf is a freelance editor and artist. She edits and writes fine art books for North Light Books, including Watercolor Secrets, the Splash series (Best of Watercolor); The Best of Wildlife Art (editions 1 and 2); The Best of Portrait Painting; The Best of Flower Painting 2; The AcrylicPainters Book of Styles and Techniques; Painting Ships, Shores and theSea; and Painting the Many Moods of Light. She also has acquired numerous new fine art book projects and authors for North Light Books and has contributed to magazines such as Fine Art Connoisseur and Wildlife Art.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Thanks must always go to the editors, designers and staff at North Light Books who have made this into the beautiful final product it is, including Pamela Wissman, Vanessa Lyman, Erika OConnell, Doug Mayfield and Matthew Wagner. A special thanks to editor Jennifer Lepore Brune, a longtime colleague and friend, back after doing a terrific job at North Light Book Clubit has been my pleasure to work with you again.

The biggest thanks of all belongs to the contributing artists. As always, it was near-impossible to narrow the selections down to those that would fit in a book this size. Thank you all for being so generous and attentive to detail, tackling the discomfort of new technology, as we all try to learn the ins and outs of digital photography. Mostly, thank you for sharing artwork that so obviously comes from your heart.

Metric Conversion Chart

Bonnie Donna Krizek Charcoal on laid paper 14" 11" (36cm 28cm)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

The Boxer
Pat Regan Cont on toned paper 11" 9" (28cm 22cm)

I am thrilled that you, our readers, voted a resounding YES for Strokes ofGenius, the first volume in this series. Because of that, I now get to offer you volume two! I have always been drawn to the direct nature of drawing and greatly appreciate the range of nuance one can achieve in black and white, though there are also a number of creative color drawings here too. This book takes us a bit out of the box for North Light, showcasing a few styles and subjects not often seen in North Light books.

But that is as it should be. The great thing about drawing is that it gives you the freedom to experiment, to test, even to play. Hey, its only a drawing. Have fun. Express yourself. Dont worry about the results. But thats the great paradox of life. As soon as we let go our inner judge, we can go further and achieve more. So we have here a collection of masterful drawings in almost any medium, or combination thereof, you could think of, each one unique to the artist who created it.

We subtitled this volume The Best of Drawing Light and Shadow, and we meant this in a very straightforward way. However, after living with these stunning works of art for many months, the subtitle has come to take on a more dynamic, personal meaning. Many of these works express the light and shadow of the human soulthe seasons that we all pass through on this journey we call life.

From Janvier Rollandes very tender portrait of her mother on her deathbed, to Marina Dieuls caring drawing of a sleeping toddler, to Steve Mihals introspective self-portrait, to Elizabeth Pattersons almost ironic views of rainy streets through her windshield, to Donna Levinstones romantic vision of clouds and water at sunset, to name just a few among many, these drawings represent tiny glimpses into the soul of the artist, and even into the human drama.