I've been following the work of Tommy Kane for a while now. As part of my autodidactic approach to art I copy a lot of his drawings. I don't trace them. I look closely and draw from them in order to learn and practice. I grew up in New York city and when I was a kid my Mom would often take me to the museums. Every time we went I noticed that some people would be standing in front of paintings copying them into sketchbooks. My Mom explained that they were art students and that was how they did their homework. I was astonished! I had spent a lot of time in the principal's office for drawing all over in my school notebooks. Much later on a visit to Paris my wife and I went to the Louvre and I saw painters standing in front of the artworks copying them on canvasses perched on easels that were provided by the museum. What a great idea! Isn't it strange that in a lot of places in America if you are an artist you are considered a bum, while in Europe an artist is revered. I live in Oregon and although it is the most beautiful place on earth, I am farther away from museums, so I often work from photos of other artist's work. This week I'm posting my favorite copied Kanes in celebration of his newly published book "An Excuse To Draw". But it now before it goes out of print.
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