Douglas Fraser at Drawger.com!

Workin' Joe

Mon, 21 May 2012 20:20:30 EDT

Last week Joe Heroun of The New Republic emailed, and asking if I was up for a cover assignment. Working with Joe has been a great pleasure of mine. He requested a vector execution of subject matter that I've traditionally handled with oils. That subject being the worker, or blue collar person. Strangely I've not done too many blue collars on workers, hmmm…. Well, anyhow, I've enjoyed Joe's direction in past as it's gotten me delving into thoughts(visual ideas) I've wanted to pursue. The cover of the issue is the pivotal battle for the state of Ohio between the Republicans & Democrats. Now elephants & mules are staples of the editorial genre, so I focused on the opportunity to push the graphic vector nature of the medium per Joe's request for my vector work. Joe & I ended up agreeing on going with a white background which contributes to the clean look of the cover. In executing the cover I went two directions for my influences, one being back to my typography classes, and the interaction between letter forms(pre-software). The other direction was forward with influence from my recent gallery work done in paint, while dealing with a subject I'd worked with in past. In the final version, I'm pleased with the cover Joe & I created. As an illustrator I am still respectfully of the printed article being the work of art. It's the cover of the current issue, thanks Joe Heroun.

Shape & Size

Mon, 05 Mar 2012 04:20:20 EDT

In one of my recent paintings I wanted to capture a feeling of visual perspective, and explore the shape of object/art. I built a cradle box with a tapered shape that echoed the perspective in the visual subject. The edges of the top and bottom were from the subject as I saw it from across the street. The shape also was interesting to deal with, and a departure from the squares & rectangles I've been working with. I worked with elements in the subject that struck me such as the white graffiti on the dark galss. The details in the subject reminded me of the graphic elements I'd so enjoyed as a kid building model kits. Yes, I did build a few of my glue-thumb-printed masterpieces in my youth. Exploring the details, and interpreting the shapes furthered my awarness of the dialogue between them. The subject for me is influenced by painters like Edward Hopper, and the shapes by painters in the geometric abstraction spectrum.

The following painting was subject I gathered several years ago, but always stayed in my mind. I photographed the subject on a hot day. The pavement had a bleached quality. The painting was again on a cradle box I made. The smaller size felt appropriate, and I wanted the scale of the object to be more intimate when viewed. It's a common urban subject, but by making the painting smaller, I felt it drew me in.

Drawing Time

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 06:59:28 EDT

In my own work my sketches, or drawing ends up gone. Wallpapered over with oil paint. I've had a passion for the idea of edges , whether soft or hard in painting. The purity of drawing is something lately I've wanted to feel again.

Moving Up

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 19:18:07 EDT

Well one of my oldest illustration clients are doing a big move. Rothman’s Men’s Clothing, which has anchored the northeast corner of Manhattan’s Union Square for 25 years, is moving to a larger space a block away on Park Avenue and 18th Street. The new space, at 222 Park Avenue South. Rothman’s was founded in 1926 by Harry Rothman. Ken and Jim Giddon, his grandchildren, took over in 1986. Rothman’s also operates a location in Scarsdale, NY. I've been working with Ken Giddon at Rothmans for roughly fifteen years.

Rail

Mon, 02 Jan 2012 17:56:27 EDT

My painting Rail along with another of my recent pieces, will be in a group show opening on January. In this piece, I'm embracing the horizontal nature of the scene, and subtle levels of distortion. It's also influenced by a Kenneth Noland piece I'd seen last summer. I wanted to express the stark horizontal bands, and lines of the foreground. Also the subtle tones of the grain cars with faceted breaks between them divides the foreground from the large blue of the prairie sky. The light pole had a mild waver to it. Which gave it an organic nature much like the bright green grass around the tracks. I do miss the summer heat during these short days of winter.

Trash

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 18:33:06 EDT

Last July, while out running errands on my motorcycle, I pulled over to take a break. I stopped near a venue with a lot of cement, and spray painted surfaces. Of course being just off a main highway, and with a couple of fast food establishments near by there were the ubiquitous paper cups about. The day was beautifully warm with a modest amount of humidity. The light was strong, but the shadows were not black. The grass in the field near by had burnt off to it's summer gold from the green of spring. I know that garbage as a subject is not new, but hell this cup looked good. No, it was not my cup, I took my trash with me.