Brian Harvey

‘Capturing the Moment’

Brian Harvey Water colour cloud studies on paper 11”x 14” 2014/15
Today I am highlighting the work of Drawing 1 student: Brian Harvey. Above are two works on paper that really hold my attention as a viewer. I am thinking here of a comment that he made about “capturing the moment” in art.
Willem de Kooning spoke about the glimpse and stated that; “content is a glimpse of something”. The notion of holding a moment (or memory) in time is one that every creative person must think about at some point. How do you decide which moment to translate? How do you decide what to leave in and what to leave out? How do you know when you have completed a work and when you have over worked something?
These watercolours above were preceded by many pencil and pastel studies of cloud formations that served as warm ups. Clouds (particularly here in England) often move so rapidly. It is impressive that in just a moment (a split second), a moment in nature has been recorded with speed and elegance.

Norfolk Cartridge paper 140 lb 12″ x 16″  Pen brush and ink – very old Oak Tree
Also of note are the two tree studies above. Looking at the study of the Oak Tree on the left on the far right hand side; of particular significance is a blurry and rapidly drawn ghost of a tree that signifies a glimpse, a passing moment. Every student’s eye is unique and in this case, it is such a pleasure to see the creative decisions that were made in locating and translating forms into two-dimensional space.

Exercise Two Foreground, middle ground, and background. Preliminary sketches in sketchbook 11’x14 each work.
Above are two examples of preliminary landscape drawings. I wanted to point out how fresh and vital these two sketchbook examples are. There is a generosity here in both works in that Mr Harvey is sharing a glimpse that he captured in the landscape in just a few brief moments.