Jim O'Neil's photos

A little old lady friend, on Shikoku Island, Japan, on her motor scooter, was my inspiration for this sketch.

Out near Toon City, Eheme Prefecture, Japan

Mountains above Matsuyama, Japan.

Charcoal on sketch paper. 4 sketches, one minute poses, superimposed.

Sumo, ink and watercolor on oiled sketch paper.

Ink.

Charcoal. 2 minutes poses. 11 by 14 inches.

I was mentioning to friends; A group of us have weekly life drawing sessions up here on top of the world during the winter (None in summer, who wants to sit inside with 24 hours of daylight? & alas, not many of our models want to pose, un-draped, outside with 24 hours of mosquitoes.), meeting in the studio of a friend who trained in St. Petersburg (Russia). He introduced us to art burning, a tradition he learned in the Russian art academy. Once a year the students would get together light a bonfire, discuss and burn their bad works. So! Now we get together on a cool April evening light a fire, most years beside a frozen stream with a 6 foot tall ice sculpture behind us, then one will pull out a sketch or painting, explain why he’d dissatisfied with it and tosses it in the flames. Art is communication and this way we use even our bad art to teach each other, and ourselves, to strive for improvement. So! Posting there from 2014

I was mentioning to friends; A group of us have weekly life drawing sessions up here on top of the world during the winter (None in summer, who wants to sit inside with 24 hours of daylight? & alas, not many of our models want to pose, un-draped, outside with 24 hours of mosquitoes.), meeting in the studio of a friend who trained in St. Petersburg (Russia). He introduced us to art burning, a tradition he learned in the Russian art academy. Once a year the students would get together light a bonfire, discuss and burn their bad works. So! Now we get together on a cool April evening light a fire, most years beside a frozen stream with a 6 foot tall ice sculpture behind us, then one will pull out a sketch or painting, explain why he’d dissatisfied with it and tosses it in the flames. Art is communication and this way we use even our bad art to teach each other, and ourselves, to strive for improvement. So! Posting there from 2014

I was mentioning to friends; A group of us have weekly life drawing sessions up here on top of the world during the winter (None in summer, who wants to sit inside with 24 hours of daylight? & alas, not many of our models want to pose, un-draped, outside with 24 hours of mosquitoes.), meeting in the studio of a friend who trained in St. Petersburg (Russia). He introduced us to art burning, a tradition he learned in the Russian art academy. Once a year the students would get together light a bonfire, discuss and burn their bad works. So! Now we get together on a cool April evening light a fire, most years beside a frozen stream with a 6 foot tall ice sculpture behind us, then one will pull out a sketch or painting, explain why he’d dissatisfied with it and tosses it in the flames. Art is communication and this way we use even our bad art to teach each other, and ourselves, to strive for improvement. So! Posting there from 2014

Oil pastels on Bristol vellum paper.

Alaska ravens learned a long time ago that shopper often leave bags of food they bought in the backs of their pickup truck while they go to another store to shop for something else, They also learned how to open bags so they shop outside in the parking lot while the people shop inside.

Abby's a great model, imaginative, holds poses quite well. Alas she'll be gone, out of state, for the next month. Ink and oil pastels on Bristol vellum paper.

Me, out enjoying a -35°F. (-37°C,) day a week or so ago. ;-)

A quick sketch of a quite pose. Alaska willow charcoal on 11 by 14 inch sketch paper.

Ink and pastels on Bristol vellum paper.

Alas, it's rather hard to enjoy a nice hot bowl of ramen outside when the temperature is -35°.