Figure paintings and drawings

My thesis show consists of a number of paintings and drawings, all dealing with the figure. The drawings are straightforward studies and do not, I believe, require too much discussion. They are from life and are realistic in intent. I concentrated especially on a correctness of porportion and placement in these studies. Without an over elaboration, I also described the roundness of volumes in space. I used what I consider a naturalistic or non-stylized line, and tried to faithfully follow the interior and exterior contours of the figure. I believe these studies are quite important to my painting. They helped to give me a good working knowledge of the figure. They also provided a basis from which I was able to make or pursue the alterations that constitute a part of the experimental nature of my paintings. In any event, the knowledge I gained from studying the figure is vital to my paintings, as they are done basically without models. My paintings reflect some of the sane concerns as my drawing. Rather than the actual observance of a physical phenomenon, however, I have, in my paintings, generalized and concentrated more on shapes and forms that are simplied so as to bring an order to the figure that is reflected throughout the painting. I have carried this thought through into my use of color. The color I used is not really "naturalistic"; it is used as a structural element intended to bind together the various elements within the painting into a cohesive, and hopefully vibrant, whole