Patsy McArthur, artist

The Road Is Lonesome I
26" x 57" charcoal, conte and pastel on fabriano paper


The Road Is Lonesome II
26" x 42" charcoal, conte and pastel on fabriano paper

The Promised Land
35" x 39" charcoal and conte on fabriano paper


The Road Is Lonesome II:
This two part work was started in an initial stage in July. The idea began as a set-up from photos which then became the drawings as they took on a life of their own during the process. Patsy McArthur wanted to catch "the commuter," and the theme is men in suits. She awakened early to catch these businessmen on NYC's 55th Street before their presence became crowded and mixed with others pedestrians. She took hundreds of photos which served as research for the material. And at that angle, the vision became strong and powerful. The solitary figures appear to be going somewhere with purpose but the resounding sensation is that they are all disconnected and on their own. The extremely large dimensions of the drawings enhance the impact of the strong and physical sea of confrontational figures as they are coming towards and away from the viewer from nothing in a white horizon.
Patsy produced these pieces on the international residency program for artists at NY Studio Gallery on Stanton Street and they will now travel to London where they will be on sale at Blackheath Gallery in London.

The Promised Land:
All the men in this work are the same model and this vision had to be staged. This work is more romantic and less confrontational than much of her work. It is an image of the essential tragic romantic hero searching for utopia. The idea of the horizon with a shining light came at a very late stage of this drawing and at that point came the title.
This drawing is presently in her studio in New York and will be exhibited in London at her solo show in February 2010 at Flying Colours Gallery, Chelsea, London.

It was a pleasure interviewing the amazingly talented artist Patsy McArthur... and I thank her for sharing parts of her personal creative process that develops into her extraordinary work.



The works at this blog appear with the written consent of Patsy McArthur: Patsy McArthur's website