Jay M. Kreighbaum

Portrait of Lynn

This is a portrait of my wife Lynn, done in Jan 2020 at home.  I worked from a photograph that I was fond of taken in France.  The method I use is to print out an 8×11 color photograph as well as a black and white one, and place them on either side of the portrait paper.  These both help me to compose the work and attempt to get the values right.

It is on portrait paper (25×19), and I used charcoal, chalk, smudge sticks, and colored pencils to complete it.

I included this piece to show others that I can draw realistic subjects.  Many people have a predisposition for representative work, and I understand that.  What I hope may happen for those who favor realistic/representative art, seeing I can draw a portrait, is they become more willing to view the abstract work I do.  if they follow a logic of saying, if he can do the portraits with precision and realism, perhaps he is visiting these same skills on the abstract work and it merits another look.

Star Base Grissom

This is an example of what could be called a discovery piece.  This is where I do not start with any intent.  I simply start drawing with 0.3 Micron pens, and a 0.3 mechanical pencil, Mono Zero eraser and colored pens.  I wait for a figure, a subject to emerge from the drawing, and once I recognize it, I become more intentionally minded to complete it.

I start the work on 11×17 Bristol Paper (white).  And from the very beginning as I get completion points, I scan them in and create a digital file.  I then import the file into Photoshop.

Once I have the piece nearly complete, I sometimes create parts from what I already have and insert them into the work at a different scale and orientation.  This piece is the 1st in what is now a 6 part series chronicling the travels and adventures of Rocket Bear & Wedge.  It is the origination of the characters “Rocket Bear & Wedge” (a welded two ship); see if you can find them in this piece and in The New Garden as well.  5 of the 6 in the series are on display in the gallery with pride of place.

This piece is in honor of Apollo 1 and the accident on the gantry when all three (White, Grissom, and Chaffee) of the astronauts died.  I remember it happening when I was a boy of 11 in Salina KS, and it left an impression on me of sadness and respect for the astronauts.  I am particularly fond of Buzz Grissom, and named the Star Base in his honor.  On the bottom left of the piece I have placed the NASA Apollo One badge.

The New Garden

This did not start with any intent. I drew the left side multi-aspect flower first, and originally had the right side flower coming out of it at the bottom at a 45 degree angle. This was not a good design, and I surgically separated the two flowers with an Xacto knife. The subject emerged early in this piece. I saw the flowers and then pursued connecting them both explicitly with the green and gold strings, and underground. The underground was probably inspired from watching Fantastic Fungi, and how mushrooms communicate and network. It was done on white Bristol paper and I scan in the work as I go, creating a digital record. I then import them into Photoshop to complete them. In this piece are a bunch of good examples of how I calve off parts from the original composition, and have them reappear in different places in the work - expanding the composition.