Black and White Marker Art

Robert Plant
Goldie Hawn / Private Benjamin

These were done 29 years while I was attending the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale. The assignment was to draw something using professional designer markers. (markers have improved a little since then I think) We could use black and shades of gray....but no color.. Have you ever tried to draw with a permanent marker? I hadn't. I used them for coloring in stuff but not drawing. They bleed and they are uncontrollable. This is what was in my mind at the time. I thought what an impossible task. I think a demonstration was given and then we were on our own. The trick was to use tracing paper. Tracing paper!

What a challenged. I began to appreciated that only after the assignment was done. It opened up my mind...I love the discovery of ..Yes, I can do this. I come back to this lesson and remember... I can do it when I set my mind to do it.

These renderings are among a few thing that survived what I refer to as a "living fire" where things are being destroyed as if by a raging fire. So much of my portfolio was destroyed in this "fire "10 years ago. But these survived because I had given them to my parents. So they are special to me. And that is all I will say about that.