Interpretations of Henry Moore's Drawing, Reclining Figure

Brownie, charcoal on paper, copyright Nina Leung, 2013

 This is what happens when I haven't drawn from life in a long time. It's all a little off! But, it was fun doing it and especially fun using charcoal. I forgot how nice it feels to smear the charcoal and and how dark it applies.

Cup and Bowl, sharpie on card stock, copyright Nina Leung, 2013

 This week was pretty busy so I didn't have a lot of time to draw, unfortunately. One afternoon, while Eamon was eating his snack, I drew a few dirty dishes on the table. Using a sharpie, there's not much room for error, which made it a little more challenging and exciting. Even though I only had a few minutes, I was able to get in the zone. Drawing is like meditating, really.

Eamon's First Still Life, charcoal on paper, copyright Nina Leung, 2013

 This is Eamon's first charcoal. His favorite part seemed to be the smearing. It's certainly fun giving them different art materials to work with. They obviously love it!

Gio's First Still Life, charcoal on paper, copyright Nina Leung, 2013

Gio's charcoal does have some shapes similar to the Brownie camera. The circle with the lines radiating is the winding knob, the large circle is the lens, and the long curved line on the right is the square shape of the camera. I will challenge him with a still life again. He understood the concept, so why not?

Children Recreating Henry Moore's Drawing, Reclining Figure

Believe it or not, I asked a 4 year old and an almost 2 year old to draw a still life. I set up an object, an old Brownie camera, and told them to draw it. I did a demonstrate on how to do it by making a drawing of my own. Eamon kept touching the camera, but after he got bored of it, he began drawing.

Living in Henry Moore's Drawing, Reclining Figure

Living in Henry Moore's Drawing, Reclining Figure by ninamleung featuring a black globe

Black globe, $250 / Wool area rug, $845 / H M blanket, $56 / John boos cutting board / Tina Frey Designs fruit salad bowl / One Hundred 80 Degrees ceramic pitcher / Iron home decor / Pier 1 Imports twin bell alarm clock / Vintage end table / Leather accent chair / Staub Cast-Iron Mini Cocotte, Matte Black | Williams-Sonoma

Henry Moore's work is unadorned and unpretentious, devoid of fussiness. His home and work space was likely similar. I chose objects that are utilitarian, yet comfortable, and still have a pure and simple design.  

Dressing in Henry Moore's Drawing, Reclining Figure

Dressing in Henry Moore's Drawing, Reclining Figure by ninamleung featuring John Varvatos

Rebecca Taylor crop top / Burberry coat / Fenn Wright Manson black skirt, $190 / Church's eric church boots / Satchel handbag / Blue Nile earrings / Tiffany Co ring / Deborah Lippmann nail polish / John Varvatos home decor

Layers and warm, cozy tweeds are quintessential British and perfect for Henry Moore. There's a scene in the film, Atonement that reminds me so much of Mr. Moore. Of course, the time frame is about the same as his lifetime, but, also, specifically, the scene in the underground subway tunnels reminded me of his work the most. These drawings are so spooky and scary and beg to be explored. 

Travelling in Henry Moore's Drawing, Reclining Figure

If the Reclining Figure were a place it would be.......

London!

Henry Moore's Drawing, Reclining Figure

Ipad rendering of Henry Moore's Reclining Figure

Henry Moore is known for his sculpture, but his drawings are pretty amazing as well. I might actually like his drawings more than I do his sculpture. He has a very distinct drawing style and method. The crosshatching curves along with the form making it look more sculptural. Check out this excellent slide show from the Tate Museum that shows Henry Moore's progression through his career; many drawings are included.