Peter Cusack

HEAT WAVE
Posted by Peter Cusack at 10:32 am on June 13th

It happens every year. New Yorkers wait till the fist heat wave of the summer to buy an air conditioner. Miserable and sweating, they're seen all over the city lugging around A/Cs. Just another indication that summer is really here and I should start making plans.

See more: Something Different, Subway Book

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MORE NY MODELS
Posted by Peter Cusack at 10:20 am on June 3rd

A recent Friday night session at the Art Students League; this young guy is a sculpture from Spain. He does some of his art work at The League but he's also a model. He looked so serious and stern sitting up on the model stand. But when we got a chance to talk during one of the breaks, I found him to be light hearted and joyful. I blasted through this painting, during which I did very little thinking about my process and where I was going. It wasn't really till the end of the session that I began to pull the painting together. I read somewhere that Sargent felt like painting outdoors was like an "emergency." I felt that during this session. The time is ticking away and I'm racing to "get it all down."

See more: New Work, Sketch Night

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ON THE BUS
Posted by Peter Cusack at 3:40 pm on May 15th

On the 10 bus in Riverdale

The central figure in this sketchbook composition is a bus inspector. He rides along with the driver from time to time making sure all is well with the driver and route. Basically, it look to me as if he was just hanging out, shooting the breeze with his buddy, and gazing out the front window. He has such a good head I couldn't help but draw him. His uniform was simple so i searched for a few items that related to his job. Not much, but i decided to spend some time on the pens in his pocket and study out the keys hanging of his belt loop. By the way, that's his arm resting on the top of his head. During the ride I scoped out the other riders and indicated interesting moments of humanity and anatomy.

A bit closer

See more: Subway Book

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WASHES DOODLES and STUDIES
Posted by Peter Cusack at 9:26 am on May 14th

A few quick poses of the greatest model on earth . . . Fred. He's and artist . . . how he poses is a performance . . . he's wonderful.

A spread from my sketchbook. This time, I broke from years of tradition and purchased a different kind of sketchbook. I'm seeing it as an indication of growth. Different color, different size, different paper and it has a pretentious little ribbon the ties the whole thing closed. I wasn't sure if I was ready for the change and I basically ignored it for a few weeks. But now I think I've found my joy with it. These little watercolor notes have been so satisfying. At times clumsy, but for sure mostly satisfying. Here is a few from my Monday night private class. Watercolor is such great painting practice! So quick. I think a fresh look comes from clean clear color choices. More mixing and observing.

The little profile at the bottom is Selma. She's back from Florida and spending most of her time watching over her kids and there kids.

See more: In Progress, New Work, Sketch Night, Subway Book

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BASEBALL THUMBS
Posted by Peter Cusack at 11:35 am on May 12th

watercolor and pencil

I've been working on two proposals for a mosaic mural project for the MTA. This is a page of thumbnails from my sketchbook. They're all little baseball compositions . . . players, couches, the dugout, ect. Last week the focus of this project changed and these thumbs were shelved.

See more: In Progress, New Work

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MANZU and NANCY
Posted by Peter Cusack at 9:57 am on May 7th

In response to Nancy's post! Here is a sculptor I've been thinking about lately. The clothing he designs for his figures is just so beautiful and natural!

See more: Admiration

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A PAINTING AND A POEM!
Posted by Peter Cusack at 12:28 pm on April 3rd

For a shared sketchbook project with Scott Anderson.

A couple bustles down an East Village street.
Its late morning,
brunch is only a few blocks away.
Papers, strewn, are aloft and tumbling
on an east bound gust,
litter left over from a night devoured.

See more: New Work

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New Yorker Studies
Posted by Peter Cusack at 1:05 pm on February 16th

loved the structure in this guys head

A few more sketches for my Subway Book gallery . . . mostly portrait studies. The sketch of the girl with her school bag has a little sketch of a studio in Giverny, it think Monet's. It has a bank of north lit windows and the roof is frosted glass. Note to self. Build that studio one day.

See more: Subway Book

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PREMIER COUP
Posted by Peter Cusack at 12:28 pm on January 31st

Working quickly, I used the neutral gray ground as the color of his shirt. It was actually gray as well. I also found myself intuitively pushing the color palette in a particular direction . . . cooler, grayer, or more neutral.

There have been a number of blessings, including people, who have helped me �get out of my own way�; including this site. The teaching style of W.M. Chase who promoted the practice of the premier coup (first strike) challenged the concepts I learned in my first few years of studying painting. Students in Chase�s class painted either from a still life or a model and completed a painting in one sitting. Perhaps two. Working directly, they might do a few paintings in one week of study. It�s reported that Chase demonstrated often and was amazing at executing a portrait, spontaneously, crackling with life, in one sitting. The premier coup, or oil sketch has become an important part of my work and happiness as a painter. I wouldn�t work exclusively in this manner, but it�s a great work out, stimulating a different set of painting muscles.

This weekend, Nancy (Stahl) and I sat in on a class at the Art Students League. For one, hanging out and talking with Nancy is a lot of fun. Working with here side by side feels great. By nature, she�s open-minded and supportive, which is a good painting medium . . . helps with fluidity. The model, whose name I�m forgetting was a skater. He was posed with his foot up on his board, leaning forward a bit on his knee. And as you can see he had more than a head full of hair . . . braids and dreads. The glasses came off and on as we progressed through the poses. And we all argued democratically on including or not including his glasses throughout the pose. Art, interesting models, a good friend, democracy, direct painting . . . ahhhhhh I could feel life boiling up inside me.

Portrait demo by W M Chase.

See more: Admiration, New Work, Sketch Night

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MORE BOXING
Posted by Peter Cusack at 8:38 pm on January 23rd

Over time, I've been trying to get some of the direct painting that I enjoy so much when painting outside into the work i do in my studio and more planed illustrations. Here is another attempt. The figure on the left has such a stable and solid gesture compared to the more twisted fella on the right . . . both faces fully expressing the moment.