moderne arte: map making, roots in the '60s (1)

The History of Map Making Begins Here (Sorta)

A Blue and Red Ink Design, Drawn in the Sixties

While my English teacher talked, I doodled

Introduction:

The sixties - an era I will never forget. I stream its music daily while I peck away at the computer. And my favourite shirts, pants and 'old sayings' have the '60s written all over them.

"Neato, eh!"

Inside a scrap book (a "Nothing Album", a book of blank pages) I have saved tidbits from the past and on one page I glued a cardboard cover of a 1965 - 67-ish high school English notebook. While teacher Barry Roberts talked a blue streak at the front of the classroom, I scribbled the odd note and worked on a line design inside the back cover. Five and a half decades later (approx.) the design inspires a series of line designs.

On light-coloured cardboard I draw a seemingly never-ending, aimless-looking (perhaps) line in pencil, occasionally hiding the outline of a familiar object, e.g., a TV on a wee table, or a transistor radio. When I think I'm finished I outline the created shapes in black pen. Then I get out my $2 pack o' magic markers. The rest is history.

That's cool... in my opinion.

Photos from along the way, from "progress begins" to "The End". But will it ever end?

Pencil doodle is done; black ballpoint pen takes over

"loop e loop" is a small, complicated piece, only 4.75-inches wide

Once all the spaces are coloured w marker, I get out my pencil crayons

The second in a series of designs, w another TV hidden inside:

The design below is found on the inside cover of my high school English notebook:

That's right. I never finished it. Still a "work in progress"

The two sports-themed ink drawings below were done by my son Paul; they were included in a book I put together re my first marathon experience. Priceless : )

The third design in this series pays tribute to the '60s artwork that has stood the test of time:

The radio still works. Priceless : )

The next in the series does remind me - to a certain degree - of one of my favourite things... maps:

An island in the Adriatic Sea has many winding streets. Nice design

Aerial view - Buenos Aires. Hmmm, another nice line design!

Two suburbs, side-by-each, need a bit of colour:

What started out as a way to relax and have a bit of fun with a pack of markers ("Hey. Only two bucks!!") has turned into a hobby with a bit of momentum. I'm even thinking about an online art sale in August. Yes, start saving up - I charge by the square inch : )

More to follow.

Please click here to view more "moderne arte" going a ways back, so to speak.

Photos GH