art
Title: Big Baby
Artist: Jim Meskimen
Medium: charcoal drawing
Available for sale
Charcoal on paper, framed 40″ x 50″ Gyclee prints 13″ x 19″ This was the first of the
series. I had a little photo of a friend’s child that I found very attractive; what was
he chewing on with such ardor? I still don’t know.The original is quite large, so it has
the interesting quality of being a very oversized baby presence. It was with this piece
that I set my own “Rules” for the series, how long to work on a piece, when to end off,
and what materials to use and which to avoid. My specifications were to use only black
charcoal, no white, to find the light only by leaving the raw paper in the lightest areas.
I also decided to work only until there seemed to be a human presence there when I entered
the studio after a day’s work; never too far beyond that. That way I could actually accomplish
finishing a number of large pieces before the deadline of the show.
Title: Captive
Artist: Jim Meskimen
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Medium: charcoal drawing
framed 40″ x 40″
Gyclee prints 19″ x 13″
Charcoal on paper, Collection of Persia White. This image was from a small
photo I ran across in a news magazine, and depicts a person in Iraq after
a house raid. I was haunted by it, and I still feel enormous sympathy for
anyone who is put in that unlucky position, shoes scattered on the lawn,
a rolled-up rug tossed out, and completely at the mercy of his captors in
the night. War is something that I feel we must outgrow; this is a small
comment on the injustice of using force recklessly.
Title: Cell Phone
Artist: Jim Meskimen
Medium: charcoal drawing
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Charcoal on paper, framed 40″ x 56″ Gyclee prints 13″ x 19″ I took a photo of
these young men while shopping with my daughter, Taylor at an Urban Outfitter
in Santa Monica. I was very interested in the way they were all grouped together
on that chair. The fact that they all held cell phones was also interesting to
me, and as I worked on the piece, I noticed a lot of wild patterns and textures
that also contribute to a unique mood. I had to take the photo in a very furtive
way so that they would not notice me observing them.
Title: Chick
Artist: Jim Meskimen
Medium: charcoal drawing
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Charcoal on paper, framed 40″ x 50″ Gyclee prints 13″ x 19″ This is a portrait
of my favorite artist, jazz legend Chick Corea. I took the photo while I was
working with him on a CD cover for his incredible album, “To The Stars”.
My design ended up not being used for the final, but I kept the photo and
decided to honor my friend by doing a larger than life portrait of him. His
warmth and generous spirit are things I have been lucky enough to experience
at close range, and I hope through this portrait others can have a taste of
his enormous personal character.
Title: Puzzle
Artist: Jim Meskimen
Medium:
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Charcoal on paper
Gyclee prints 13″ x 19″. Collection of Marion Ross. This drawing was done
from a photo of my wife an daughter that I took in San Diego at my mom’s
house. The girls had such a classical sort of pose that I felt I had to
capture and communicate it somehow. They are the beauty of my life.
Title: Ray
Artist: Jim Meskimen
Medium:
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Charcoal on paper
framed 30″ x 40″
Gyclee prints 13″ x 19″
This drawing wasdone in Madrid many years ago when I was a young man. I kept it rolled up for about
two decades, then brought it out again for the show at the J an american guy I lived with in Madrid
for a short time. Unfortunately, he became quite psychotic and we parted ways rather poorly. I was
grateful to him for some very kind things he did for me before he became so troubled, but it took
me rather along time to be able to appreciate this portrait of him. I like it very much now.
Title: She Loves to Read
Artist: Jim Meskimen
Medium:
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Charcoal on paper
framed 40″ x 50″
Gyclee prints 13″ x 19″ Collection of Marion Ross , This is another drawing of my beautiful daughter, Taylor. She used to read like this in our bed before going to sleep. It was always a very aesthetic sight to see her absorbed in a book, lit by the bedside light, her strawberry blonde hair cascading over her shoulders. Now she goes to her own room to read… I was lucky to see her when I could.
Title: Strongman
Artist: Jim Meskimen
Medium:
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Available for sale
Charcoal on paper, framed 40″ x 50″ Gyclee prints 13″ x 19″
The story is this: I encountered a photo of this man in the obituary pages of the Times;
he was a well-known street personality in Montreal, and had died at age 70 weighing over
500 lbs. His name was Antoine Bareckovitch, but he was known as “The Great Antonio”.
I have asked people from Montreal, and they knew who he was. He would do feats of strength
on the streets of that city, often pulling a bus using his long rope of hair (he never cut his hair,
apparently) and lifting heavy things for effect. I was attracted to his playful expression, his
antique style of dress, and that strange rope of hair, capped with duct tape, that drapes his
huge body. He was a real giant, over 7 feet tall; he must have really been a character.
Title: The Painter’s Daughter
Artist: Jim Meskimen
Medium:
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charcoal drawing Collection of the artist Charcoal on paper, framed 40″ x 50″
Gyclee prints 13″ x 19″ This is a portrait of my dear friend and teacher,
Miguel Arguello and his daughter Alba. We lost Miguel to cancer in the summer
of 2005, and it was a huge blow to all who were lucky enough to know him. He
taught me to paint and draw, and will always represent to me a model of how
to use affinity, reality and communication to help others. This drawing was
done from a photo I took of the two of them in Florida. Alba was painting
something. I treasure this image of Miguel. There has been no greater
painter in this or any other century, and no dearer friend and teacher.
Come back soon, Miguelito
Title: Three Sisters
Artist: Jim Meskimen
Medium: charcoal drawing
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Collection of Mr. Isaac Hayes Charcoal on paper, framed 40″ x 50″
Gyclee prints 13″ x 19″ These girls were outside of a store where my
daughter and I were walking by and she pointed them out to me. I had
my camera and was lucky to catch the spirit of their mood; playful and
full of sisterly mischief. They were all dressed in identical outfits,
and since it was a Sunday afternoon, it seems likely that they had just
come from church. The girl on the right was in constant motion, playing
around and making her companions react. I presented it to my friend,
Mr. Isaac Hayes as a wedding gift in 2005,and he has it hanging
in his home in Memphis.
Title: White Dress
Artist: Jim Meskimen
Medium: charcoal drawing
Available for sale
Charcoal on paper,
framed 40″ x 50″
Gyclee prints 13″ x 19″
This is a drawing taken from a spooky little photo I
shot of my daughter Taylor when she was about five.
The mask is a Venetian carnival mask I purchased
from my friend, actor John D’Aquino. It is a bizarre
little scene which I have drawn more than once.
Artist: Jim Meskimen
Medium: charcoal drawing
Sold
Charcoal on paper,
framed 40″ x 50″
Gyclee prints 13″ x 19″
Another disturbing image from the war, this mother and child struck
a deep chord in me. I saw it in the paper the day of the american
invasion of Iraq. Mankind has had wars and wars, and never learns
from them. In the meantime, women and children suffer. This woman
could be my mother, this boy my son. I am uncomfortable with
violence as a solution to anything, especially on a national scale,
where little care is taken for details such as these two fragile figures.