Busacca Gallery

Graphite over acrylic gesso on panel, fixed and varnished, eliminating the need for glass; presented in a dark gray frame. Meet Fran Hardy, a versatile artist known for her expertise in painting, sculpture, printmaking, and fine art. Renowned for her depth of knowledge, unwavering commitment, and creative mastery, Fran has dedicated over 20 years to refining her craft, earning numerous awards and recognitions. She is a storyteller, aiming to convey the best narrative through her images. Fran's educational journey includes studies at Kutztown University, Temple University, School of Visual Arts, and Parsons School of Design. Her solo exhibitions have graced prestigious museums such as Mabee-Gerrer Museum of Art, Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art, Vero Beach Museum of Art, Brevard Museum of Art, Gulf Coast Art Museum, and the Museum of Florida Art. Additionally, she has showcased her work in select solo gallery exhibitions at Evoke Contemporary in Santa Fe, NM, Uptown Gallery in NYC, Millenia Gallery in Orlando, FL, and Longstreth Goldberg Art in Naples, FL. Fran's artistic prowess has been featured in documentaries like "Pentimento, The Artist's Process" and "Fran Hardy, In a Brilliant Light." She is also a recipient of the 2001 Florida Individual Artist Fellowship. Art, in all its forms, transcends mere pleasure—it brings life. It has the power to surprise, inspire, excite, and transform one's outlook for a moment, a day, or a lifetime. Art opens eyes, minds, and hearts in ways no doctor or medicine can. Artists possess the unique ability to turn the mundane into the sublime. When they tap into something deep within us, our lives gain more meaning, joy, and possibilities. The drawing on panel of a tree that you're exploring was inspired by the majestic oak trees in the Keystone Ancient Forest Preserve of the Nature Conservancy. This piece captures a small remnant of the once vast Crosstimbers forest, spanning several states. Despite their ancient stature, the oaks and cedars appear diminished, weathered by wind and drought.

Contemporary pencil drawing has undergone a fascinating evolution, blending traditional techniques with modern influences. In the mid-20th century, artists like Andrew Wyeth and Chuck Close elevated pencil drawings to the realm of highly detailed and impactful works, challenging the dominance of paintings. The late 20th century witnessed a shift towards conceptual and minimalist influences, prompting artists to explore abstract and conceptual ideas. The 1980s and 1990s saw a surge in hyperrealism and photorealism, with intricate pencil work redefining realistic representation. As the digital age dawned, a fusion of traditional and digital techniques emerged. In the 21st century, diversity in styles and themes flourished, ranging from hyperrealistic portraits to surrealism and social commentary. Technological advancements facilitated digital pencil art, expanding the medium's possibilities. Contemporary artists, exhibitions, and online communities have played pivotal roles in shaping the narrative of pencil drawing as a dynamic and globally recognized art form.

Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drawing

Drawing is a visual art that makes use of any number of drawing instruments to mark a two-dimensional medium. Common instruments include graphite pencils, pen and ink, inked brushes, wax color pencils, crayons, charcoals, chalk, pastels, markers, stylus, or various metals like silverpoint. An artist who practices or works in drawing may be referred to as a draughtsman or draftsman.

A small amount of material is released onto the two dimensional medium which leaves a visible mark—the process is similar to that of painting. The most common support for drawing is paper, although other materials such as cardboard, plastic, leather, canvas and board, may be used. Temporary drawings may be made on a blackboard or whiteboard, or indeed almost anything. The medium has been a popular and fundamental means of public expression throughout human history. The relative ease of availability of basic drawing instruments makes drawing more universal than most other media.

Drawing is a form of visual expression and is one of the major forms within the visual arts. There are a number of subcategories of drawing, including cartooning. Certain drawing methods or approaches, such as "doodling" and other informal kinds of drawing such as drawing on a foggy mirror caused by the steam from a shower, or the surrealist method of "entopic graphomania", in which dots are made at the sites of impurities in a blank sheet of paper, and lines are then made between the dots, may or may not be considered as part of "drawing" as a "fine art." Likewise tracing, drawing on a thin piece of paper, sometimes designed for that purpose (tracing paper), around the outline of preexisting shapes that show through this paper, is also not considered fine art, although it may be part of the draughtsman's preparation.

The word 'drawing' is used as both a verb and a noun:

• Drawing (verb) is the act of making marks on a surface so as to create an image, form or shape.

• The produced image is also called a drawing (noun). A quick, unrefined drawing may be defined as a sketch.

Drawing is generally concerned with the marking of lines and areas of tone onto paper. Traditional drawings were monochrome, or at least had little colour,[1] while modern coloured-pencil drawings may approach or cross a boundary between drawing and painting. In Western terminology, however, drawing is distinct from painting despite that similar media are often employed in both tasks. Dry media, normally associated with drawing, such as chalk, may be used in pastel paintings. Drawing may be done with a liquid medium, applied with brushes or pens. Similar supports likewise can serve both: painting generally involves the application of liquid paint onto prepared canvas or panels, but sometimes an underdrawing is drawn first on that same support. Drawing is often exploratory, with considerable emphasis on observation, problem solving and composition. Drawing is also regularly employed in preparation for a painting, further obfuscating their distinction.

No one really knows when art or drawing really began. Humans supposedly made sketches and painting in the early years. Cave Paintings are a good example. People have made rock and cave drawings since prehistoric times. By the 12th-13th centuries AD, monks were preparing illuminated manuscripts on vellum or parchment in monasteries throughout Europe were using lead styli to draw lines for their writings and for the outlines for their illuminations. Soon artists generally were using silver to make drawings and underdrawings. Initially they used and re-used wooden tablets with prepared ground for these drawings. When paper became generally available from the 14th century onwards, artists' drawings, both preparatory studies and finished works, became increasingly common.