Art Practice - 2023, 22

Torso practice then. Like I indicated last time, I wanted to try some different construction. The central change is this tracing of the ribcage shape for the chest area, then a line indicating the spine connecting to the back of the hipbones. It's less rigid construction-wise, and some of the poses are easier to approximate this way. Squashed and foreshortened poses still give me trouble, and the ribcage occasionally eludes me, but overall, I'm pretty happy with the change. It also happens to articulate the shoulders a lot better.

Snail Race

No one remembers when it started,

no sound or signal set the mark.

But participating snails departed

leave trails on dry, coarse bark.

Up and up it's meant to lead,

with levity and grace

til where the leaves and twigwork meet,

the snails will go and race!