Original pencil sketch, 1986

UNION is a pencil sketch done in 1989 while in the Navy. I was between surgeries for injuries. Drawing was therapeutic for me in between the many surgeries I had eventually leading to my medical discharge.

I've been wanting to do a new version of it for a long time. The drawing was to represent the yen yang, male and female parts of being. The two faces are the same with only superficial alteration to make them male and female. I used the Sun and Moon to pair with the male and female figures.

Originally, there were to be three drawings, the one Union, then one each for male and female. I finished the Union sketch, but only got halfway through the male sketch before having to set it all aside.

Now in 2018, this time, I'm starting with a much larger sheet, 50" x 38" and I plan more detail and color.

I Just finished a round of color pencil and pastels, so I was ready for a change in media and decided to go full out ink.

My goal was to complete Union in time for the New Mexico Veterans Art Show in November 2018. I would also have to make the matte board and the frame.

I put the paper on a large chip board that I mounted to the drafting table to support it. That allowed me to make renderings of ideas and tape them on the paper for looks and feel.

UNION, Suns and Moons Completed Artwork: October 2018,