Meet Our Members ~ American Artist Ralph Duncan

Ralph Duncan

I learned early in life that producing something with your hands not only allows you to realize your creative vision but also gives you a feeling of self-sufficiency. Throughout my life, I started to develop a passion for art of all kinds, influenced by some explorations early in life and a grandmother who was a well-known New Mexico painter.

Over time, this passion manifested itself through carving wood, building studio furniture, and generally exploring various art mediums. However, intrigued by the exploration of light and shadows that graphite drawing provides I began a formal atelier program led by the artist Jonathan Hardesty to hone my classical drawing skills.

Today, I strive to create visual art that has a clear basis in drawing skills and shows a liberal use of mixed media. My work is very much inspired by the work of accomplished artists and teachers like Mary Whyte, Ian Murphy, and Eileen Sorg. Most of the time my subject matter comes from the sea and my life as a sailor, deep-sea diver, lover of the ocean, pilot, engineer and designer, and naval officer.

To view some of Ralph's work, click to visit his MEMBER PAGE.

WHAT DO HAWAIIAN SEA TURTLES, AVATAR THE MOVIE AND THE ENVIRONMENT HAVE IN COMMON? ~by Ralph Duncan

Early in December 2018, my wife and I took what was the longest and most anticipated vacation in 30 years. We had always wanted to go to Disney World (actually, she more than I). Finally, last year, we were able to begin planning for our trip in early December. It became a daily topic of conversation in anticipation of our departure date. The most discussed and anticipated attraction was the 3D Avatar exhibit was

the Fight of Passage-a computer simulation of a ride atop a Banshee “high over the world of Pandora.” Exhilarating for sure, but, the subject of this story begins as we were being prepped for the ride. 

Standing in the “prep” chamber listening to the scientist’s briefing over the loudspeaker, the voice began its story,

“For years humans abused the land, harming Pandora’s fragile ecosystem until a group called the Pandora Conservation Initiative began to track the world’s various keystone species-specific animals or plants that support the ecosystem as a whole. One of those is the Banshee, who lives in Pandora’s floating mountains. As a result, PCI has begun using an updated version of the avatar mind-linking technology to monitor their progress.” 
(From: Best of Orlando, June 8, 2017)

That one phrase-the single phrase that grabbed my brain. KEYSTONE SPECIES. I had never heard that particular phrase and it sent me an immediate message. I got it. Right there and then. Hilariously, we “road the Banshee“ three times back to back that night. I could not get that message-keystone species-out of my mind. I began to think about some of the species I knew in my own backyard that had declining populations and wondering if they would be considered keystone species. What was the visible decline in population telling me? What should it be telling me?  

Avatar and the Banshee? Sure, just fiction. But, are there really keystone species in our world that we need to be paying attention to? And are the population dynamics of particular species giving us information from which we should be making very important inferences?  

Scientists will, of course, say yes. The fact is, scientists commonly make inferences and draw conclusions about our world based primarily on the effects that a phenomenon or occurrence produces.  

Quoting the book, Science you Can’t See, “sometimes scientists ask questions about things that are not immediately observable. ……………… In these instances, scientists use inferential reasoning to figure out answers to their questions based on evidence gathered through observations and from information …………..”

The most well-known example would probably Sir Isaac Newton’s gravity apple experiment. Most people on this earth believe that God exists, but, have never seen him. They know in their hearts he is there based on their observation of the effects of his presence.

Now, admittedly, my thoughts on this subject became less frequent once we returned from Disney World

and time passed. Until we took another highly anticipated vacation to Hawaii. This was important to us, as Joanne had never seen the Arizona Memorial and other historical sites that marked the war activity. But, it was on the second leg of the trip that thoughts of keystone species began to come back into my consciousness. During one great week on the Big Island we visited the South Shore’s Black Sand Beach at Punalu’u and visited the green sea turtles basking in the sun and frolicking in the surf. 

Standing there, on the lava rock, watching the slow determination of the turtles crawling up onto the sand, and yet, juxtaposed by the 3 or 4 feeding and swimming just 50 feet or so from the shoreline, I began to think again about this potential keystone species. Green sea turtles are, in fact, an endangered species. This species has undergone a near 90 percent decline in the past 50 years or so. Largely due to habitat losses, diseases pollution near the shoreline and over-hunting. Fortunately, due to Federal protection and aggressive conservation efforts, the Green Sea Turtle population seems to be recovering.

Logic tells me to believe the evidence and make the inference that things are happening to our world and our environment. In the Pacific Northwest, especially, we watch closely the decline of the Orca population, which is partially tied to a decline in its food source-salmon. Does the decline of the salmon indicate that we humans are doing something to harm the salmon habitat?

Does the increasing scarcity of some of my backyard bird species indicate a loss of habitat? 

Is the Green Sea Turtle telling us that we can, indeed, fix this?

To those who are paying attention to those keystone indicators, the answers are obvious. But, we don’t really have to take anyone’s word for it. We can make these observations ourselves and draw our own conclusions. And do the right thing.

SKETCH? OR PAINTING? And why is the sky blue? ~ by Ralph Duncan

(from a Collector’s point of view)

Since a lot of my work has been done with only pencil and paper, many viewers have often asked about my “sketches.” Now, it really doesn’t bother me (that much) when someone calls my draws, sketches. But really, a piece that takes 40-60 hours of work can hardly be called a sketch. To me, my drawings are my attempt to communicate to the viewer a thought – a story – or a feeling. Very much like a writer. Somewhat like the writer, the artist has various "tools" as his or her disposal to create a storyline.

Other comments I get include something like, “the subject seems to “pop out” from the background. When that happens, then I feel like I am on the right track and have connected with the viewer. But this does not happen by accident.

One of the techniques I employ is known in French as Repoussoira–loosely translated, “to push back.” This is clearly illustrated in the photo here. There is no question that the mountains are far back in the distance behind the magnificent Mountain Dog.  

The drawing just would not look right if the mountains were rendered in the same detail as the subject. The eye would be confused.  And here is the communication part. When the eye is confused, so is the message. But, the real interesting part here is that absolute accuracy is not necessary, because even though our brain will pick out the contradictions, the eye and the human brain will fill in the gaps, as long as you follow certain rules.  

Most of us know the basics: 
1. Large figures in front
2. Less detail in back
3. Overlap objects

Although we may not know why. As an artist develops a piece of work that has a lot of depth, he or she knows that the objects in the back have less contrast, they are dimmer, and their borders become blurred (il mezzo confuso). And here is the most interesting part of all— is where the border between science and art also becomes blurred.

What we see and experience is the result of a trick our atmosphere plays on us.  It is something known as "Rayleigh Scattering." The great genius Leonardo DaVinci knew all about this and referred to it as aerial perspective. Objects in the distance are lighter, less defined, more tightly clustered.  Contrast is reduced in the background. The more atmosphere between the viewer and the object, the more pronounced the effect. It all has to do with those little tiny particles carried in the air and their size in relation to what is known as the wavelength of light. 

This is why contours are softened – the light “information” is degraded by the earth’s atmosphere – particles in the air are smaller than the wavelength of light and therefore they scatter or diffuse the light.  

And yes, here also lies the reason why the sky is blue. The color BLUE is scattered most (therefore we see it more) because it has a very short wavelength - and is most pronounced closer to the ground because the heavier particles sink (such as fog, smoke, pollution) and there are more of them.

 

So, are they sketches? Ok, sure, if you like. But to me they are much more. They are explorations in perspective - an effective use of techniques to deliver a message. They are also an exercise in story. 


Let me know if you get it.  Enjoy.

The Hands ~ by Ralph Duncan

Although I am not a prolific blogger, I hope I can offer you some interesting thoughts and stories.  Most of what I'll write will be about my experiences and adventures that inspire and inform my art. Here’s a little bit about why I make art. Enjoy.

It was an interesting day that unexpectedly became a day of reflection and in some sense, a day of drawing a line in the sand. I know—what does this have to do with hands? Or what does this have to do with art for that matter?

It started with my afternoon trip to the Bellevue Arts Museum. I made a point of going because the exhibit of furniture maker John Cederquist was at the museum and I didn’t want to miss it. As I walked through his exhibit and the following sculptural exhibit of Wanxin Zhang, I kept wanting to put my hands on the pieces; to feel the shape and the texture. But—there was the sign—DO NOT TOUCH ART—I’m not sure why some of us feel the need to touch things. Perhaps it is this feeling that without touching something, without the feel of the shape, the texture, the softness, the harshness, the curves, and the sharp edges – one has not really engaged in the subject.

Ironically, as the day progressed, I was walking the streets of Seattle and came across an interesting bookstore.  Browsing the store, I found a wonderful book titled, “Hands at Work.”  

As I thumbed through the book, I read stories about people who work with their hands. My mind went back to the gallery and my thoughts about wanting to put my hands on the art. My thoughts drifted to my father when I said my last goodbye to him and touched his hands roughened by a life of working with his hands; of the things those hands taught me when I was young. 

I remembered the old tools I inherited and the feeling of self-worth and history when working with a tool that is decades old. I wondered what craftsman had his or her hands on this tool and of the intertwining of the oil and sweat from their hands and mine.

I read the stories and explanations of why these men and women chose to make a life by working with their hands.

“They talk of living in their hands and needing to get their hands dirty, cold, or wet. For them, the materials they use are alive and responsive; their hands teach them things they didn’t know and connect them to different times, places, and people.”

People are losing the ability to make things for themselves…We’re missing out on the incredible creative process that engages the mind and translates to the hands.

THIS...is why I must make art.

By Ralph Duncan

Welcome to Originality by Design

Welcome to the launch of Originality by Design. Our members consist of authors, artists, editors, musicians, yogis, and other creative individuals. We will share our passions, interests, hobbies, stories, and life’s twists and turns with you. Here you will discover a diversity of subject matters and interests. 

We hope you will join us through this journey. We encourage you to add your thoughts and opinions along the way.

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Please join us tomorrow to enjoy the first member post.

Meet the members of Originality by Design

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