ARTIST MEMBER Gwendolyn Quezaire-Presutti

When I was a child, I drew in the gangway using a stick and chalk. I took my grandmother’s assortment of dried beans created mosaics on cardboard. In Milwaukee WI, I loved my four years of art class at St. Joan Antida. At the University of Milwaukee, I did very well. However, I retired after 30 years at the Dept. of Social Welfare. I treated Intake co-workers with my drawings. 

I moved to Connecticut with my husband John Presutti. I never imaged that a pandemic would bring me back to drawing. I posted work on Facebook for my family and friends. They loved it; it was encouraging. I submitted work to Art Prof Deepti Menon. Her critique validated my work.

I call my drawings Blind Line Drawing (not blind Contour). I close my eyes. Holding a pencil with a continuous line traverses the paper. My internal talk signals a stop. I open my eyes mediate on the lines drawn. I transfer my imagination to the paper  fill in the positive space with a variety of strokes  creating a range of texture. 

Drawing with my eyes close, I have control of my composition. I have placed my imagination on the paper. I use coloured pencils, water and oil-based paint pens, ink, and markers. I taught myself the skills to navigate my technique.

I started  drawing African Antiquity Mask in 2021. I taught myself the skills of layering, and three-dimensional drawing. The artistry is expressive  and multifaceted. I see my work as a form of communication between people. I can translate my experiences, giving a window into my culture. Including historical background on works of art. Like the lost truism that Picasso and other European modernists were profoundly influenced by African mask.