Day 29: Head Metamorphosing into Rocks

New silverpoint drawing on gray-toned ground, created today:


Head Metamorphosing into Rocks by William T. Ayton, 2009. Silverpoint drawing on gray-toned card, heightened with white pastel pencil, 10" x 8". WTA087.

Heads emerging from or turning into geological formations is a consistent theme in my work. I might have been inspired in this by Mantegna, for whom rocky landscapes were a staple.

The number 87 in the lower left signifies that this is the 87th (more or less) finished silverpoint that I have created. This is an original drawing, not a print of any kind.

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Day 28: Orpheus (The Hero II)

Silverpoint drawing on a greenish ground:


Orpheus (The Hero II) by William T. Ayton, 2009. Silverpoint drawing on a greenish ground, 11" x 8.5". Heightened with white pastel pencil. WTA071.

The scanner has picked up more of a yellowish-green than is actually there. The ground is somewhat more muted in color than this.

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Skipping a day

Due to personal business & scheduling, there is no silverpoint for today. There should be one tomorrow.

Day 27: Young Man on Ochre

A silverpoint drawing on ochre-toned paper:


Young Man on Ochre by William T. Ayton, 2009. Silverpoint drawing on toned paper. Highlighted with white pencil. WTA056.

Price available on request. Please leave a message on this post, or email "info" "at symbol" "ayton.net". Thanks.

Day 26: Woman's Head on Blue

A silverpoint drawing on a blue-toned ground:


Woman's Head on Blue by William T. Ayton, 2009. Silverpoint drawing on blue-toned ground, highlighted with white pencil, 11" x 8.5". WTA052.

A delicate sketch in silverpoint.

This piece is signed & dated, it was scanned before being signed, however. It also bears the serial number #52--this is purely for the artist to keep track of the order in which these pieces were done. This is a unique, hand-done piece & NOT a limited edition print or giclee.

Price available on request. Please leave a message on this post, or email "info" "at symbol" "ayton.net". Thanks.

Day 25: Song

Monochrome silverpoint drawing by William T. Ayton:


Song by William T. Ayton, 2009. Silverpoint drawing on prepared card, 11" x 8.5". WTA028.

Actually created a couple of weeks ago, it's an interesting study of an imaginary head.

Price available on request. Please leave a message on this post, or email "info" "at symbol" "ayton.net". Thanks.

Day 24: Cassandra

Silverpoint drawing by William T. Ayton on a ground tinted with Mars Yellow:


Cassandra by William T. Ayton, 2009. Silverpoint drawing on toned card, 11" x 8.5". WTA079 (mistakenly labeled in the lower right as #78.)

In Greek mythology, Cassandra had the gift of prophecy, but no-one would listen to her.

The scanner has picked up a slight shadow near the top of the drawing. This is not visible on the actual piece.

Price available on request. Please leave a message on this post, or email "info" "at symbol" "ayton.net". Thanks.

Day 23: Time and Ruins

A new silverpoint drawing on gray-toned ground by William T. Ayton:


Time & Ruins, 2009. Silverpoint drawing on gray-toned card, 9" x 7". WTA086. Created today.

A shrouded figure surrounded by ruins. Empires crumble, & time makes ruins of us all.

Price available on request. Please leave a message on this post, or email "info" "at symbol" "ayton.net". Thanks.

Day 22: Sleep

This is a silverpoint drawing on gray-toned ground by William T. Ayton, inspired by the Work of Simeon Solomon:


Sleep by William T. Ayton, 2009. Silverpoint drawing on toned card, 9" x 7". Highlighted with white pastel pencil. WTA083. Created today.

Simeon Solomon (see link above) was a British artist working in the mid-late 19th century. Inspired by the Pre-Raphaelites, his work had an otherworldly air, & strong erotic undertones (& overtones.) His burgeoning career was cut short due to his arrest in a public convenience, where he was apprehended with another man. After this, he was shunned by polite society & was eventually forced into the workhouse, where he died penniless. However, he never stopped drawing & creating art, usually on cheap, scavenged materials, such as chalk & cardboard. For decades he continued to explore his eternal themes, such as the one above, which I have appropriated in a little homage to a potentially great artist who lost everything except his talent.

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Day 21: The Acolyte

A monochrome silverpoint drawing by William T. Ayton:


The Acolyte by William T. Ayton, 2009. Silverpoint drawing on prepared card, 11" x 8.5". WTA049.

The hooded, enigmatic figure is a recurring theme in Ayton's art, suggesting ancient or esoteric wisdom. The drawing also features extensive use of cross-hatching to establish the tonal areas.

Price available on request. Please leave a message on this post, or email "info" "at symbol" "ayton.net". Thanks.

Day 20: The Ancient One

A monochrome silverpoint drawing (serial #046) by William T. Ayton, done around a week ago:


The Ancient One by William T. Ayton, 2009. Silverpoint drawing on prepared card, 11" x 8.5". WTA046.

Another Leonardesque image of an old man's profile.

Price available on request. Please leave a message on this post, or email "info" "at symbol" "ayton.net". Thanks.

Day 19: Melancholy Head

[Note: Jim Stevenson is busy preparing paintings for a show, so Bill is picking up the slack here.]

Silverpoint drawing (serial #76) of an angular head on tinted ground by William T. Ayton:


Melancholy Head by William T. Ayton, 2009. Silverpoint drawing on card, with ground mixed with burnt ochre. Highlighted with white pastel pencil. WTA076.

Created today.

Price available on request. Please leave a message on this post, or email "info" "at symbol" "ayton.net". Thanks.

Day 18: Profile of a Woman's Head

Silverpoint drawing serial #40 from William T. Ayton:


Profile of a Woman's Head by William T. Ayton. Silverpoint drawing on prepared card, 11" x 8.5". WTA040.

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Day 17: Profile of a Man

Silverpoint sketch (Ayton serial #32):


Profile of a Man by William T. Ayton, 2009. Silverpoint drawing on prepared card, 11" x 8.5". WTA032.

Simple, Breughelesque (perhaps) sketch of a man's profile.

Price available on request. Please leave a message on this post, or email "info" "at symbol" "ayton.net". Thanks.

Day 16: Emerging Into Light

Tonal study of a head (Ayton silverpoint #22):


Emerging Into Light by William T. Ayton, 2009. Silverpoint drawing on prepared card, 11" x 8.5". WTA022.

As usual, the scanner has been unable to pick up all of the subtletties...

Price available on request. Please leave a message on this post, or email "info" "at symbol" "ayton.net". Thanks.

Day 15: Large Head with Closed Eyes

Another silverpoint drawing by William T. Ayton:


Day 15: Large Head with Closed Eyes by William T. Ayton, 2009. Siverpoint drawing on prepared card, 11" x 8.5". WTA020.

This has been darkened slightly in Photoshop for visibility purposes. The piece is currently starting to oxidize & gaining a brownish hue.

Price available on request. Please leave a message on this post, or email "info" "at symbol" "ayton.net". Thanks.

Day 14: Young Girl in a Turban

This is silverpoint drawing #18 (selected from the artist's collection) by William T. Ayton:


Young Girl in a Turban by William T. Ayton, 2009. Silverpoint drawing on prepared card, 11" x 8.5". WTA018.

Darkened in Photoshop for improved visibility. In actuality, this silverpoint is starting to take on an appealing sepia hue.

Price available on request. Please leave a message on this post, or email "info" "at symbol" "ayton.net". Thanks.

Day 13: Profile of an Old Man

This is silverpoint drawing #14 in the series by William T. Ayton:


Profile of an Old Man by William T. Ayton, 2009. Silverpoint drawing on prepared card, 11" x 8.5". WTA014.

The drawing has been darkened in Photoshop slightly for visibility. Imaginary study of a Leonardesque old man's head.

Price available on request. Please leave a message on this post, or email "info" "at symbol" "ayton.net". Thanks.

Day 12: Imaginary Landscape

New silverpoint drawing by William T. Ayton:


Imaginary Landscape by William T. Ayton, 2009. Silverpoint drawing on prepared card, 8.5" x 11". WTA011.

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Day 11: Narcissus Approaches the Pool

[Note: I'm posting these silverpoint drawings out of numerical sequence so as to only post the more successful ones, and to catch up with my backlog—WTA]


Narcissus Approaches the Pool by William T. Ayton, 2009, silverpoint drawing on prepared card, 11" x 8.5". WTA010.

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Day 10: Head From Below

This is the 7th silverpoint drawing from William T. Ayton:


Head From Below by William T. Ayton, silverpoint drawing on prepared card, 11" x 8.5". WTA007.

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Day 9: Eyes Downcast

This is Ayton's 6th silverpoint drawing, reworked tonally from a simpler, fainter line drawing:


Eyes Downcast by William T. Ayton, 2009, silverpoint drawing on prepared card, 11" x 8.5". WTA006.

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Day 8: Head and Landscape

Silverpoint #5 from William T. Ayton. A very delicate (& difficult to scan) line drawing:


Head and Landscape by William T. Ayton, 2009, silverpoint drawing on prepared card, 11" x 8.5". WTA005.

Price available on request. Please leave a message on this post, or email "info" "at symbol" "ayton.net". Thanks.