The Letter

Walter Huston as Othello by Ben Solowey, 1937

Artist Simon Mauer tells of his unique Ben Solowey experience:

My wife Susan and I have had many pleasant and enriching visits to the studio of Ben Solowey, and as artists we particularly appreciate Ben’s skill in so many media. His work always has genuine beauty and often a poetic quality which charms the beholder.  I am always attracted particularly to his charcoal drawings of which he was a master. I have often thought as I looked transfixed at them “if only I could go back in time and get a lesson from Ben; what knowledge I could gain!”

One day at a recent visit to the Studio it occurred to me: why not ask if I could copy one of Ben Solowey’s charcoal drawings, surely there would be something to learn there! After all, copying has been a common means of learning from past-masters for centuries. David invited me in and I was, as always upon entering the studio, somehow changed, as if in a hallowed place; the smell of the old linen canvases and oil paints beguiling me, putting me in a state of mind receptive to aesthetic experience. After swinging my gaze around the room trying to mentally absorb the whole scene, appreciate all the beauty of the paintings and sculptures, the furniture and other artist’s accoutrements, I looked at a few of the charcoal drawings and in short order found one that was particularly striking; a dramatic likeness of Walter Huston in the role of Othello. This was irresistible. I set up an easel and my drawing board. Continue Reading »