Plenty of Reasons for Charcoal

I've been trying to step back and just observe my pending paintings. By doing drawings and studies of the works in progress I am able to build a collateral history of the paintings. Different media allows me to dig deeper into issues like light source and gesture. It also allows me to build muscle memory for the labor of mark making. Besides if Obama isn't going to meet with the Dalai Lama this week what else am I going to do but break out the conte, charcoal and fixative!!!