thought to be extinct 2009

This is a drawing entitled "thought to be extinct". It was made in the early summer of 2009, after a gap of several months since the previous volcano drawings made in the winter of 2008. It took only a matter of hours from conception to completion, as did the two previous drawings. I find that a characteristic of my working practice is its inconsistency. There will be a painful pause, during which time I may try to make work, often only to destroy it, then a drawing , or several drawings will be produced in a short space of time. There follows afterwards a repetition of that painful pause which may be of weeks or months in duration.
This drawing was made using an image drawn in wax on tissue paper, transferred as before onto drawing paper, then crumbled pastel was applied and rubbed into the surface, using a stencil to delineate the edges. The image was then drawn into with graphite pencil.
I wished to suggest the beginning of fire after a period of quiescence, during which time all activity had been believed to be over. The drawing thus may be read symbolically.