Molly's Turn: Virginia Irvin's 101th birthday today!

 HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!!

An extraordinary artist, here are drawings she did of her three children  and my father.

Christie

Jamie

Me!....Molly

Bob Hagopian
(my father)

She is missed.

Quick sketches by Virginia Irvin

Molly’s mother, Virginia Irvin, was an inveterate sketcher. 

For most of her life, it would have been rare to see her without a sketchbook. She had worked at one time as a freelance illustrator and did stints as a newspaper artist for the Oregon Journal, Seattle Times and the San Francisco Examiner.

Recently while engaging in some pre-Spring cleaning (why wait?) we chanced upon a set of 3 x 5 index cards held together with a rubber band.  

The cards are all quick sketches obviously done at a concert. (Virginia was often called upon to sketch concerts and events for the newspapers as a visual reporter). Some knowledge of her personal history suggests to me that these are drawing of folk singer Burl Ives.

There's no way I know of confirming that assertion but, in any case, they are a good example of her masterful skill. 

These sketches were undoubtedly done very quickly, in the dark, during a live performance. The figure (Ives or otherwise) did not pose for her.

Molly estimates that these were done in the late 1940's

Molly spoke with brother Jamie who says these were done for the Oregon Journal, he remembers going to the back of the stage with his Mom where they sat quietly as Burl Ives sang on stage. He also remembers Burl Ives asking Mom out for a drink!

If Virginia were still with us she would be 100 this year.

Virginia Irvin, October 9, 1917-March 24, 2009

Remembering Molly's mother, Virginia Irvin.

                                    A sketch of Molly by Virginia from 1957

Molly's Turn: Happy Birthday Virginia

Beautiful Mom, circa 1970

Today would be my mother's 98th birthday. We, my siblings and I, were so lucky to have her as our mother. She was born into a volatile world, just at  the close of WWI and lived a strange life of beauty and hardship, yet her spirit remained strong throughout. She was an extremely talented and creative artist her entire life. She was a warm, compassionate mother filled with love for her children, grandchildren and great great grandchild.

Virginia Irvin is greatly missed.

Remembering Virginia Irvin and Her Art

Today marks the sixth anniversary of Virginia Irvin’s passing. Molly’s mother, Virginia, was a very talented artist.  She excelled at line drawing in particular.

Molly has featured her artwork on this blog from time to time -- figure drawing and watercolors work that Virginia regarded as her fine art (see the archives for March 10, 2011 and Oct. 9, 2013).

Virginia at the Seattle Times

However, for many years (before Molly was born) Virginia worked in the realm then known as commercial art.  She was at one time or another an illustrator for the Seattle Times, Oregon Journal and San Francisco Examiner. She also freelanced in SF doing illustration, design and advertising art.  For my money she never truly got her due.

Today in honor of her memory I’m focusing on this work.

Virginia had an exquisite line. She often did on-the-spot visual reportage at concerts and events.

This one was for the Portland  Oregon Journal

As was this.

Her knowledge of the fundamentals of drawing and anatomy really come through in the above two illustrations in  her treatment of the horse.

Here are some nice whimsical pieces:

Many of the drawings shown her are sketches or roughs; preliminaries for finished pieces.

 These drawings were done of velum tracing paper.  Probably for an ad, menu or brochure.

Possibly for something like this.

Or this.

It seems Virginia was very productive while living and freelancing in San Francisco.

Here's a sketch similar to the one that ultimately wound up on a Macy's shopping bag:

As I said Virginia worked for the San Francisco Examiner. Here's a cover for the Examiner's Sunday supplement, The Arts (drawn after Molly was born).

Here are a couple of nice spots for a jewelry ad:

I picked this material almost at random from a pile sketches and clippings.

I think this sampling clearly demonstrates Virginia's mastery of figurative drawing and her strong graphic sense.

I'll conclude with a couple of nice sketches. 

One from San Francisco, the other from Marin County.

The two places where she spent the last years of her life.