According to Jake Berthot, his mysterious, poetic ink wash drawings are "an outgrowth of the private world of the notebook." The figures in Berthot's drawings are creations of his imagination—unlike most life drawings that focus on the model as the object of a drawing exercise with the viewer looking through the artist's eye, Berthot's works are a series of autobiographical tableaux with the artist as protagonist. Brushy, rich black areas in his drawings usually create spaces where the artist hides. Or, in the case of his last drawing of his 2006 series, the black area completely covers a large canvas, in which Berthot seems merely an appendage.

Berthot's work has been featured at the Museum of Modern Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, among other major museums, and he is currently represented by Betty Cuningham Gallery in Manhattan. "Ink Drawings: The Artist and Model," an exhibition of ink wash drawings by Berthot, curated by Carol March, will be shown at the Kleinert/James Arts Center in Woodstock August 11 through September 17. An opening reception will be held Friday, August 11 from 5 to 8pm and an artist's slide lecture with Berthot is scheduled for Saturday, September 16 at 7:30pm. (845) 679-2078; www.woodstockguild.org.