It has been an interesting week. The cast drawing of Homer is at the top of the list. I’ve been feeling as if I am not learning as much as I did from Bargue drawings or tonal sketches. There were daily Ah-Ha moments with those. But talking to one of the instructors about that feeling brought on an Ah-Ha. The cast drawing demands working from large shapes to medium to small. Lots of patience required for this. The fact that I’m not very patient is no revelation. What is revealed is that working down to the details, backing up to larger, working back down to smaller is the process that works.
Working large to small, backing out, going back in does not create a Road to Damascus experience but is more like slow water torture. But recognizing the lesson and the validity of the method akes the torture out of it. So I have to remind myself that real art never gets easy. When it gets easy is when an artist is knocking off their own work or settling.
To me, the effort to improve is the point. If it weren’t for the striving, I could say I have enough paintings to cover my walls and move on to…what, sewing? Oh but then, I would have to learn to do the best couture. You get the idea.
As long as I am being philosophical, I will also say that discovering a problem to solve and planning how to solve it in the next project is as important as the compulsion to learn. It is so easy to get attached to some beautiful passage of paint, or a painting that turned out OK and get stuck.
Here is what I am telling myself today: nurture the compulsion to learn, it is the only one that is worth saving, and stay willing to do what the artwork needs not what my ego needs.
Don’t you dare remind me I said these things. Remember, I’ve already admitted a lack of patience.
Namaste, y’all.
