Reading Robert Henri’s “The Art Spirit” and this page seemed to get my attention. Again with the question of: why?
We sort of instinctively like to think drawing or painting things is just about seeing something and then reproducing it but Herni is talking about something different I think.
We are working toward noticing what moves us or affects us about what we are seeing and the distilling of that in such a way that it becomes a meaningful extraction of what we might be experiencing.
Two people can be looking at something and have it effect them both in different ways. Neither one is wrong, they are selecting.
I suppose that is one of the things that makes art interesting. The finished piece might tell us more about the person looking at it than the subject of the art. Or at least that seems to be one of the goals.
So what am I actually looking for when I draw something?
Not just: “what do I see?”
But what is pulling me to it.
And why?
On the other hand, everything is a subject for drawing and if I wait for something to “move” me I would hardly ever get any drawing done.
So the trick is to learn to see something in everything.
For me, that is something I have realized. That drawing constantly, (or as much as I can), gets me to look at things differently. To notice things.
Possibly that just comes with age but I am going to go with the drawing theory.
In any case, I am finding everyday things to be a lot more interesting. And even the most uninteresting things start to look interesting when they are put on paper with lines of ink or graphite.
We live an amazing existence here. Everywhere we look, there is an incredible miracle. Whether man made or completely natural, it is a rich and complex existence full of endless things to be curious about and fascinated by.
For me, drawing, (and age), have helped me learn to slow down enough to notice.
I recently finished a large charcoal drawing.
I guess you never really know if you accomplished something worthwhile.
But here it is, 18” x 24” charcoal on paper:
Of course in the process and before starting this I did a lot of sketches. Here are some:
We lost another great this past month. I have to say, I am generally not a fan of pop country music but somehow Dolly transcended all that and her voice and her manner were endearing and authentic and honest. On top of all that, from everything we know about her, she was a genuinely decent human being. And that should not go without mentioning in this world.
HCR did a nice write up here on Dolly the other day that I enjoyed reading.
Here is a short video of her I stumbled upon with Doc Watson, warming up for Merlefest 2001. They both seemed to be humbled to be in the presence of greatness.
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