Art as a state occasion
My moment of enlightenment this afternoon was when I realized that, whenever I draw even the most insignificant little sketch, it becomes a state occasion, not a habit habitually performed. For example, when I get hungry and decide to eat, I go into the kitchen an pull out sandwich fixings and construct a sandwich, sit down and eat it. It isn't a state event. It isn't something that particularly catches my attention. It's all over in maybe 15 minutes. And then I move on to some other habitual behavior like, for example, sitting down with a book. I don't make any internal announcements, "Now I'm going to do this great thing for the good of the universe, I'm going to take in a page or two," I just do it. I have yet to complete an entire sketchbook although I have begun several. Some days I don't draw at all. So.....what I need to do, in addition to Practice, practice, practice, is draw More, more, more...and several times a day, several times a day, several times a day, without it being such a Freakin' Big Deal! Just draw, doggone it!
Nice sketches of your dog. I need to learn this lesson too! I'm hoping reading this will tip me over and I'll start trying to draw and paint a little something everyday once more.
ReplyDeleteIt's funny, but thinking of a drawing as a product can stop the drawing habit. Even thinking of the act of drawing as a product can do that. You're right about it being like reading or eating. It's so hard to put the little critic away while you're working though. I stopped by to say Hi because I used to live in the Bay Area (San Rafael) & had a place in Sebastopol we couldn't afford...so now we live in Arizona. Thanks for the description of fall in the vineyards!!
ReplyDeleteMargie
Very nice drawing of your dog and very true words. There is nothing more rewarding than just to go ahead and actually just draw. Thank God we don't have a TV in the house so I don't get easily destracted in the evenings LOL.
ReplyDeleteThere used to be t-shirt design that said Go to your studio and create! I need that shirt. lol! Great post and sketches.
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