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Tuesday, August 05, 2003 |
The topic of drawing and doodling came up in a mailing list to which I subscribe. The mailing list is on the boundary between art and science. I found it when I was looking online for more information about Semir Zeki and his work. It's called Diatrope Art/Science Discussion. Here's what I wrote in answer to someone else, about my own experiences with spontaneous drawing and doodling:
After reading Joanna Field's book On Not Being Able to Paint, I took up "free drawing" in earnest. I use a soft pencil, Ebony or 6B, on paper with a bit of tooth, but cheap so I can make as many quick drawings as I want. For each drawing, I just let my hand go - so that I'm watching the marks my hand makes with the pencil, but not controlling them. A series of 6 to 10 at one time often shows a progression through some "chaos and clutter" to more unity and harmony. Sometimes I do this larger scale, with cheap India ink and a sumi brush on big pieces of news print.
When I broke my elbow last year, I started free drawing with my nondominant hand. I was amazed to find that the drawings usually showed more grace and harmony (without any effort) than those I had made with my dominant hand. Now I often do some with one hand, some with the other, and some drawings alternating hands, one stroke with one hand, next stroke with the other.
Betty Edwards, in her book Drawing on the Artist Within, describes "analog" drawings. Here instead of starting with "nothing" and watching the hand draw, you have a concept or feeling in mind. But you still just let your hand go and see what happens. I've found that an analog drawing usually clears up any misery or clouded feeling left over from a nightmare. In other words, when I make an analog drawing of the nightmare, the feeling releases and flows away. With analogs that I have in mind for a sculpture, I like to do the big drawings with the sumi brush. It's easy to go from these drawings to ironwork.
Doodling I assoicate with talking on the phone. Occasionally doodles have turned into cartoon drawings. But only rarely do they inspire any sculpture. (Maybe because I associate relating to people with cartoons, and associate sculpture with walking in the woods, or getting inspiration from trees.)
11:48:13 PM 
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Two days grumpy, off balance. Basically, I've come to the point where I need to start three or four new bowls, and don't know where to start. Too much thinking? Too much need to know? Or not enough?
I spent a lot of time today thinking about it. I'll be spending three or four months with these new creatures. So I guess a day or two - or three - isn't too long.
On the other hand, this isn't marriage. It's only three or four months, not fulltime by any means, just regular attention and work. Right now my plan is to the studio tomorrow morning and cut some pieces of copper mesh, see if my idea of bolting those to the ring bases I drilled and painted will work at all. At least I'll know.
Maybe my mind has been rushing ahead of my hands? Today I just didn't feel sparked by anything. My enthusiasm was gone. I feel better tonight. Talked with my partner (ok - griped, whined, and moaned) and then took a walk at my favorite evening walking road.
On the walk I "saw things" right away. That is, various leaves, plant forms, etc. leapt out at me and said "hey look! Photograph me! Use me! Look at me!" I love it when I "see things" on a walk. I came home very refreshed.
11:21:17 PM
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As you can see, I've added a new category to this journal: DVDs and videos to rent. My partner and I watch a lot of these, so we see some great ones and some bad. I've rented some that we watch for just a few minutes. When we are really repelled, completely confused, or horribly bored, we've learned to give up early.
Once years ago I rented a video called "Chasing Amy." I think the wrapper description said it was a hilarious comedy. It's about cartoon artists so it should, possibly, be funny. But for us, it wasn't funny, just weird and confusing. Finally after about ten minutes we gave up on it.
Then a year or so later, I brought home a video that was described as a hilarious comedy. We settled down for a fun evening. Hmm. It turned out to be "Chasing Amy," the same video I'd rented before. We held out for about twenty minutes, then gave up. Since then I've been more careful.
I mention this partly in case you loved the movie, "Chasing Amy." This could be a valuable clue in evaluating my DVD and video reviews. Sometimes it's useful to know that if so-and-so loved a movie, I'll probably dislike it - and vice versa.
9:05:47 AM
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Last night my partner and I watched the last scenes of this movie again, just to absorb all the details. This is unusual for us. I found "Phone Booth" fascinating, moving, and amazing. The writer was really good. The whole movie takes place in one city block, except for a lead-in that encompasses, oh, maybe three blocks! It's testimony to the excellent writing and acting, that the movie commands rapt attention to this one small space.
I had expected a suspense thriller with some sort of psycho threatening some innocent people. You could find this in "Phone Booth" but it's too simplistic and silly a description. The movie is much more than that, and much better. It's thought provoking, for one thing. Who knows, maybe it's life changing. I can report on my level of honesty as time goes on - unless, that is, I'm lying....
8:58:58 AM
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© Copyright 2003 Catherine Jo Morgan.
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