Faces 3

The rubber meets the road today with letting go so as to let in. 

The class I'm taking is self-paced, and today marks the day when my pacing and the pacing of the course diverge. 

For lesson one I created a dozen chaos-layer starts at Amanda's recommendation—and I can already feel the benefits of working several paintings, vs. just one—but I have brought only the first of those twelve to 'completion' just now, and lesson two landed in my inbox several hours ago.

My mind is buzzing with wanting to complete the other eleven—now! today!—wanting to figure out how I'll title this series, wanting to open lesson two and watch the videos, wanting to start lesson two … wanting, wanting, wanting.

Let go. Let in. All is well.

The Friend Who Turns Her Face to What Is
9 x 12"; acrylic and ink on drawing paper
abstract face
2021
$45

Blind Contour 3

Oh my gosh.

So much discovery, nourishment, surprise, focus, enjoyment, freedom from thought.

Same basic rules as previous two blind contour drawings of the houseplant in my study but with a couple of tweaks.

Same:

• look only at still life, not at paper

• use non-dominant hand

• hold pen loosely at top end

• do not lift pen from page

Tweaks:

• stand and view plant from different angle

• focus up close on less of the still life

• use a fine-tip UniBall pen

• draw for three minutes 

blind contour drawing
9 x 12"; UniBall fine-tip pen on drawing paper
2021

Blind Contour

I invite myself to become a camera. An olive green ceramic pitcher sits before me with a potted plant set in it, a plant whose name escapes me if ever I knew it to begin with. I hold a Sharpie pen loosely, with my fingers as far away from its nib as possible. I press the pen lightly to a sheet of blank paper at my side and then look straight ahead at only the still life. I mentally pretend to run a finger around the edges of each part of the pitcher and plant while letting the pen come to life to enact that pretense.

How can I possibly put into words the magic that takes place? My eyes receive information from across a table, the information zips through neurons and synapses and who knows what else in my brain, my brain transmits signals to my pen-holding hand, my hand moves around the page.

In this way I 'take a picture.'

I am in awe.

Truly.

I love the exquisite intersection of intention and imprecision implicit in blind contour drawing. Is this an opportunity to let go so as to let in, or what!

Thank you, Amanda Evanston, for offering a class that feels just right for right now—self-paced lessons to open doors to new art adventures!

exercise: blind contour drawing
9 x 12"; Sharpie pen on drawing paper
2021