Saturday, July 12, 2014

Trying to Draw


"In the process of recreating with our own hand what lies before our eyes, we naturally move from a position of observing beauty in a loose way to one where we acquire a deep understanding of its parts." John Ruskin (quoted in this article)

Over the past year, I have been focusing my writing in my journal (hence the more than year break on this blog). Hand-written, ink on paper, daily if possible, but typically only 2 or 3 times a week. I find that journaling forces my mind to slow down, to get out of my head onto paper some of the thoughts, ideas and memories that float around in my conscious and subconscious mind. 

This week, while sitting at the park near our house, I wrote a few paragraphs, and then tried to draw the scene in front of me. I am a terrible drawer. I have never considered myself an artist. This is why when I discovered digital video editing I really enjoyed it, because it was a way for me to create art that looked half-way decent without having to draw. 

My drawing that night was awful. Even though it was mostly straight lines, a few wispy bushes and an attempt at a cobblestone path, I recognized that I was being forced to really pay attention to detail. To really look at the scene in front of me. As Ruskin states, "acquiring a deep understanding of what lies before our eyes." 

In the same way that journaling has forced my mind to slow down and engage with the physical world, I think that drawing could do the same for me. I have always resisted drawing because I am so terrible at it, but Ruskin also says, ‘A man is born an artist as a hippopotamus is born a hippopotamus; and you can no more make yourself one than you can make yourself a giraffe.’ 




1 comment:

Unknown said...

Hello, Jesse! Mike Morrell asked me to contact you because he really appreciates your blog and thinks you'd be an excellent candidate for his Speakeasy Blogger Network. Do you like to review off-the-beaten path faith, spirituality, and culture books? Speakeasy puts interesting books in your hands at no charge to you. You only get books when you request them, and it's free to join. Sign up here, if you'd like: http://thespeakeasy.info