"There is a voice that doesn't use words. Listen." ~ Rumi.
"I can't believe you just said that!" (White and black charcoal portrait in Strathmore Toned Tan sketchbook).
The voice has been giving me lots of advice lately. It's not that I asked for it either!
It's been telling me that learning new techniques is important and spending the time experimenting is also fulfilling, but I need something that says DONE on an almost daily basis.
Charcoal sketches are one way to get more art completed. A portrait such as the one above took me about an hour to complete. Very satisfying.
Consider this and tell me what you think...in art, perhaps quantity IS more important than quality.
Sometimes, producing more art leads to more learning, earlier discoveries that help the artist move forward more quickly.
The voice is also saying that perhaps I will never be a "loose" artist. No matter how much I try to loosen up and allow the broad strokes to show, something in me wants to blend everything.
I might have to accept that this is who I am as an artist. I am willing to keep trying to fight this urge.
And more importantly, the voice tells me that I must learn to walk away perhaps within a set time limit...and hour seems manageable.... so that I don't obsess over minor details.
I see the imperfections, but the voice is telling me to let go and that is what I am doing.
I agree, the more you do the more you learn, and one of the things you learn is not to criticize yourself so much, another is to not have too many outreaching expectations. There are those of us whose art is total excellence, masterpieces in fact, others who do a fabulous job of the topic chosen and others who succeed in producing something acceptable. The one thing we need to know is that we have done our best and enjoyed the journey along the way. You have once again produced a beautiful person with a process most of us could only dream of doing. ????
Sally, thanks for sharing this journey with me. All along, I have known that you have walked right beside me either by leaving a comment, or by sending me your own wonderful works of art. This is a more enjoyable ride because I know I am not alone.
Well done Louise! So happy to have discovered charcoal sketches on Toned Tan paper. THey are fun to do! I’m aiming for 1 a week, hoping to get quicker at creating portraits. Worked on Bear Assignment today. Grrr! There’s a mismatch between my background and “grizzly” girl in foreground. I’m learning so all good.
I am not a fan of the Bear assignment. I will post mine soon as I want to move on. I never felt that “spirit” thing come over me the way other artists in the group have expressed on facebook. À chacun son goût! Merci d’avoir laissé un commentaire.