The other day, I came across a few elephant drawings in an old sketchbook. I think they were done in preparation for a demo in Materiasl and Techniques I course. It’s odd to look back at roughed out sketches because they seem to have no real purpose. Often times, I have to remind myself they do serve a very real purpose. It may be a subtle one. And the reason for the drawings may escape us now that we see them again after a long time. In fact, I questioned the time I spent on the drawings. What was I thinking? Their purpose is not so easily embraced nor regarded with much pride of accomplishment. But this repeat performance of the drawing routine, engaging in this ritual of visually figuring something out , (even if it is a ritual as simple as drawing with a no 2 pencil on paper), will produce in the artist a sense of confidence and maturity. So, for me, this ever present struggle to stay on the path of artistic development , reworking ideas, drawing and redrawing, pulling ideas out of the brain and putting them onto a page of my sketchbook for consideration maybe a very necessary part of being an artist. That’s what I hear anyway. Most of the time it seems to be a painful exercise but, every time it is a necessary one. It may be, simply, the price one pays to grow. So let’s give ourselves some credit. And, how about a pat on the back!. Even if these drawing efforts are not considered obvious evidence in producing wonderful works of art. It seems to be a required part of the art life.
