Thursday 18 October 2012

More Pencil Practice on a Grumpy Day

Hello

I have the grumps today.  Don't worry, I'll spare you the details.


I don't like feeling this way, so to try and *calm* myself and restore my sanity, I decided I would undertake some pencil practice.  I figured it has been a while since I have properly sat down and worked on my drawing skills and I have very recently been given a beautiful book on how to draw by someone close and dear to me.  It seemed only right to put all my newly acquired knowledge to good use!

I did wonder, given my dour mood and my general lack of pencil prowess, whether perhaps this idea wasn't  the brightest one I'd had all day.  I worried it would be a disaster and the end result would be that I would then throw a tantrum fit to rival the best a two year old is capable of having when they don't get their own way.  (Anyone who has been around kids knows that means it would be pretty big and very impressive.  If that happened, I may have needed to put myself in time out!)

Despite my concerns, I pushed my grumpiness to the side and focused on the lure of that sense of "creative calm" that transcends me as I work artistically. That lure over-ruled my sense of grumpiness and made me pull out a pad of paper and a pencil.

I worked for about fifteen minutes on this drawing.  In order to "let it go" I drew a girl who looks as pissed at the world as I felt.   Strangely enough, I think she actually looks reasonably good.  Even better, I now feel (somewhat) calmer.  Pencil Power Works People!

Because of this experience, I'm now wondering whether the reason why we always read about these "brilliant but tortured artistic souls" is because they feel the need to be permanently pissed and at war with the world in order to create?  Perhaps they can't/couldn't create as well when they are/were happy and at peace?  Is it just me, or is that just so very sad?  (Oh *great*!  Now I'm swapping grumpy for sad.  Darn emotions!)

You know what?  If feeling such an intensive, negative emotion is the only option for me to be a truly successful artist, I'll think I'll take "happy most of the time, grumpy some of the time, sometimes mediocre, sometimes half OK, wannabe artist" all the time. It's just not worth it to live any other way.

Rant over.

'Till next time when it is all sunshine and roses,

Kate
x

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