We had our first drawing class on Saturday morning and four wonderful women trudged out in torrential rain to join me. Two of the women said they’d never drawn before and I could sense the trepidation that often comes when we do something new. It’s that old fear—what if I’m not very good? Worse—what if I’m no good?
We started with free drawing to music—M Ward and Jose Gonzales, fabulous musicians that my friend Kelly turned me onto. We just scribbled and scribbled, ripped paper off our pads, tossed it on the floor, kept scribbling. Everyone got into it—playing with line, long wavy lines, short stabbing lines, dots, squiggles. It’s amazing how absorbing it is to do this, how in the moment we all were.
And it was amazing to see how different all of our drawings were, no two even remotely alike. After we did a few of these we could begin to see that each of us has our own way, style even. It’s not a contrivance, but an energy, a way of expressing ourselves. Our own hand. That’s not what happens when new artists try to draw the same object. There can be more of a similarity to their drawings that wasn’t in evidence here. It’s as if when we constrict we all constrict in a similar way—grow tight and tentative. But when we feel free the range and exuberance in the expression is uniquely wild and interesting.
And the goal is to bring that essence into every drawing we do and into everything we do. So, thanks to Sally, Connie, Maureen and Deb for bringing themselves to this class! They made it so much fun. Onwards!
