Artwala Road

We did blind contour drawing in the second meeting of our drawing class on Saturday, something we hadn’t tried before. We set up a table with an assortment of squashes which come in an amazing variety of shapes, colors and patterns—one of nature’s quieter tours de force.

We started by doing contour drawings of the squashes. Everyone produced interesting drawings from this first exercise though there were some disappointments. Lines that felt rushed or tentative and shapes that didn’t match with any real accuracy what was in front of us.

At the end of this venture we all looked at our work as we always do. We always look for the strength in a work and always find it. But there were laments as well. ‘My squash looks like a stone!’ Which is what we drew last time. My own efforts lacked any interest. They were lifeless renditions of fabulous shapes.

Then we moved on to blind contour drawing in which we looked at the object in front of us and drew its outlines without looking at our paper. Some of the class cheated, at first, with one eye on their paper, doubtless hoping they were getting it ‘right,’ as we all do. But they were soon convinced to go whole hog. What happened was mind-blowing—everyone’s drawings were fantastic. Many, but not all, were more accurate, the lines were stronger and more free, full of
energy and interest. The compositions
became wildly asymmetrical and dynamic.

Wow. Of the entire group, half of whom have not drawn since childhood, my drawings were, by far, the least accurate. One woman did images so accurate I could scarcely believe it. It was clear she observed with great care and had amazing hand/eye coordination.

So, here are two really interesting results. I have drawn for years but am not a careful observer of the material world. The blind contour drawing made this abundantly clear. I got to observe my mind and see the way it skipped over bits of the squash, just tuned out. I was not fully focused and my hand and eye are not integrally connected. So that was interesting. But, at the same time, I loved the drawings. They have so much more life and strength than the ones where I was looking at the page. You can see them here.

My student, who is obviously a keen observer, was able to draw with greater accuracy when she was not looking at the paper. This tells me something about the power of the mind and how it gets in our way as artists and how we can use it. So often we look and start to judge our drawing—this is not right, this is too big or too small, this line doesn’t work, I wish I had an eraser, I want to start over, I’m no good, I’m better at trees—all those things. It’s our thoughts, our mind, that both limit us and set us free. Just like life. Hmmmm.
So—we’re working in this class to get out of our minds—to let go of all thoughts when we’re drawing. And, at the same time, we’re working to focus the mind in the midst of the thousand thoughts that always are knocking on our doors, many of which may seem more interesting in the moment, or they often do to me, than a lowly squash, which isn’t all that lowly after all.

Finally, we moved on to working with color and, in every case, the results were splendid. I must add, it may be obvious, that we managed to get some good rude drawings when we were drawing blind as well. Squash can be good for that although as one of the ladies said, ‘A pickle is sometimes just a pickle.’ The laughter quotient was high at The Saturday Morning Ladies Drawing Club, as usual. As another one of the ladies said, ‘It’s cheaper than therapy.’ And far more liberating, I might add.

Here’s to the ladies, drawing blind, pickles, and squash!

October 14th, 2007 | Category: Drawing Club | Subscribe to comments | Leave a comment | Trackback URL