Drawing Class
On Saturday we once again drew on big paper taped to the wall. We used photographs to spark ideas and, once again, everyone did work that was bold. My own piece was not successful. I mucked up a figure I was drawing by trying to ‘capture’ the actual features a little too closely. What works better for me is to try to internalize the image and then just draw from my mind. But the point is not to get a great finished piece but to explore—to just see where we are. So it was good information.
But the others all did brilliant stuff and amazed themselves, I think. Something about working big has liberated everyone from excessive care and fiddly obsessiveness, especially when we are working with time constraints. This time we spent a couple of hours just drawing on our usual pads before attacking our larger piece so that left just an hour to spend on that. There was no time to worry. Besides we’d already immersed ourselves in the flow by loosening up on the smaller paper. It’s always a question of getting out of the way of the mind and just relaxing into whatever is happening without judgment of the work or self.
One of our members said—”This is art yoga.” It is! We’re drawing but not forcing, not pushing beyond our limits. We’re just going as close to our edge as possible, each week nudging ourselves just a little further. We’re accepting ourselves just where we are. It’s all perfect, all fine. And we’re smiling. Amazing things happen when we get out of our way.
Next Saturday is the last class then we break for the summer. I hope the class will continue to work on their own until we meet again in September. To me it’s not about producing art but actually practicing. The practice is just as great as any object we make. If we’re doing this in a yogic way we develop presence, being totally in the moment. We develop non-judgment, total acceptance of what is— the messes we make and ourselves where we are. And if we make messes we get to see where our edge is and discern where we might go next time. Plus, and I think this might be the best of all, we develop a little humor, which really is delight just being who and where we are. All this from drawing! These are pretty cool things to be able to take with you into whatever your world is.
I’ll report next week on the last class. I’m in the final, final leg of my writing project which I hope to finish by mid-June. Then it’s onto something new and I’ll report on that as the summer goes on. Meanwhile the wee garden I envisioned is now being planted in pots. With luck I’ll get the tomatoes in today then sit back and wait for the harvest!
May 24th, 2008 at 10:38 pm
I love it when I can relax and let things flow–it really IS art yoga, isn’t it. Once again, the process if the product, it seems.
I planted potatoes for the first time today. I had planted broccoli and celery Wednesday, and more chard earlier in the week. The peas are up and should be blossoming soon (I hope), the mesclun mix and first seeding of chard are up. The radishes are marking the row of carrots I planted. I still have beans and tomatoes and squash to go. And flowers.
Our goal is to grow as much of our own produce–bothe for our family and for my in-laws, by next year. Keep your fingers crossed!
May 25th, 2008 at 7:05 am
Hey, Debra! That’s great. I wish we had the space for all that. What an adventure. I’m especially envious of the mesclun—so great to pick your own salad. I got a couple of really big pots yesterday to put tomatoes and a bit of lettuce in. Have to get more earth for one of them today and another pot for some beans! Fingers crossed.