Of Artwork and My Aspirations

Chandelier at Amile's Bakery, Charlotte (in progress)

I’m using another picture, because the picture and person that inspired this post I told that I’d not use her image and it would stay in my notebook. Still, the detail speaks to this.

I couldn’t tell you when it started. But, I can tell you when it stopped. It didn’t matter if I was in a car at one point. And if my sister was occupied with her kiddie careers, I had at least one of my routes to stay occupied. A pencil or pen. A pad or several sheets. I would draw until my confidence was bruised past the point of being able ot use an eraser.

For 13 years, I’ve basically sat with that knowledge that I used to draw. I looked at the artwork of others. I’ve done the gallery crawls. I’ve even done web deisng. But none of it is the same as taking that drawing instrument and a canvas and putting on it your mind as best as your fine motor skills allow. I couldn’t do that for 13 years. Then it came back. Now, such moments when I’d like to draw speaks to me louder than ever.

I don’t think that I can deny that there isn’t some talent there. I can be honest in saying that I didn’t have the confidence to take advantage of it until very recently. I’ve been in a state of what I call "just getting back used to the canvas" since March. That basically means that I’m relearing things that were taught to me years ago. Perspective. Color. Light. Hues. Sketching. Contour lines. Forms. Figures. Anatomy. Inspiration. Some have said that it must be like riding a bike – something that you really didn’t lose and that will come back in time – I disagree. Motivations to draw are born out of talents and inspirations. A sense of being still within yourself and ignoring the friction on the canvas that would say otherwise.

I knew that I wasn’t there just yet. Close. Each drawing I sensed something different happening. And slowly have begun sharing these sketches on my iPad with friends, followers, and sojourners online. You folks are great. Your comments have been insightful, and needed. I’ve been rebuilding my own life’s canvas in the process. Its been revealing – my life as a piece of canvas with its own brand of ink staining the world around me. I used to know this very well.

Oh, I’ve not become the most perfected artist by any means. But, I’ve found my tools (fingers, Adobe Ideas, and Procreate) and am comfortable with them more and more. What’s next is sharing this with others. Creating the moment that I left/lost more than a decade ago – but not in the same place that I left it. I aim to share this with all of you – but the technology will drive how you receive it. It wouldn’t be me otherwise.

I’ve not found the publishing system yet, but the plans are to publish my artwork and connect it to a store where you can choose to download the original, digital resoultion of the piece. Or, you can choose to order a print – select a paper type, frame style, and then your delivery method. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve got no problem with artists who do this the conventional way – making prints and having a framebuilder to set this up. But, I’m less inclined to do this except for my own needs – a show or person archiving and showing. For you, I’d like you to take stock of my works as you would content in Amazon – select the piece and how you want it, then you order it. That’s where I aspire to be, sooner rather than later.

Like I said though, I’ve not found such a store just yet. Its there, just haven’t put the time into making the best of analysis against those services. Its self-publishing, its art defined by the digital imperative to take ownership of your creations and moments.

I’ll still do items like the attached sketch where I’ll share here, on articles at MMM, or Twitter. That’s my right as the owner of these pieces. But for you, you should not only get the option to view, but purchase if you deem it worthy. And from there, its my responsibility to cultivate my life again for the purpose of drawing and color. I don’t aspire to be an artist – just a person no longer idle in making his art somethign worth enriching the lives of others.