Monday, May 29, 2017

Motivation


I dislike motivational speakers. And as you will see, thinking about them galvanizes me to do something in response. In this case I was looking through my recent sketches which feature trees and I remembered that a motivational statement had appeared on my daily motivational desktop.
Here's the statement:
“If you don't like where you are, change it. You're not a tree.”
—so says Jim Rohn who has turned telling people what they already know into a million dollar career.
As it turns out, movement, as we experience it, is a very limited attribute when one looks at all the living and nonliving things on this planet. So maybe "not liking where you are" is not a matter of getting up and moving like Okies en route to California. There are other time tested strategies. You might consider thinking like a tree: provide food and shelter to other living things, invest in your unseen roots, appreciate your tough skin and brighten the corner where you've been planted.

trees and wall
05-12-17
ink

The island
05-15-17
ink, charcoal

Willow tree
05-16-17
ink, charcoal, paint stick
Pine tree
05-17-17
ink, charcoal, paint stick
reflections of trees
05-25-17
ink, charcoal, tusche, paint stick
drawing gear
05-12-17

Thursday, May 11, 2017

La balaustra

I use to call this thing a "railing." One of my Italian correspondents referred to it as a "balustrade." I like the word balustrade. It reminds me, alliteratively of "ballet" and this matches the animated twists and angles of the old railing. It will have to replaced some day and the lines of the dance will be erased. I enjoy it every day.

05-08-17
ink wash, charcoal
02-19-15
charcoal

03-12-16
ink, charcoal
04-27-17
charcoal, ink
12-18-15
charcoal
12-04-16
charcoal, ink