Drawing

Sunday 3.20pm

I am quite a visual person. I draw. I have always drawn - pencils, chalks, paints even scratched into stone, and I do not think anything about it, it is just something I do. But people say to me " you are lucky, I wish I could draw " But they can. Everybody can draw, you just look or think and make the marks. Really, you can. It is not the drawing that is the problem it is that your idea of what a drawing should be is out of step with what you can do. There is no point in looking at a beautiful painting, comparing it with your own doodles and giving up. You forget the hours, months, years of work that came before that picture, some artists paint the same thing over and over, think of Monet and lilyponds. At exhibitions I love it when the artist has their sketch books on show, I love to see how an idea developed and the work that went into the final product. And i bet you anything if you ask the artist they will not be completely happy with their creation that we think is wonderfull. Ok, some people will just pick up a pencil and sketch something wonderfull but it is like that in everything, some people are naturally skilled at some thing, the rest of us have to work at it. I play the guitar but I will never be a guitarist, I just do not have it, but it does not stop me - I like the sound of the notes and the way they fit together and follow one another and thats what makes me happy even though after 25 years of playing I cannot play a whole tune ! So if you want to draw, just do it. Don't be afraid of what others say, does it matter what issues they may have, and why should it affect you, drawing doesn't hurt anybody ( unless you stab them with a pointy pencil of course )

Confidence is the key. The older I get the more I realise this. My new motto - " Don't be afraid to fuck it up "

These thoughts were inspired by my lovely new header picture which is bases on a photo of the view from Perfume Point, Napier by Nicola.