Life is the art of drawing without an eraser.
John W. Gardner
When I work on a painting, I don’t use a pencil. I don’t even think about sketching, anymore. I haven’t in a long time. But I saw an artist on Instagram. She painted abstract flowers. Pencil marks were visible. Beautiful work! Part of me thought, should I sketch first? Then my thoughts wandered to an artist describing his process while working on a black ink illustration. The interviewer asked, “What happens if you make a mistake? Ink isn’t easily fixable. What if you accidentally splatter the ink?” The artist replied, “Then it becomes part of the illustration.”
The interview and the artist are still with me. There’s freedom in not using a pencil or eraser. It’s about the power of trusting in your process. Besides, where’s the fun without making? In the making you discover. In the making, your creativity ignites. Make is my word of 2022. Always will be.
It’s far better to not know than to think you know everything. Right?
Siempre,
Mireya
an art journal of an expressionistic spirit 