The Artistic Process: What the H*** Am I Doing? - Part 1: Drawing

If you wonder what exactly I'm doing in my studio (aka living room), this blog - in two parts, is an attempt to explain my artistic work and process in short. I am myself curious as to how I will manage.

I have no intention to dive deeper into the reason why I paint or draw while this topic is way too complex and needs a blog - or ten, of its own. It is like asking a muscian why they make music.

The Artistic Ritual

My artistic work revolves around two main components: drawing and painting. One might view these as almost the same thing, or at least very similar and I wish it were. I wish I could paint like I draw.

By this I don't mean that my drawings are that amazing, oh no - it's all about approach and feeling.

Image Shorthand?

I usually bring a small sketchbook and a pencil case in my backpack whenever I go for a walk with Vilda. I prefer sitting at a café, watching bypassers, the staff and eavesdrop on the people at the tables next to us. (You will get a list of my favourite cafés in a future blog)

My goal is simple: to have fun and to think as little as possible. I look around me and jot down what I see very quickly. It’s almost like automatic drawing, connecting the pen to the eye without passing through the intellectual mind. I might not even look at my paper half of the time.

It could be a color, a car, trees, a bird, a pair of shoes, a trash can, chairs, an umbrella, dogs, tables, people walking by or people sitting next to us. Closeups of their faces, their glasses, hair color, outfits, their hands while smoking, eating or talking. Whatever grabs my interest without judging or ranking. But it’s not as a mirroring image but an abstract representation – an impression of my reality.

Example of 4, out of hundreds, of my drawings

Mindful Disconnect

When I draw, I feel free. I don't pay much attention if they will come out "nice" or "ugly". They are more like notes or a translation of something I saw, experienced or felt.

I guess this would qualify me as an impressionist, a classification that I had never before considered.

Drawing, to me, is an act of raw expression and it's in these fleeting moments, amidst the chatter of crowds and the clinking of cups, that I find solace.

This is what I mean by wanting to paint the way I draw.  I wish my painting process felt as light, fast and fun as my drawing process. This has been a goal of mine for years without success. When talking to other artists about it I realize that I’m not alone in this endeavor, which brings me some comfort.

Next Wednesday

In the next part I'll try to explain my painting process (gulp).

Stay tuned for more insights into the creative process and the question – What the h*** am I doing?

All the best,

Sophia