Often as i paint i feel uneasy, as though I am compromising my own art. Today as I see this striking painting by Madhvi Parekh, ‘Animals Walking Up and Down A Staircase’, I suddenly knew where that unease stemmed from…. “Because what we draw has to (according to the part of our self that wants to be recognised) look like what it is, we don’t put down the real story in our head and may even not think of a story any more, rather make things simple and draw what we already know.”
Seeing this particular painting freed me. I would never choose to draw animals walking up and down a staircase… i would be collecting references for a week and going crazy. I now feel an urgent desire to draw all that is in my head and can no longer wait for my hand to draw the staircase as it is in reality. Raw with dots like a child, men like stick figures, twist the figure if you want it to look the other way, just draw every image in your head. Do not bother with what it “should” look like. And then maybe the story will come through.
Ashwini Pawar Kaarthikeyan
Kaarthikeyan Kirubhakaran
Hema
Hema!!
I really like how you articulate this. Thank you! I know exactly what you mean! 🙂
I drew recently and was astonished at what came out.. It was an allowing. Moments when Heart gently held Mind’s hand and led it away from fear, to joy.
And thank yo for posting this. You write well too: ‘This breathes better as a blogpost’. It made me see the aliveness and being of your words. 🙂
On another note, can I share my drawings with you? You are a talented artist, and maybe, if you feel like it, you could give me some feedback, direction? I pull that part of me out of the shadows. I know there’s specks of starlight there.
Thank you.. and huge love,