Speaking of Art Blog

   Image:  B.C.
   charcoal
   17 x 14 (in)

   Note:  This sunrise over

   Lake Michigan has a 
   primeval look about it. 

   Thus the title. The

   streaming sunlight is

   actually just the 
   untouched white of the

   paper showing.


The following is some correspondence I had recently with an art student via email.  It lets you in on my views on drawing as an art medium.

Dear Ms. Pals,
My name is Helen and I am an art student in Colorado. During my investigation of charcoal, I discovered your work, and was wondering if maybe you could answer some questions. Where do you get your inspiration for art? Has any specific person inspired you? Any specific experiences? How did you start your art career, and what caused you to choose charcoal and pastel? It would be amazing if you could reply and it would really add to my research!
Thanks,
Helen

 
Hi Helen,

I guess I'll start at the beginning.  I actually started my art 'career' long before it became a career choice.  When I was in first grade already my teacher was so impressed with my talent that she featured a crayon drawing of mine in an all-school art show, and told my parents to find a private art teacher for me ASAP.  They took her advice to heart and within 2 years I was taking private lessons from THE art teacher in town.

My private teacher taught me using the classical method of teaching art.  She put me through the paces of first learning how to draw just about anything, from trees to baby chicks to buildings to people.  I learned how to carefully and thoughtfully study something and then render it in charcoal and/or graphite.  I worked from life as well as copying drawings of famous artists out of books.  I learned how to draw from reference photos as well as real scenes outdoors.  After what seemed like an eternity, actually only a couple of years, I finally 'graduated' to color -- pastels.  Oh my, I was enthralled with them!  I went on to learn how to paint with oils, acrylics, and watercolors, but years later as an adult I returned to my first color love.....pastels.  They still thrill me today like no other medium.

One side note:  My private teacher used to spend her summers in France, taking lessons herself from notable artists, and visiting museums.  At the end of the summer, she'd return home with a whole suitcase full of new art supplies that she freely shared with her private art students.  So I was blessed to learn how to draw and paint using the very best supplies the world had to offer LITERALLY.  I am convinced that had a great positive effect on my art learning experience as I grew up.

I never really lost the urge to stick with my art.  In college, even though I was working on my elementary teaching degree, I minored in art.  I can't remember a time in my life when I wasn't puttering around creatively in some way.  When I taught grade school I was always adding art projects into my lesson plans wherever they could fit.  But in the year 2000, I made a conscious decision to begin my art 'career' and actually try to make money from it.  Since then I've taken (and given) oodles of workshops and art classes, including art marketing courses.  All of it has been great fun.

As to what inspires me today:  With my camera I love to compose a possible reference photo for using to draw or paint from.  I use pictures a lot.  I know how to avoid the drawbacks of using reference photos and I know when it's time to toss the picture aside and let my instincts take over to finish a piece.  But particularly with potential drawings, I'm always on the lookout for strong compositions, dramatic value contrasts, and interesting shapes.  Color is really only frosting on the cake, so I'm always looking for the 'cake'.

One time an artist and highly respected local museum curator gave a formal critique of one of my drawings.  He said, "I love seeing finished drawings because sketchers have nowhere to hide.  While painters can fudge on an area containing poor drawing by dazzling their viewer with color, sketchers have pulled back the curtain and you're seeing their real skills, no flashy clothing covering anything."  I felt like someone finally had articulated something I had felt about drawing for a very long time. 

I feel that drawing is the foundation for every other form of art.  If you start with a poor drawing, all the color in the world will not make it better.  With a few carefully placed strokes of a pencil an artist can suggest the graceful curve of a long necked bird, or the mood of a foggy night, or the sweet kiss a mother places on her child's forehead.  All you need are shape, line, and value, and you'll have said it all.  Color is nice, but it's not the foundation, it's only the final embellishment.  But color is what sells, and so I own lots and lots and lots of pastels which I use regularly in addition to my pencils. And I must confess, just as with the public out there color dazzles me too.

I hope that helps you.  Sorry if I got up on my soapbox at the end.  I tend to do that when I am asked about drawing.

Warm regards,
Mary Ann Pals