Dear reader,
I am showing some drawings in the gallery of my studio next month. And while I have a lot of tiny drawings to put into tiny frames, I really wanted some big stuff too. So yesterday I started working on a larger piece - 12x16” - using my own sketchbook drawing as reference. In the video, see the final, second session of producing this piece that I impulsively decided to do live.
Scroll below for a little free drawing picked up from a little free library, and sneaky art found on the bus ride home.
The SneakyArt Post is a publication of secretly drawn art of the world. It is an effort to notice and capture the beauty of everyday life without disturbing it. Every week, I share the latest pages from my sketchbooks, and the best ideas from my journey as an artist-writer.
Drawing from a Drawing
Most people like to work out of photo references, but something about a photo - the engineer in me seeing all that information - overwhelms me. It constricts me. I feel obligated to be realistic, to capture everything in it as well as possible. That is not my way to draw at all! It does not vibe with my, well, vibe.
But working from a drawing - my own drawing - is more relaxing. When I see the page, I can see the editorial decisions already taken. What is left on the page is not prescriptive but descriptive. It gives me information while leaving enough wriggle room.
The wriggle room matters!
The original drawing was on toned paper, which let me use white as a highlight for clouds and wind patterns. Because this is not possible on white paper, I had to get creative about depicting these great gigs in the sky. I did not touch that part of the page in the first session (~90 minutes).
But the next morning, looking at it with fresh eyes, I suddenly saw a way to do it with black ink. That is where the live session (video above) begins.
Note: Even though this session was on Substack Live, I do not want to pressure you into downloading yet another app. Especially when that app is beginning to feel like yet another social media platform. I intend to do live sessions more regularly. Next time they will be on Zoom or YouTube, and sufficient notice will be given to all readers.
That said, I am grateful to everyone who came to watch me draw, and all the lovely questions. I hope you enjoy watching as well!
A Little Free Drawing was Picked Up this Week
A little free drawing was picked up this week and the finder sent me this lovely pic.
“Saw your post (and many others) about this project on Reddit and thought it was so cute! Never thought I’d be lucky enough to stumble upon one myself. Thank you for capturing the beauty in an unsuspecting moment, and for sharing them with us.” - J Smith.
This drawing was left in a little free library on W 27th Ave off Main St inside a copy of Margaret Atwood’s Hagseed.
I Love to Draw on Buses
Wherever strangers come together, worlds collide. SneakyArt is produced at this intersection of worlds. People with nothing in common with each other can still come together on public transit, momentarily united by a common purpose - getting from Point A to Point B.
It is a little, trivial thing. Like most human things. SneakyArt is found in these little, trivial, human things.
Strangers passing in the street
By chance, two separate glances meet.
And I am you and what I see
Is me.
Echoes, Pink Floyd
Thank you for reading. I am glad to have a space in your inbox this week!
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