Sometimes the Pen Has Its Own Agenda

I usually begin the morning with a journal entry and a sketch, somewhat like Julia Cameron's suggested morning pages from her book, The Artist's Way. I haven't actually read the book even though it's sitting on my shelf, but I have often listened to the tapes while working in my studio. As with the pages, I've found that the morning is the best time for grounding exercises. They set the tone for the day. All mine happen early including the sketch, which is why a coffee or tea cup has been ubiquitous in my drawings. The cup becomes a familiar starting point and from there anything can happen. I might draw just the cup or sometimes the pen has its own agenda.   

Room With a View 2

Room With a View

Sometimes What You See is Not There.

The Uni-ball Vision Micro...

...is the sketching and writing pen I've been using since way back in the late 20th century. When I first gave it a tryout I was regularly using watercolor in my sketches. So I chose this pen for its waterproof ink. Unlike pens designed solely for sketching this one also works well for writing run-on sentences in my journals. I've gone through heaps of them. I'm unaware if it's a popular item and sometimes wonder if the company will ever discontinue this model, but so far there's always a box of them in the shop when needed. However, If that day comes when they are retired, I'll discover a new pen of choice... and cross-hatch that bridge when I come to it.   

Daily Sketch

Everyday make a sketch. That's the discipline. It doesn't have to be executed with the intent of creating a pen and ink masterpiece. In fact, that's not the point at all. The idea is to get lost in the observation of something or anything. The less I think about it the better. Just trust and draw. Maybe it's the same view everyday for a week. Perhaps it becomes something more ambitious. Or maybe it's just a scribble that tells me all I need to know about what I saw. It doesn't matter. What matters is everyday make a sketch.