I have not held a graphite for many years. I always wanted to get back into drawing, but haven’t found the time for it as my paintings have dominated my studio time. When I got sick last winter, I was homebound unable to go to the studio, so I picked up a graphite and a notebook and started to draw lines. It felt good to just focus on one line at a time, without a clear concept or directions to follow. Just concentrating on the grip and the graphite’s path was enough to occupy me for hours.

Line Drawing 1

Line Drawing 1

 

Something about the repetitive motion that requires tunnel vision to stay on task is meditative. Eventually, one wiggly line led to another wiggly line, and the small dimples in the lines produced by sudden coughing led to a formation of intricate textures.

Line Drawing 2

Line Drawing 2

 

It is no secret for many artists that creation of something new doesn’t come from pondering, but from doing. As I drew these lines, many other possibilities opened up.

Line Drawing 3

Line Drawing 3

Line Drawing 4

Line Drawing 4

Line Drawing 5

Line Drawing 5

 

I tried experimenting digitally to add more complexity in the compositions, but the digital drawings took life of their own.

Digital Drawing 1

Digital Drawing 1

Digital Drawing 2

Digital Drawing 2

Digital Drawing 3

Digital Drawing 3

Digital Drawing 4

Digital Drawing 4