Art is the Adventure

YouTube Video showing the creation of this drawing.

This afternoon was sunny and gusty-breezy. The shiny leaves on some rose bushes sparkled and shimmered as the wind danced with them. The wind was noisy as it blew the branches and whistled past buildings, yet the sound was soothing. The energy of the wind and sun uplifted my spirits, and I felt it was time to do an impromptu YouTube livestream.

I knew I wanted to do something similar to my previous video—a pen drawing, graphite shading, and a watercolour background in the ‘white spaces’. So, I did that, and I shared my thoughts and joy with those who found their way to the livestream.

I can’t remember what I wittered about during the 2 hour or so livestream, but I know it mentioned finding joy in small things, a childlike wonder of the world and life, taking breaks from the pressures and responsibilities of adulting wherever possible.

One thing I can say is that even in the darkest times of my life, I’ve always been able to find joy and wonder in nature, books, films and more. It may only give me a sparkle of light for a moment, but that sparkle is a reminder that it will fully return and hasn’t gone anywhere – it’s merely clouded by the dark and low mood that gathers around my heart and mind.

If anything, the darkness allows me to enjoy the sparkles more; they are more vibrant when surrounded by gloom. It would be hard to recognise the sparkles and joy if all was bright. Contrast is needed.

Perhaps that’s why I love using high contrast in my art. In today’s drawing, the darkness of the watercolour background really lets the pen drawing almost glow. The texture in the watercolour reminds me of the subtle patterns seen in glowering clouds or the ripples in a darkling sea. Either description works for the constantly shifting and changing emotions and thoughts; not all are gloomy, as the lighter areas show.

The birds in the left-hand column were a surprise! I certainly didn’t plan that. In fact, I didn’t plan any of this drawing. I just let it grow, one line at a time. Sometimes, a line, or combination of lines, suggests a recognisable motif, and I go with that.

Working intuitively always surprises me; though I may make some decisions along the way, they are instinctive. Speaking out what I’m doing just expresses in words what my hand/eye want to do next.

Turquoise is definitely the colour of the moment with me. This time, however, I added rich indigo to it to intensify the colour and depth of shadow. I let the watercolours play with each other as they will, just allowing the end result to be what it will be.

It’s not easy for me to let go of control in this way, but watercolour is showing me that it is possible. And when I let go, the results are always a wondrous surprise!