Joan's Place

Once in a while it so happens you walk into a place and WHAM! You are hit by this huge haven of compositional delight! Everywhere you turn there is a fascinating composition calling out to you, to be laid out on paper or canvas, to be inked and colored ~ and nothing gets in the way. The ink, lead or color become alive, and pull you on to create, create and create! I draw every day, but this sudden unstoppable desire ~ that you MUST draw a particular image comes around in waves ~ when it does ~ drop everything and draw like there's no tomorrow! 

I visited a friends house recently and everything around her house ( inside & outside) was piled with composition, I enjoyed drawing and haven't stopped yet, I guess it will end being a series with the same name as the title of this post.:)

Finding Cinderella

So, how does one get back to becoming inspired? To go back to drawing and sketching? I went back to the foundations. Literally, drawing the basic shapes, shading and practicing the values. Then I started to draw just about what I saw in front for the sake of practice only. I didn't worry about documentation nor story. Sometimes one just needs to draw in a vegetation mode till the ink catches on and wakes up. Then everything happens as a reflex and before you know it, you will have several pages filled with what's happening around you, along with a story to tell. So I guess the point I'm trying to make is that no matter what, don't stop drawing, even when you don't feel inspired. Practice, practice, practice- you never know when inspiration hits you. 

This sketch above was done, when I got lost downtown - trying to find a way back to the freeway. Found myself in a remote, empty, scary underpass. And then suddenly I saw it! A white carriage , Cinderella's Carriage ~ I had to draw it!! 

So what have you been doing to find inspiration?