Frustration!

Here are a couple of the latest Kristy drawings, both worked up much more quickly and more loosely than most others shown recently. The one on the left was finished in just a couple of minutes at the end of a frustrating two hour session in which I'd only produced one poor drawing like that on the right where correction after correction muddied the result.  Look at those overworked and unnatural eyes!

Yes, there are some interesting areas like that right hand where the history shows, but in the end my heart or head was not really in it.  Sometimes you just have to admit you are having a disastrous day, pack up your pencils and flee for the hills ... but most times taking a deep breath and starting again is really the right idea!  It's a rare artist of any sort who doesn't feel undone occasionally by the frustrations of time, technique or technology! Working hours to produce a wonderful image and losing the whole thing to an over eager misstep or technical mistake is truly "the pits" but backing up rather than packing up will build your resolve and strengthen your love of drawing itself.  The old dictum "Ninety percent of success is just showing up" is really the right idea!  Even as I peck away working toward this latest blog post, I often wish I were just drawing instead but ...  I slog (and blog) on!  Hey, just do it!


"Be gentle to all and stern with yourself."  Saint Teresa of Avila

"Better a diamond with a flaw than a pebble without."  Confucius

"What comes out of you when squeezed is what is inside of you."  Dr. Wayne Dyer