Perfect Drawings of Imperfection

What to do with drawings of imperfection? I make mistakes drawing all the time, some of these I keep, others I toss. The ones I have problems with are those drawn from models who do not fit the norm of what we think of as perfection. I am not talking about models a bit overweight or those with a nose a bit pronounced.

I posted a drawing of a young man who had, what I call, a sloping eye and scar on the other. His mouth seemed to be frozen on one side. He was posing at a sketch group, so I did not interact with him like I normally do with the ones who pose one-on-one in my studio. Not sure if I would have asked about his eyes or frozen lip had he been in my studio or not. I was lucky enough to capture the great pose he took and do a portrait. I screwed up capturing his lips but I nailed the eyes. I had a few comments about that drawing when I posted it on Facebook… 

Then the question came, if I post another such drawing should I explain it? Several times I have drawn a gentleman who has a leg four inches shorter than the other due to curvature of the spine, he also has an eye missing and a finger missing. At a drawing marathon at the famed Palette and Chisel I made several drawings of a married couple. He was 6 ft. 6 in. tall, she was under 5 feet. Several people thought the drawing was of a man posing nude with a child. 

Models are not alway perfect, it's what makes drawing the nude from life interesting and challenging. God or nature has their own ideas of perfection. To me drawing such so-called imperfection brings out the beauty in all of us. A good drawing is just that - a good drawing. Fechin created great works of art through his drawings, without using the stereotype beauties selling us cars and cereals loaded with sugar. 

Some will be mistakes, others will be perfect drawings of imperfection. You will have to guess which is which. 

Mixing Colors & Mixing Dough

Creating a work of art gives one unbelievable satisfaction. Creating anything raises one to another level of understanding. Whether it be a poem or building a house, we get this feeling inside of being more than simply “present” in this world. Being proud of something is what life is all about. We see the future in our children and are proud of their accomplishments. It puts a smile on ones face when they do the little things that we don't even think about when doing. In my younger days I shoveled snow from around our church so people could get to church. For my sister and I it was just a fun thing, at the time though it was a little thing that made my parents proud. 

These days I take pride in my art. That I can put a smile on someones face without being present is what I am proud of. Dipping a piece of toast into my morning's coffee is a little thing that starts my day off on a high note. A baker, somewhere, proud of what he does, helps me get my day off on the right foot. Me mixing just the right color actually began in Leslie, Arkansas with a baker mixing dough. Other days it is the smile I get from the people at Jake's. I really believe the colors that make their way into my art come from the people around me. My dog Henry sees me off each morning with his version of a smile and a loud cheery plea not to go. He takes me through his day upon my return. Tells me of the squirrels scampering along the top of the fence on their way to raid the bird feeder.

A million littles things go into every work of art. Accepting these little things and returning them through our creations is art. Shoveling the sidewalks around church as a child became part of someone else's art, whether it was in a poem or a song sung during mass.