A Reminder To Myself.

I used to be the kind of artist who would forget the little things like time, date, day, night, food, sleep.... being a person... I had many friends who often worried after my health and state of mind, and would often say that I needed time out. I did manage to change my ways somewhat, but as I work on this latest drawing, I am reminded of the reason I lived that way..... There is something potent in a truly invested piece of art, an intoxication of the spirit that doesn't end when the night is over and the sun rises.... 
And even as I place my pencils in their tray and lovingly nest the board on its shelf, I find I am sorry to stop working, to part with the sensation and roar of emotional ties that keep me a creature of art; the intimacy of an artwork bearing all my myriad thoughts and secrets hidden in plain view - the slant of a line, the curve of a breast, the shadow of a smile in a face of my design... And such powerful intimacy, such an intense passion I had forgotten, what it is to be drawn in, as I draw out. 

I wrote these notes sometime ago as I was working on a commission, that has now proven to have been the latest development in my artistic career. Having such an engaged and passionate client to work for (and with, to some degree) has altered my perspective on what I should and can expect from myself - which is, quite simply, more. 
I have always been invested in my art, but the raw energy and instinct of my earlier years dulled with the passage of time, or so it now seems to me, and now everything has a kind of clarity and purpose to it that is above and beyond previous works. Now I want more; and the risk of wanting more is pushing too hard in order to achieve more. Counter-intuitively, it's now essential to relax, be fluid and allow what I have gained to exist for what it is. Which is all about patience... and more patience... and then a bit more patience. After all, if you plan to have your work live on beyond you for hundreds of years, it's probably a good idea to take your time..... 


Related link: Full view of Untouchable on Red Bubble.