Lessons Learned: Its Not Just About Drawing

This approach.  It's different. Sometimes a good execution. Sometimes not. Arrangements are an additional design attribute. This is what I was headed for this month. Took a while to get there. Had to get in the traffic flow. Observing people in different postures, positions, and context.

Daily Sketch: Grouping 01 - Copyright James E. Martin 2012

Daily Sketch: Grouping 02 - Copyright James E. Martin 2012

Lessons Learned:  This is the third month sketching along the commute. As I look back at the month's lessons, I did need to get in a different venue to challenge my observation and expression skills. It was time. I was able to derive occasional stories from the sketches which augment the meaning. The meaning wasn't necessarily derived from the subject but from the feelings or thoughts I was having that day and how that affected my filtering and selecton and expression of subjects.

The larger format sketchbook may have both helped and hindered. It facilitated the latter sketches whereby head arrangements were allowed. But sometimes I felt I was getting sloppy in my discipline. I will continue the depot station context where cafe tables, travelers waiting, hoboes sleeping in the morning, and folks ordering food are daily occurrences. The weather has not yet turned extremely adverse in winter yet and when it does that may impose additional variance in subject matter in the three month outlook.

There may be some value in reducing the number of lines to illustrate the sketch. Therein may lie Style.

Sketching from short term memory still has opportunities if I am walking, see something worthwhile, and need to capture it once I have a moment to sit in a sort of graphic note-taking and remembrance.

Many of these faster sketches in the public arena are "faceless". But I am constantly aware that there is a story behind every person, an agenda, a life of wins and losses, of high hopes and desperate cares. And even of the routine of Daily Life to survive, maintain, grow, and perhaps even prosper amidst an economy of uncertainty.

Beauty, hands, Character, Ideas, and Stories are still elusive in sketching. I have much to learn. I am already looking forward to Springtime and the warmth of a new year's outdoor activity.

These are also days of some sadness and grief amongst the cares and purpose of daily living. It's a time for self-reflection and misty eyed moments. This Creative Pursuit and Artistic Endeavor is a Journey that is revealing about Self. This Daily Sketching is not just about Art nor drawing a few lines on paper.

Fortify the Groupings

Continued the super fast head and hair sketches. Only moments to capture each rendition. The overall page is a composition not only of each individual head bit its context within the page's layout.

Daily Sketch: Grouping 01 - Copyright James E. Martin 2012

Daily Sketch: Grouping 02 - Copyright James E. Martin 2012

Daily Sketch: Grouping 03 - Copyright James E. Martin 2012

Heads Up

There are occasional heads to catch.

Daily Sketch: AM 01 - Copyright James E. Martin 2012

A Different Approach: Seconds to Capture

People Moving so quickly through the area that I only have moments to observe and capture a head, hair, position and posture.

Daily Sketch: Grouping 01- Copyright James E. Martin 2012

A Full Moon: Crowds in a Bustle

Power failures across town; Trains are interrupted; Crowds are bustling; Procedures to move the masses are without rationale and seem to cause crowding and slowness. Doesn't appear to make sense. Must be a reason. Noticed we are in full moon phase.

Daily Sketch: Crowds in a Full Moon - Copyright James E. Martin 2012 

Daily Sketch: Sitting Here Watching the Bedlam - Copyright James E. Martin 2012    

Postures and Positions: Quiet Cafe

This is something different in sketching the morning commute. Some ideas with perspectives different than sleeping in the train car. At the cafe tables and the food kiosks.

Daily Sketch: Postures and Positions - Copyright James E. Martin 2012

Daily Sketch: Martin News Shop- Copyright James E. Martin 2012     

     

Beauty in Hands: Still Pursuing

Beauty was on the train today. I saw reflections in dark windows of delicate hands in many postures and positions. So the artist Ogre was observing from afar and attempting to express admiration for Beauty.  A fitful  pursuit for a clumsy beast. I feel like a troll under the bridge.

Daily Sketch: Beauty's Hands - Copyright James E. Martin 2012

Ideas But Not Results: The Creative Pursuit

A few good ideas in today's sketches for paintings someday but not resulting sketches not good to publish. I was working hands mostly. More practice required, I guess. This likeness was OK to represent.

Daily Sketch: AM Likeness 01 - Copyright James E. Martin 2012

Just Prior to a Miracle: Three Likeness

Some days are better than others. I was at the South Station cafe tables and was able to complete three likeness' before a miracle occurred. First, I share the three drawings.....then the story.

Daily Sketch: AM Likeness 01 - Copyright James E. Martin 2012

Daily Sketch: AM Likeness 02 - Copyright James E. Martin 2012

Daily Sketch: AM Likeness 03 - Copyright James E. Martin 2012

I met a young, 29 year old homeless acquaintance again at the South Station cafe tables. First met him in January when I was visiting the Boston Art Museum. Didn't have the resources to help then. Re-acquainted and helped him in October. Today, while I was doing these three sketches, he arrived with his back to me about 20 feet away amidst the cafe tables and he was asking for financial contributions from morning commuters again. I called out his name and asked him to join me. He turned around and it took him a moment to understand who I was. He appeared surprised to hear his name called out. As did the 20-30 people around us. Although he didn't need breakfast, his goal for the day was to raise money for a warm winter coat and boots at Goodwill. He was bright eyed and alert. His sneaker soles were flopped and ripped open. His hands were grimy and he had slept in the ATM booth the prior night. He told me about the day shelter he would go to for breakfast. I told him I had been praying for him since last I had seen him. We talked about those details for a few minutes. I gave him some $ towards his clothing goal. While talking with him, a young lady in Muslim garb approached us and handed him about $15. He was surprised and asked what was going on. In a few moments, another gentleman stopped by the table and placed a $20 bill in front of me. I immediately thanked him but pushed the bill across the table to John. More and more, he was tearful at the generosity of others. Answers to prayer. I can't say I had seen anything quite like it before. But I was pleased for John. So my additional prayer was that the givers and the moneys would be blessed and that John would make good decisions. Perhaps next time we meet, I can ask him for an opportunity to sketch him. And pay him for the time spent and the work effort. I will look for a coat and boots in the portrayal.

This is new ground for me to walk on. I bought a warm hat and cold weather gloves and put them in my knapsack in a waterproof bag in case I see John again or someone in need like him. A Metro newspaper survey was done and Boston has 6500 homeless folks heading into the winter weather. I know of four sleeping underneath a bridge in Cambridge. I think our local, state, and national priorities and dialogs are akimbo and policies and execution are thwarted away from daily needs. How can we have such distance between our money and our people.  "The poor shall always be with us."

An interesting morning to say the least.

Some Likeness: Today is UP

Today is a rising day on the artistic rollercoaster. A couple of likenesses to depict.

Daily Sketch: PM Likeness 01 - Copyright James E. Martin 2012

Daily Sketch: PM Likeness 02 - Copyright James E. Martin 2012

To Age 100: Live Today Deliberately

When my third daughter was born at my age 50, I thought how wonderful it would be to live to age 100. To see how her life matured into age 50 would be quite a Journey. I understood that to some degree, I had to do certain activities like Art activities in the present working years instead of in some future planned retirement. What if I didn't make it to those years. We never know our own timeline. We can only live today, in the moment, and make the best of what today has to offer. That perspective changed my enduring view and my daily priorities.

After about 90 days in a new job, new company, new role-responsibility, I have been brainstorming about what my next year should be about occupationally. But avocationally, I also have been thinking about how my Artistic Endeavor should, will, or ought to inform my life's outlook.

So in Living the Moment this morning, a bearded character of distinctive visage was sitting at a cafe table scribing notes. The South Station timepiece was in the background. A setting for Father Time. The result fit my thoughts and perspective. This Art is Living the Moment. Perhaps it is Painting the Future.

Daily Sketch: To Age 100 - Copyright James E. Martin 2012

Serendipity: Tracks to Destinations

I am viewing many folks along their morning journey. South Station has many advertisements posted. Today I notice the feathery dandelion ready to be blown to the winds as people are drifting to their daily setting place where their work efforts germinate.

Daily Sketch: Track Eight - Copyright James E. Martin 2012

Daily Sketch: Dandelion to the the Winds - Copyright James E. Martin 2012

Shaking It Up: Inducing Variation

So instead of sketching necessarily on the commuter rail or the subway, I have decided to spend 20 - 30 minutes in the Boston South Station each morning in order to observe different postures and positions. This intended to shake up the historical normal sketching venue. Will this inform the Creative Pursuit in the near term? Numerous small kiosks and different business offerings. Lots of cafe tables. Pedestrian traffic abounds. Today was the first day to execute. Most sketches were a disaster. Distances were different. Lots more movement. Shorter time frames to capture anyone. Observing details to portray in the sketch in the manner I have been executing the last couple of months isn't working. It feels like a stumble but not yet a fall. On Nov 13, 13 sketches in 25 minutes. That includes the intervals between the sketches to pick the next model. This will be a challenge to interpret approach. Not much to show.

Daily Sketch: Boston South Station Timekeeping- Copyright James E. Martin 2012

Daily Sketch: Thinking on a New Day - Copyright James E. Martin 2012

Cafe Conversations: A Genre

There should be ample opportunity to depict morning routines with cafe conversations around the South Station kiosks and cafe tables. And the automatic doors open, the wind drafts in, and the train bells announce a new arrival.

Daily Sketch: Cafe Conversations - Copyright James E. Martin 2012

Inward Perception: Using the Same Constructions

Today's sketching effort was like walking with a wooden peg leg. Felt slow, mechanical, and non-prolific. Didn't get far. Didn't sketch many. I have the inward sense that I am using the same constructions and that I need to induce deliberate variations and challenges into my approach.

Daily Sketch: AM Likeness - Copyright James E. Martin 2012

Plain Jane: Me Not the Model

I did not mark this as a likeness per se. Fairly simple lines and construction. Although the subject of my sketch was prettier than I depict, the Plain Jane description is about me. The disadvantage of sketching in public is that there is so little time to capture the essence of a person. Also, I know little or nothing of the person in most cases so there is no opportunity to capture their personality in the sketch. To some degree, commuters disconnect from their environment as well. The moments that I am seeing them is downtime or timeout for them. There is a blandness to this time in their day. Perhaps I am capturing the essence and the story is being told after all.

Daily Sketch: Plain Jane - Copyright James E. Martin 2012

Gaps in Presentation: Awkward Human Error

Although I am sketching consistently day-to-day, I am currently experiencing very awkward and clumsy results. Occasionally my sketches indicate artistic ideas that may be valuable in the future to me as a reference but the actual drawing results aren't quite worth the paper and graphite. It reminds me a bit of my former golf game....sometimes I could hit it straight and true and be pleased with the results....and some moments were like "where did that lousy performance come from". The variance inherent in these efforts appears to be part of the human drama. Despite the best of intentions, our outward behaviors aren't matched to our inward perspective, view, and intentions. We don't achieve our objectives and goals. Today's sketch was the first in a few days that was acceptable enough to be shared.

Is it part of the human condition to hide and mask our weaknesses and our errors? Plow on through the molasses. If we demonstrate fortitude and persistence on a daily basis, perhaps the longer view to be assimilated is that the fruits of our labors and intentions is yet to be revealed. We sketch for the future.

Daily Sketch: AM Likeness - Copyright James E. Martin 2012

A Quiet Start: Simple Lines

Keeping to the large page format. Simple lines. A quiet start to the month.

Daily Sketch: AM Likeness: A Quiet Start - Copyright James E. Martin 2012