Oil on Arches Oleo Paper
8 x 8 inches
Archival Mat in a 16 x 16 inch black metal frame

Sketches always carry with them the poignant beauty of a first impression. You’re meeting your subject matter for the first time while steeped in the potential energy of exploratory mark making. 

I used to feel completely insecure about those initial marks in a sketch, judging them as the ‘wrong’ marks, the ‘inaccurate’ descriptors of the subject matter. But a big shift happened in me when I learned to embrace the spirit of the sketch exactly as it is. I found a sort of creative liberation in seeing initial marks as innocent and uncynical impressions.

Sketches are the intuitive mind traveling at the same speed as the analytical mind. Making them regularly has taught me the difference between the task of simplifying and the art of simplifying. The sketching mindset triggers an awareness that either gently encourages you into the present moment or else vehemently catapults you into it. Either way, it’s as profound and beautiful an action as it is informative.