Saturday, July 20, 2013

"Beach Meditations"

walking in the surf
treasures carved by life's journey
this wabi sabi


"Precise" pen
on scketchbook page

3 comments:

  1. Hi Steven,
    It's been a while. Nice to see you back to work. This drawing is driving me crazy. I even looked up "wabi sabi" to see if that would fill in the gaps my brain could not.
    Being a Midwesterner, born and bred, I've always had a challenge understanding certain abstract things.
    This drawing is a case in point. I desperately want to see something in this, but am not sure if it's simply a piece of driftwood, a suggestion of a figure lying in the sand or surf, or a broken sea shell.
    Frankly, it's a spellbinding befuddlement--probably the best thing an art work can hope to be.
    I salute you for this accomplishment--whether or not it was intended. It intrigues, puzzles, demands study and makes us answer our own questions.
    Nice work! :)
    Sincerely,
    Gary.

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  2. Hi Gary

    Yes, I'm back after computer issues that have taken a very long time to resolve.

    So, my drawing is driving you crazy. I was hoping that it is a very obvious and literal drawing of a sea shell. I guess I need to continue with improving my drawing skills. I will take into consideration that your Midwestern background may have deprived you of viewing these objects cast about on the surf's edge maybe only a few times in your short life.

    Wabi Sabi to me is the discovering/appreciating the beauty in things that are natural or man made; things that have a patina; character that has been formed by existing through time and space. Another aspect is the element of impermanence-always in a state of flux, change, beauty of the moment like ripples formed by droplets or blossoms forming seeds.

    Thanks for visiting and taking the time to comment. I've visited your blog from others' computers from time to time and see that your new life in Hawaii seems to be exciting and going well for you and Michele.

    Your blog friend
    Steven

    Steven

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  3. Good Evening Steven,
    A sea shell was my first, and now, it seems, obvious choice, but I didn't want to commit. Call me a chicken for that. You know how it is...we hate to say something to a fellow artist and get it horribly and embarrassingly wrong and such was the case here. Your drawing is fine--brilliant, in fact. I just played it safe and I'm sorry I did.
    So, yes, we're having a very interesting time here and I've done my best to share it with anyone who's ever had a similar dream.
    I must admit that the past four months have disappeared like a wisp of smoke. The weather is nearly the same everyday and the length of each day is likewise similar to every other. Time, the days of the week and the months evaporate and we find ourselves asking each other...where did the day go?
    I'm not complaining by a long stretch, however. I dearly love wearing little more than tank tops and shorts every day. Flip-flops are the footwear of the day as a rule and no one around here bats an eye when I walk into their shop or store or restaurant dripping wet with jogging sweat to strike up a conversation for a blog post.
    We just feel so lucky to live here and realize it's not for everyone, but few haven't dreamed their own version of living on a tropical island. I hope a few brave souls are inspired to follow their own dream.
    I hope your computer problems are solved and you're enjoying being back in the blog-o-sphere. And finally, I'll try to do better when writing comments! :)
    Have a nice weekend.
    Sincerely,
    Gary.

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