Some Thoughts On Drawing
It’s a subject I talk about often, with friends, peers, collectors and now here on this blog. Drawing. I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that drawing is the foundation of art, art making, creativity, and in some ways the human experience. At some point in everyone’s creative process drawing is there. The drawing is something that can be the lynch-pin in whether a finished piece is successful. I am by no means claiming to be the best draftsman out there, not by a long shot, however I strive to be the best. I don’t mean to come across as arrogant, it’s a desire in me to want to be the best. I care about my art in that I want it to live on years after I’ve left this Earth. For my art to live on, in my mind, it has to be better than good, it has to be the very best, and hence I strive for that success.
Drawing for someone concerned with realism is truly at the heart of the process. I laughed over drinks with a friend that I’m a bad Realist because I care more about an interpretation of color than the true color I’m seeing, but I still want the drawing to be perfect. This friend laughed and quipped back, “that may be so Jon, but your interpretations look like a Jimmy Buffett song.” Now if you know me personally you’ll know very well that that is spot on! I think of my work as the phrase you used to see in a movie about a historical person or event, “based on a true story.” Like those movies that were usually 10% real and 90% this tells a story, my paintings are more about the memories I have and the desire to live the coastal, island life. But see there’s the thing that drives me, I want to share those memories with you the viewer, and ask you about your memories. Many if not most of us share such similar memories, and that’s just cool to me.
I have a reverence and deep appreciation for those who could draw circles around me, past and present. I want to be on their level and so I strive for that everyday. But what about you? I’d love to hear your thoughts, if you’ve read to end, send me an email and let me know what your thoughts are.