April 19, 2022

Making authentic marks

During the week I had a quick back and forth on Instagram with the legendary Bruce Whatley. I am always deeply grateful when people with way more experience than me in anything offer a new perspective or light up a path that they’ve followed, potentially before I get there.

The thing I love about experts in their field is that they’re able to summarise such complex ideas so simply – like a master craftsman honing a piece of wood with ‘just the right’ touch so that a few simple strokes reveals a figure.

The secret seems to be to find the way you make marks that is being true to yourself – Bruce Whatley

And, although we were discussing this in art context – the physical marks on paper – it can so easily be abstracted to life. The whole point of this thing is to make marks that is being true to yourself. We spend so much time living a life that others want us to lead (or expect us to lead), that to cast that expectation aside is one of the most difficult things any artist, or human, can do. But it’s also, quite likely, the point of it all.

Other observations
November 5, 2024

Consistent or resistant

Is my aversion to change about my wanting to be consistent? Or, am I actually being resistant and am I losing something because of that?

October 22, 2024

Critically unacclaimed

What do reviews really tell us about the work? Does it matter who’s reviewing?

October 15, 2024

Proper technique

If I’m learning a new art form, do I focus on technical correctness first or building an emotional connection with the medium?

October 8, 2024

The importance of mess

Physical art materials are messy and inconvenient. But isn’t that the point?

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