A man IV
black marker on watercolour paper
8 x 10 inches
Barbara Muir © 2009
(another drawing of a man,
done for fun. Loved the
background and the lines.
Do I use a ruler? For some lines yes.
Do I like to? Yes ....sometimes using
one is delightful.)
life?" What would you say? I would stand almost
speechless with the wheels of my brain turning, and
a vivid, rapid slide show of high points flickering
through my brain, and probably be unable
to choose. The birth of my children? Yes. But talking
to them today, having a bit of celebratory champagne
and joking around today -- high points. My wedding
day? Yes -- I was the happiest of brides, but hearing the
dog start to bark because my husband was home after a
long day of work today -- a high point.
What is a high point? I think for artists, and I know
I've said this many times, the moment is probably
the high point. Maybe not if we're waiting in a long
line at a bank, or airport -- but even then, there
are people to watch and talk to, people to be kind
to, babies smiling, people you can let in ahead of
you and make yourself feel good.
Seeing my brother's face today on Skype and drawing
him was a high point. He can say so much in an ironic
smile. I tried to capture a similar smile in my drawing
tonight of "the man". My youngest says I keep drawing
this "man" this week because a certain TV show is in
reruns.
I'm afraid tonight's drawing was done under the influence
of a glass of bubbly, shared with friends and family. That
didn't produce excellent art -- but it did produce -- you
guessed it -- a high point.
Have a day-filled-with-high-points.
What a tender and insightful post.
ReplyDeleteBeing in the moment and being aware enough IN that moment to recognize those high points when they come along is truly a wonderful gift. I'm intrigued with the individual uniqueness of what makes a given moment a high point to one person but not another. As Paul Simon said "One Man's Ceiling Is Another Man's Floor". Of course, some high points are universal but others...sometimes the highest high points...are so unexpected, so easy to mistake for ordinary, that they would be missed completely if it weren't for some heightened awareness that draws our attention and says "look".
Still lovin' The Man.
Hi Gwen,
ReplyDeleteNow don't tell me you like Paul Simon too? Trouble. First you love Colbert, and now my man Paul. I love how intelligent Paul Simon's lyrics are. The life lessons that teach us to value each day as much as possible, are the painful lessons of loss. But I think even without those hardships, many artists do notice what they value. So many of us paint or draw the moments we're living in. We have to notice them to love them enough to paint them.
Now Gwen, you are too funny about the man.
Take care,
Barbara
Away for a week and working my way through your posts... I like this one on 'high point'. My spouse and I have a verbal remembrance game, 'best day ever'... we've had many best days ever, and look forward to more every day.
ReplyDeleteHi R.,
ReplyDeleteThat's funny, my husband and I have a running joke that the meal we're eating is, "the best dinner I've ever eaten," even it's left overs from the night before.
Glad you liked the entry.
Take care,
Barbara