The true measure of an artist’s life is NOT
*in how many drawings one makes
*nor in how “good” they are
*nor how much money they fetch…
…but rather in a stouthearted search for beauty in everything:
*in the little as well as the big
*in the mundane and the magical
*in calm as well as chaos
*in peace and also pain.
We wield our pens to draw out the lovely contained in anything, even d’un beau affreux (the ugly beautiful).
-jpe
Recently, I sat with my husband on a crisp fall day gazing into our chiminea. I caught my breath as the flames revealed a beautiful labyrinth of lines etched into the burning logs. After running inside to get my pen and sketchbook, I tried following the lines to etch them onto my paper, mesmerized as I went along. I did not expect to find beauty in a chiminea.
Even in a furnace of affliction, beautiful lines are revealed as the fire rages. We need eyes to see it and a sketchbook to record it.
This is how I want to spend my life.
Measured or not.
I wish we lived closer so we could paint together. You are the type of person I would love to spend time with – so full of energy and happiness. Great sketch.
Id love that too! Friday mornings i draw with a ciuple of other artist friends and it would be great tobhave you there! Happy drawing today!
Thanks Jennifer for this beautiful reminder.
You are so welcome Kay! Have a beautiful day!
Lovely sketches!
Thank you Sharon!!
Jen, thank you for spreading beauty and inspiration through your words and drawing. Just the pep talk I needed! Jane W
You are so very welcome Jane! We all need our foundation affirmed every now and then…at least, i do. Which is why i write these things…to remind my own self. Glad it helps others too!
Truth be told, you are, dear daughter!
I love the patterns in both drawings. A delight visiting here, as always 🙂
Thank you Ann!! I am loving all te gorgeous artwork yiu are producing these days!! It is truly stunning! I hope tiu are braces for a very snowy winter up your way!!
Love the painting and the sketch. I take it you are still drawing through your “affliction” then? Darn, when is it going to go away? I am so glad you are able to keep on enjoying your art in spite of your pain. I had a super food sensitivity headache for a few days this week and tried to do some knitting on my worst day – – which I then had to frog due to doing it all wrong and not noticing through the haze of the headache. Aargh! It’s corrected now and that’s good because it is a Christmas gift slipper sock and I need to hurry and get more done! That you can keep making such beauty is a wonderful gift!
By the way, I see the cow paintings are no longer on your Etsy site. Did they sell?