Abstract exercise – graphite on 14″ x 17″ Strathmore drawing paper
One Saturday morning at drawing class, the teacher wanted us to loosen up by doing an abstract drawing.
Huh? What were we supposed to do? There wasn’t going to be a still life to draw from? No! He wanted us to “Break up the page with diagonals and horizontals and then draw something in each section. Use tones, lines, organic or geometric shapes. Anything. Just try to make each section different.”
This is what I ended up with. And you know what? I really liked it. And you know what else? So did the teacher. I knew this when he whispered to me that mine was his favorite.
My sister a/k/a “Big Ears” Alice overheard this and proceeded to call me “teacher’s pet” the rest of the day. This was funny because since I was kicked out of kindergarten for (allegedly) spitting on the teacher and then spending the next 12 years hiding from and not being fond of (to put it mildly) the nuns and lay Catholic school teachers, I have never, ever been known as the teacher’s pet.
Look at me now.
I’ve spent the week reclining on, to quote Warren Zevon, “the davenport of despair.” Deaths, illness and stress have me in a no-fly zone. And don’t even get me started on Japan. I see that and I want to hit myself for feeling sad, but who says this makes sense. It doesn’t.
At least Charlie Sheen has been keeping me amused.
19 comments
Comments feed for this article
March 20, 2011 at 9:18 pm
lesliepaints
I like your abstract drawing, also, Carol.
March 21, 2011 at 8:40 am
Carol King
Thanks very much Leslie.
March 20, 2011 at 9:44 pm
kk2n777
I love your abstract drawing. It’s so much harder in my mind to draw abstractly compared to still life or even imagination. I still don’t get those abstraction drawings/painting of the cow in MOMA. I think I just lack that level of sophistication. However, I CAN appreciate that your drawing is lovely. Now do an abstraction of Kaiya….
March 21, 2011 at 8:41 am
Carol King
You know it was harder. At least to start. Once I got going it was great fun.
What I don’t get are the cows in formaldehyde in Moma. Ew.
March 21, 2011 at 12:38 am
AKLizzy
I like it as well!!!!
March 21, 2011 at 8:41 am
Carol King
YAY! Thanks Lizzy. Nice to see you here.
March 21, 2011 at 3:32 am
Alex Zonis
You did great here, Carol! I am always at a loss when faced with a task of producing an abstract drawing or painting. My brain refuses to deal with abstract and goes blank, I can totally relate to your description here. My admiration for your final result is over the top, I love the shapes and contrasts in the final rendition. Bravo!
March 21, 2011 at 8:42 am
Carol King
You should have seen how I started. A few lines here a shape there. But once I got going it was very freeing. You should give it a try. Thanks for your comments. I’m glad you like it.
March 21, 2011 at 6:43 pm
lindahalcombfineart
Carol, I love your drawing! Aren’t they fun to do? Yours is complex and full of variety with lots of variation in value, shape and line. Cool!
March 21, 2011 at 9:01 pm
Carol King
Thanks Linda! I thought of you when I was drawing it.
March 22, 2011 at 12:53 am
aswirly
I wouldn’t even know where to begin drawing an abstract. Yours is super cool! I love it. I hope you’re feeling a little better…
March 22, 2011 at 9:45 am
Carol King
thanks Amber. I think you should try an abstract some time. Just start and your pen or pencil will take over. You may be surprised with what you come up with. I know I was.
March 29, 2011 at 9:24 am
Beth Parker
This is really cool, Carol! Good therapy if you’re feeling blue, too. Keep drawing! 🙂
April 3, 2011 at 1:43 am
Carol King
Thanks Beth, I loved this exercise and i’m feeling better too!
April 1, 2011 at 7:06 pm
Debbie Adams
Hi Carol, sorry I haven’t been posting in a bit, I’ve been pup busy. Lol
I love the drawing and all the details you have in it. It’s really cool, and I love it!
Puppy Cici send you a like up the nose. 🙂
April 3, 2011 at 1:45 am
Carol King
Puppies are a lot of work! Thanks for your comment.
April 2, 2011 at 5:27 pm
Jala Pfaff
This IS very cool! Go, teacher’s pet!
April 3, 2011 at 1:46 am
Carol King
Ha! Teacher’s pet! A rare occurrence indeed.
April 5, 2011 at 5:52 pm
northpenninegallery
Each section is like a room of dreams. Perhaps that’s where they came from in your subconscious! Strange what we can conjure from our imagination. I think you’ve demonstrated some hidden side to you Carol. I can see why it was the teacher’s favourite even without seeing the others.