04 Jul Art Journey “Hot Blooded”
For some time now, I’ve been striving to create original art drawings without relying on photo references. Yet, I felt there was still something missing.
Someone advised me to focus on images that come to me in a relaxed state, either before falling asleep or while meditating. Skeptical at first, I decided to embark on a journey to quiet my mind and see what would emerge.
The first clear image I saw was a close-up of a woman with hair flying in the warm summer breeze, spinning around with pure joy. The scene was bathed in the golden light of sunset. Beside her stood a young girl, her daughter, who, though not part of the artwork, felt crucial to the story.
As I pondered how to transfer this inner image onto paper, an entire narrative unfolded. I realized the woman was spinning around on roller skates after leaving a 70s-style roller rink, her hair flying in the wind. It was a scene of pure joy and freedom.
It took considerable time to perfect the initial sketch and even longer to complete the actual artwork. For once, I was thrilled to have created something entirely without photo references. However, after sharing the story, I still felt something was missing.
As a colored pencil artist, storytelling is important, but visuals are paramount. True to the saying, “Show, don’t tell,” I created three additional drawings and sketches to serve as a storyboard for the main piece.
These included the roller skates, the bond between mother and daughter represented through their connected hands (perhaps during a roller-skating lesson), and a “space in between” drawing. Instead of riding off into the sunset, the woman is depicted roller-skating like an eternal spirit in the glowing evening light.
