Two months ago, I bought a cute red sketchbook… it’s taken me that long to crack it open. I’ve been knowing I need, “one day,” to get back to one of the things that I never needed to be taught… art — and that to be serious about art, I need to be drawing and learning from life all the time.
I’ve come to realize that yes, I can be a good photographer, I could learn video and do that well, and I can do graphic recording well, and get even better… but I never feel as alive, powerful, contributive and authentically me as when I’m doing straight-up art (or building community!).
So steps must be taken! And I’m now committing myself to sketching regularly. I love this little book which is not only my favorite color, but fits so easily into my purse.
Here’s one of my first sketches since this re-start: from a delightful evening watching my friend Thomas Carabasi perform in the #FandangoJazzTrio together with Mike Ross & LaRue Nickelson at Fandango Cafe in Sarasota (It’s just a block away from a house I once lived in, years ago. They have a killer Mediterranean menu, by the way, and I highly recommend it!)
I love pen and find it especially fun to draw musicians — their creativity embodied energizes me, and I feel like I’m drawing something divine… Plus, instruments always look cool. (Tom is not pictured… ran out of time to capture him :p)
You can see a recording of the performance on the Fandango Facbook page for July 3, and catch this great trio every Saturday night at 7:30. Good music is alive in Sarasota!
I like the sketch, but do feel I could have capture more of the gestures of the guys, and taken the shading to a more impactful level. Feedback welcomed!