"Blast From The Past"

(unavailable)

"A blast from the past is often a step into the future." This old hardware store is symbolic of things in the past that often prompt new thoughts and ideas for the future. Creativity and invention keep us moving forward.

This piece is a sketch created with a fine point pen of a very old hardware store in Boone, N.C. It is a historic landmark in the area with an old gas pump and screen doors that have withstood the test of time. 

Sketching is a simple impression of a scene or subject that gives the artist a more emotional "feel" of the subject. It does not have all of the shading and other characteristics of a full scale drawing, so I added text pages partially covered with gesso to enrich the surface in the background. 

There is a lot to be learned by sketching that will enhance the scope of work that any artist wishes to create. Sketching journals have been around for a long time, but I have personally found it very difficult to carve out time just for sketching. It may just be that it needs to be viewed as a foundational part of the art process. So my encouragement is to have you join me in a commitment to pick up pen or pencil everyday and sketch at least one thing. It may even become addictive and spawn a whole new direction to your artwork. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.