6-8-24
This is an unfinished drawing that I've been working on. I just realized that this is another drawing with a fishbowl in it, so I guess it's another in a series. I wonder what the significance of the fishbowl is. It probably goes back to my youth. At the risk of repeating myself, my uncle used to have a fish tank with a mass of plants and floating plants with tons of guppies and guppy babies. I often spent time in front of that fish tank. I would watch the small guppies taking refuge in the mass of floating plants, protecting themselves from the adults. I used to imagine myself being able to swim with the baby guppies in the mass of plants.
I almost tossed this drawing. I started this drawing and it seemed absolutely awful to me. I was not happy with the way it was progressing. I didn't like the emerging composition or the other elements. I was a 'hair trigger' away from ripping the drawing out and tossing it. Then, I started thinking about my own advice that I've given out, that we often have good ideas, but we don't push it far enough to see what's there. I reluctantly decided to continue. I told myself that at the very least, I would try and learn as much as I could from pushing this drawing, even if I ultimately tossed it. I also thought that maybe this was one of those "you have to go through the crap to get to the good stuff."
Anyway, after struggling with this drawing for sometime, I started to make some positive progress and began to like what was happening. I'm glad I listened to my inner self and that I didn't toss the drawing.
I'm still working on this drawing, and I will post the finished drawing when it is done. I haven't decided if I will add color to this drawing, maybe a color wash.
Thanks for reading. Russ Eng
StudioEng.com