I spent today working (observing) in the print shop, huddled away from the drizzle and the gray gloom that has fallen over our little town. Aside from the cold and the somewhat bitter wind, today was just marvelous. The rain fell in a light mist for hours, and the sky clouded over with a heavy, bluesy layer of cloud. I can honestly say that I wish there were more days like this. Oh, well. I will have to enjoy them as they come along.
After an ice cream sandwich and a cup of very strong coffee (because the only thing better than a sugar high is a sugar+caffeine high) I was ready to begin writing for today’s post. The dictionary offered up a rather plain word today, but it led to an interesting and unintended result.
pin n. A small, stiff piece of wire with a blunt head and a sharp point, used to fasten something, usually temporarily; one of the rounded wooden clubs serving as the target in bowling.
Now, today’s piece came about as the result of a misunderstanding on my part. I thought of a “pin” as a “button” (the colorful type of button that pins onto clothing, not the kind that keep your shirt on ya). Without thinking, I began to illustrate a rather sullen character, decorated in my changed version of “pins”.
Only as I finished did it dawn on me that I had, in fact, drawn buttons! As I pulled back from the page to look at my new creation, I realized that the stance of the character makes him look as if he’s “pinned” in place. He leans slightly forward, as if wanting to move but not knowing just quite how to do so. This piece really struck me; as it embodied recent experiences and a desperate desire on my part never to be “pinned” like this character. It’s always been fascinating to me-things about yourself that you may not intend to translate through your art come through without you intending them to. It’s as if I pick up a pencil and get lost in it; emerging to find a strange piece of art.
I hope you enjoyed today’s post; thank you for reading.
Xx
-r
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