Art is Imprecise

When I took my first art class as an adult, I was dismayed to find that artist’s didn’t just sit and draw. They were allowed to use rulers and compasses and other drawing aids. I guess I’d had this romanticized view of artists simply drawing freehand, with lovely art flowing easily from their pencils, pastels and paints. This should have opened up an easiness in my own work, knowing I could use “aids” but I still labor under my fairy tale view of art, sometimes.

Over the weekend, I did two different versions of the same theme on ATC‘s. 2008 is the 50th anniversary of the peace symbol. Being older than the peace sign is depressing but that’s an entry for another day… One I did freehand and the other I used a nickel and a dime as templates. The freehand one looks funky and childlike. The one with the templates looks a little more consistent but because I did the lines freehand, it still has an imprecision I like.


As I explore art more, I’m sure being more precise in my drawing and other aspects of collage and assemblage will come with experience and, depending on the project, may be an important aspect of the piece. There are some things that require meticulousness. But I like to see the hand of the artist sometimes, in a crooked line or a bit of naked canvas.

Peace, Man 1 and Peace, Man 2 should be on Etsy today. Hope you like them, as imprecise as they are!

www.bearchick.etsy.com