In most cases, it does not. But that does not necessarily mean I get disappointed. Sometimes, it turns out much better.
Last year, a couple of days after I have given birth to my beautiful daughter, Julia, I spent most of my time in bed. Recuperating. Since I didn't have much to do, I took my sketch pad and pastels and began sketching the image that was retained in my mind on how my new born baby looked like. I didn't like the outcome then and had stashed it away.
But as I look at the sketch now that Julia is already a very active toddler at nearly 2 years old, I realize and am amazed at how accurate that sketch was on giving an impression of how I have felt about her at that time.
Note that I said - "felt" and not how she looked. Which is a world of difference.
Looking at this picture, I get to again feel her shiny glow of invisible fresh energy, all bundled up in her own sphere, as if wrapped in a bubble of her silent world.
Fragile but pulsing with life. Sleeping yet awake. Manifested, yet forming still.
I remember reading about Zen drawing in a book somewhere - it talked about emphasis on drawing the essence of things, on what makes the cat a cat, rather than on how the cat looked like. (It had confused me at that time. I didn't get it. How could you draw a cat without copying the physical appearance of a cat?)
In a way, this drawing is to me, what makes Julia who she was when she was a baby and not exactly how she looked like on the outside.
I am happy with this drawing. It is not the normal copy exact style I usually have but that of the essence of her.
I am reminded of the famous quote from the Little Prince - "What is essential is invisible to the eye".
To be able to express the essential, the unseen, that which is felt, is a nice path to explore.
You should try it.

1 comment:
Hi Din, sorry it's just now that I got the time to check my blog, as you may noticed from the lack of December entries. The Christmas holiday was hectic as always. I have just been to your blog and saw how Evan has grown! And to hear him speak! I think he would have said "heck" with his american twang as well. :)
emilie
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