Friday, February 11, 2011

A Little Gem of a Book

Last October while in San Miguel de Allende, we visited the studio of Leigh Hyams. After meeting her, I wanted to read her book. DH bought it for me online for my birthday. It's a wonderful book full of her experience being a painter and teacher, her travels and great exercises. Every friend who has read this little gem of a book raves about it. Her passion for art inspires and challenges.
She encourages artists to use their imagination and synesthesia to draw and paint from the heart not the mind. I still want to use my pen and dominant hand (above right) or my non-dominant hand (above left). It's hard to get the essence of something with a pen. The pencil gives more weight and depth as below.
My challenge is to develop my imagination and synesthesia- the ability to draw a sense as an image crossing senses such as the center of a waterfall, the smell of coffee or the shadow of a deer. This ability to capture an abstraction of a feeling or a sense is what gives a painting or work of art its heart and soul. Something that I plan to explore this year.

2 comments:

lilylovekin said...

I think one would really need to be in touch with themselves to be able to draw "senses". What a goal to work for and to achieve. It is a concept I've never given thought to.

Dayna said...

This looks like a fascinating and wonderful book!