Diana K. Gibson

The art we create in essence is a reflection of who and what we are, what we have experienced, what we feel, what we think, what we would like to say.  Several months ago I lost my beloved pet.  It was a loss that I had never experienced before and it was devastating to say the least.  Many a day was spent feeling such sadness. Then one day I picked up a pencil and started to draw my dog’s portrait.  And from that point on the drawing became a means to express my love, my sorrow, all those feelings that had welled up inside.  Upon completion of the drawing  there was an internal shift and a catharsis followed.  The drawing had been a way to heal.  It had been a way to express everything that needed to be said and a way to honor her life.

Recently I rediscovered drawing and it has been a delight to return to the basics! As of late plaster life casts have been the focus of study and they are wonderful to learn from.  If anything that I have learned from my drawing foray and I say foray cheekily, is that one must really understand not only how to create linear elements but also know how to model and shape through a multitude of black and white values.  I now have a broader understanding and a greater appreciation of just how difficult drawing can be and in some cases some drawings can require as much time to execute as a painting!