Saturday, April 28, 2012

Carousel Dreaming


How fascinating to stumble across old drawings tucked away from the past! 

This happened to me as I was cleaning out a file cabinet recently, and lo and behold I discovered some demonstration drawings I had done for a children's drawing class I was teaching a loooonnnng time ago, in 1987! 

They were learning to draw the basic line shapes, and how to combine those elements into images. 

You'll notice the two keys to good design being used:
variation and repetition 

To teach them this, I used simple elements like circles, triangles, spirals, curves lines, dots, squares, etc.

When I found this drawing, I stopped and looked... remembering. And could see that more of me was revealed in that simple drawing that I had realized at the time.

Here is it, a little faded, since it was done with inexpensive colored markers on cheap school paper.  I wonder if anyone can identify with the longing in the carousel horse's dreaming??

(can click to enlarge)


Happy drawing,

Retta

9 comments:

  1. Oh yes.

    I even had nightmares of escaping something terrible by floating away into the sky.

    Talking of Carousels. We took photos of the carousel in Salem (2009) I was disappointed because we were too early and couldn't go right inside the building. I don't think there are any of these magnificent carousels in NZ.

    Been thinking of you all day so it was a delight to find your comment.

    Blessings.

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  2. Nightmares...yikes!

    It feels like I've always loved the carousels, especially the horses. I must've had a good experience as a child. :-)

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  3. Anonymous11:59 PM

    We shall be free. :)

    I heard a song today (and if I can find it again, I may post it) that had the sentence in it that went something like, "stop giving energy to that which binds you".

    I thought of you and me and Margaret the minute I heard it--and our yearning for freedom.

    Now, here, you have drawn it out.


    Deb

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  4. Anonymous1:15 AM

    "No longer lend your strength to that which you wish to be free from" is the line. The song is "Life Uncommon" by Jewel. :)

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    1. I agree... good sentence. And it even goes along perfectly with what I've been trying to learn. To let go of that "old" programming, to not give it attention and reinforcement. I'll look up that song on youtube... I'll bet it's there. :-)

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  5. I love the hair on the horse flying up and away from the animal. It looks like he desires to be free and flying, just like we as people desire to be free from the things that weigh us down.

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    1. I think you nailed it, Karen. :-)

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  6. A very profound piece for something you call simple. I can really relate to the carousel horse and his dream. Or her dream. The saddle is pink. Maybe a she.

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    1. Ha ha, Mary, I suppose it was a she! Even back then I had a thing for pink. :-D

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