Drive-By Drawings

Perhaps now is the time to re-examine the doodle as an art form, right up on the easel next to oil paintings. If all art is the result of outward experience enriched by the artist's inner creativity, then surely doodles qualify.

A case could be made that doodles are among the purest of art forms, since they are the result of our practical mind distracted from the creative process. They spring forth before we have a chance to anguish over color, line or composition.

Considered useless by most people, doodles have long been employed by artists as preliminary sketches for larger paintings. I am often more attracted to these uncensored drawings for their rawness and energy, qualities often missing in the finished paintings.

In my own case, there has always been an endless loop of images running through my head. When I slow down, turn my gaze inward and get out of the way, some amazing drawings emerge.

Let's just call it doodle art.

From The Archives: The Tar Paper Project

I learned early on that it's not wise to pass up anything that presents a surface on which to make a mark. Thus, any flat surface became fair game for wildly experimental work and over the years I've painted on screen doors, dinner plates, plywood, car hoods, tennis shoes, and tar paper.

Like many unusual surfaces, the tar paper came to me by accident, leftover from a next door roofing job. A roll of the thick black paper lay abandoned in the weeds and after a month I grabbed it. With no clue for its use, the roll stood in my studio corner for another month.

One uninspired day, irritated because images would not come out of hiding, I cut off a piece of tar paper, took some pastels and began to draw. My first stiff-armed attempts ended up in the trash can, but, as I got used to the paper's odd spongy nature, some decent gestural images began to appear.

I stayed with tar paper long enough to complete a series of birds. Above are two that survived.

Good Things, Small Packages

In my extended gig as a health food store "vitamologist," word got out that I also dabbled in the Arts. Before long, I was asked to exhibit work in the store cafe, next to the "all you can eat" salad bar and across from the "grab 'n go" deli.

It occurred to me one day, while noshing on an organic radish, that in a restaurant setting a different kind of art exhibit would be better appreciated. Thus was born the Grab 'n Go Art Show, featuring scores of original 3"x 5" drawings covering the deli walls. Customers simply pulled off the drawing they liked and left $5.00. I made enough money from that exhibition to buy more art supplies.

The Grab 'n Go Art Show will make a reappearance at the July Cool Art Show in The Cloiseum in St. Petersburg. Above are samples of many new works that will be available.

Temple Postscript

I just now returned from collecting my art at the conclusion of the Art Festival Beth-El in St. Petersburg. I entered the Temple wondering if I had made any sales and made my way past empty panels and packing boxes to the check-out table.

The volunteer allowed, with some excitement, that Matt Silverman, the President of the Tampa Bay Rays, bought one of my pieces. Going over her list, she finally said "Oh here it is, he bought "Diamond Dog."

Does Matt have a dog named Diamond, did he buy it as a gift for his friend, health guru Harvey Diamond, or perhaps, as he gazed at the drawing above, he thought of B.J. Upton, standing at the baseball diamond, tapping his cleats with his bat?

I don't have any idea, but I know that Matt's purchase made it a good show for me. Tomorrow I will buy another batch of art supplies. Thanks.

Thirty-six Years of Fine Art

Every January the Temple Beth-El in St. Petersburg stages a high quality fine arts and crafts exhibition, Art Festival Beth-El. The three day indoor event features award winning artists from around the country, and brings out a large following of supporters and collectors.

I will be exhibiting the above mixed-media paintings in this years Festival, in addition to ten framed drawings from a series called "Animals With Attitude." The Festival opens Saturday evening, January 24, 6-10pm, Sunday, January 25, 11am-5pm, and Monday, January 26, 10am-5pm.

Temple Beth-El is located at 400 Pasadena Avenue South, St. Petersburg. 727 347-6136 http://www.templebeth-el.com/

Return To Smallville

I am just now putting the finishing touches on a new series of pastel, watercolor, and ink drawings. Most are 8" x 8", shadow-box mattedand framed under glass. These are drawings of our favorite friends, as they have never been seen, and are attractively priced for purchase. I will post other examples in the following days. Please contact me at dgaston@ij.net