Art Responding: This is one of the ways I process life!
After reading books, i like to make art responses in a different medium, to see what I took in. It’s a way of letting art dialogue with art, but also for some reason, always helps me process what I read. What did I really get from this book or encounter.
This is a drawing I’m doing after reading again “New Seeds of Contemplation” (Thomas Merton) this week —fun to make art responses to books—you realize the tone of your reading. Tone is everything. Even hearing God, means we listen for the tone of love—that’s always where His voice is. Start there, and you start hearing. I like making art after reading, helps me process what I read. I tend to make art responses to almost all encounters, with people places of things. But I liked how this one had this more eastern feeling, as I was reading lots about prayer and contemplation—things releasing, things coming in and out of color, and seasons of life. A sense of mentor and disciple plants; sort of father or mother plants blowing life into younger but more colorful blooms. When to release, when to cover, when to be brilliant and obvious. Timing of seasons of life. The fleeting or transiency of life, and how that informs and make each day matter. What stage your at, and so, what you have to offer to the whole picture. Etcetera. That’s part of what I get from these sketches. Lots here to learn. Sometimes I learn the most afterwards. Fun way to process. Lots in there, as there was as a read. Plus, making little sketches is fun. I encourage you to make art about your days, or whatever you encounter. It always teaches me new things, I didn’t realize I’d learned.