H is for High Rise

High Rise

After weeks of drawing and painting rural landscapes with trees and mountains, when I sat down to play the other day, I turned my page from landscape to portrait ( or from hamburger to hot dog as my kid students say, ) and drew a few vertical lines. Then a curve and then another. Before I knew it, a city scene began to appear. I decided to just keep making lines and see where it took me.

I find that water is appearing in many of my scenes now, and  I am still fascinated by working flat - without shadow. This drawing was a great way to learn about creating depth simply by placing one shape behind another.

Is this a drawing of downtown Portland, aka Bridgetown? Is this an art deco city? My memories of home in New York?  Maybe, possibly, could be. Wherever this imagined city is, I am very pleased with the result.

I am learning that for me at least, my creativity is unleashed by NOT planning and predetermining what I am going to draw or paint. I regularly structure a project for myself -  by choosing materials and a method, and then just let  something appear and go with it.

Honestly, this has resulted in more than a few garbage liners, but, the more I let myself just draw and play, the more I discover unexpected faces and places and feelings.  And the more I love lines.

This drawing is 9x12. Sharpies and markers on watercolor paper.