The two works have a similar feel, I think, don’t they?  In terms of emotion, obviously, not color or medium, they both seem to say “I’m a little bit scary, but not really scary…. or am I?”

And I absolutely adore the free-spirited, in-your-face, “I’m a two-headed dragon, alright” feeling of the youthful piece of art. Not that I’m biased or anything, but I find it inspiring. :  )

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Sleeping Dragon with Feather Wings / pencil drawing @Patricia Saxton

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It’s the same for any of us who dare to “do better”, to be the best we can be, and then some. To rise above. To discover, to conquer, to surpass, to make dreams come true ~ or to simply grow as spiritual beings. It’s the same for any of us who dare to bloom.

This is a favorite drawing that my daughter likes to show to her friends and say, “can you believe that’s a pencil drawing?” And she’ll often say to me, “Mom, how did you do that?  Seriously, how does that even happen?” And I tell her it’s because I practiced a lot lot lot. Yes, it’s something I had a propensity for early on, but I worked it. Like Malcolm Gladwell’s study in his book Outliers, I’d put in my hours. And if I hadn’t, this eagle would not be hanging on the wall as an unintended, but still valuable lesson right here at home.

Olympians, of course, really know how to work it. The hours they put in are nearly incomprehensible to the majority of us mere mortals, but the results of their habits are profound. I don’t know how anyone could escape feeling inspired to push a little harder, be a little better, aim a little higher. At the very least, we can admire the amazing human spirit, just by watching what Olympians know and exemplify.

And yet… without ever having stood on an Olympic podium with a shiny gold, silver or bronze medallion, there’s probably not one of us who couldn’t find a positive example of our very own that proves Aristotle right. Excellence is a habit, not an act. So go for gold.

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When it comes to my art, people often ask “how do you do that shading with a pencil?”, or “how do you create that sense of depth on a 2-dimensional surface?”. Of course I can show them, or I can teach techniques, but the truth is that when you’re in the throes, you’re not really “thinking”, it’s more like feeling your way. (And it should also be said, that one of the key things about details is knowing which ones to leave out.)

In any event, since details play such a big role in my work, I thought it might be interesting to share some “up-close” artwork. Hope you enjoy the closer look!

Detail of "Cairo Market" / Oil on Canvas / © Patricia Saxton

"Cairo Market" / Oil on Canvas / © Patricia Saxton

Detail of "Osprey 1" / Pen & Ink / © Patricia Saxton

"Osprey 1" / Pen and Ink on Paper / © Patricia Saxton

Detail of "Eagle" / Pencil on Paper / © Patricia Saxton

"Eagle" / Pencil on Paper / © Patricia Saxton

Detail of "Storm II" / Oil on Canvas / © Patricia Saxton

"Storm II" / Oil on Canvas / © Patricia Saxton

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I say “invisible forces” because you can’t explain “why” you may have spent days drawing a larger than life Iris, or why it was an Iris you chose, not a face or an apple or a street scene. Of course there had to be a point of intellectual decision along the way, but you can’t necessarily say why in that moment it was a pencil you used, not a pen and not a brush.

Because time then becomes suspended  ~  the same as it does for a musician, a dancer, a poet; conscious thoughts dissolve, almost as if your being, through the act of creating, becomes a meditation.

© Patricia Saxton

And it is this piece pulled up today, I believe, because it also speaks to me now, years later, of gentle unfoldings, as opposed to dramatic, coarse unravelings. It speaks to me of a natural grace within life ~ one perhaps we all wish to nurture and maintain but feel we seldom do. It whispers of quiet gestures and grand plans, and of patience, and the knowing that all things blossom best with care and water and light.

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Garth / © Patricia Saxton

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Dragon Tail / © Patricia Saxton

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Dragon Tail Detail / © Patricia Saxton

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