Thursday, August 26, 2021

I've Got It!


                 

            Human happiness and human satisfaction must ultimately come from within oneself... Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.

                                        Dalai Lama


        The above drawing is one I made of Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres' drawing of his friend and fellow artist Merry-Joseph Blondel.  In an effort to go back to what originally drew me to drawing (great pun, right?), portraiture, I am working on copying some of the best portraits in the classical style.  I was particularly drawn to this drawing because Mr. Blondel looks so satisfied with where he is and the image he projects.   Hence it came to me as no surprise that he was, himself, a famous artist creating paintings and frescoes in palaces, museums, and churches from the early to mid 1850's.  Although still a young man when this drawing was completed, he gives the impression that he has, indeed, found happiness while living in the moment.  In the troubled age we live in today we hear time and again how we should each be practicing meditation and mindfulness.  I've tried them both and found neither of them to be as easy as proponents would have you believe.  I can, however, recommend picking up a pencil and giving drawing a portrait a try.  Being so occupied can get you pretty close to a serene state of mind and keep you there until it is literally time to turn out the lights.  Of course, then you won't be able to sleep because you will keep thinking about how to improve your drawing.  Nothing's perfect.  

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