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Jackson Pollock
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National Novel Writing Month, 2007
call for submissions
• Third Person Press •
what: Undercurrents Anthology
speculative fiction/poetry
who: Cape Breton Island writers
when: deadline March 15, 2008
how: click for detailed guidelines -
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Apr
2
Doodle art - Maureen Shaughnessy
April 2, 2007 |
[-art, doodles, essay-]
What is a doodle?
How’s this for a definition?
| A doodle is art that happens while you’re doing other things. They can be quickies done while on hold on the telephone or more long-term doodles, revisited over long periods of time. The line between doodles and “art” is not a solid one and here at The PCQ we value doodles as process art. Here one of our favourite contributors lets us take a peek at some of her sketchbook/journal pages. |
Art by Maureen Shaughnessy
Words by Nancy Waldman
In Maureen’s doodles we see repetition of symbols (circles, deer, snakes, suns). If you see similar images or types of marks in your doodles, pay attention to them! You can use them in your art in a more conscious way.
Maureen reports being in a bad mood the day she drew the doodle below. What about it says, “Negative Energy?”
EVERYTHING!
Remember: marks and lines communicate ideas, emotions, concepts by the energy with which they are drawn, their placement on the page, heaviness or lightness of the mark and much more.
Below we see repetition of themes once more and the working through of a concept or idea - akin to a writer’s first draft - perhaps to be used in a more ambitious project.
In the drawing below, Maureen has done very quick doodles of figures and faces. These are called gesture drawings. The quickness with which they were drawn communicates a feeling of liveliness and spontaneity. Gesture drawings - especially when done with a brush, soppy with paint or ink - are a great exercise for loosening up your hand and mind, strengthening your eye, and capturing movement.
Doodle with a variety of markers, pens, pencils and brushes to see what kind of effect each of them has on your art.
Thanks Maureen for inspiring all us doodlers to doodle more and pay attention to what kind of marks we’re making when we doodle!
All images © 2005 - 2007 Maureen Shaughnessy all rights reserved
All of these and more drawings can be seen in Maureen’s flickr set Random Sketches.
Be sure to see Maureen’s other articles in The PCQ:
The Thread of Winter-Quiet: thoughts and images | tutorial on altered photography
about the artist:
Maureen is a:
- landscape designer . artist . gardener . writer . companion to her soul mate . mom . daughter . sister . friend . independent sort .
lover of nature music animals plants beauty sunlight & darkness -
Maureen lives in Helena, Montana. She is working on a personal website but is almost too much of a perfectionist to finish. She likes to quote Leonardo da Vinci, “art is never finished, only abandoned.”
Maureen’s flickr photostream; Maureen’s blog Raven’s Nest.
Originally published in the July 2005 issue of The Practically Creative Quarterly, theme: space and spaces
Edited slightly for re-publication
also posted in: How-to ... , Art - process, craft, tutorials , Art , Collaboration , Inspiration , The Original PCQ, 05-06 , Craft , Creations , Contributors , Journaling , Process
tags: art, concepts, creative, doodle, energy, expressive, gestural, ideas, journal, marks, maureen shaughnessy, mind, page, pen, personal, placement, practical, process, quick, rough, see, symbols, way, work
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Words of Art
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Results of our previous poll
What is your biggest creativity problem?too many projects at once can't get in the groove not enough time everything else takes priority self-doubts
other ['not enough talent']27% 20% 20% 15% 15%
5%
