(Layer on layer on layer….)

Artists who work with coloured pencils put layer after layer on their drawing paper. This process holds some magic. It is like the gestation of a plant, the stages of pregnancy or the stages of meditation. Something is slowly manifesting from nothingness. It is emerging from inspiration, the unknown, a wormhole or whispered in your ear by the art Muses. There is only so much the artist has to do with it.

Later the artist judges the outcome of the layering process. If his work is according to his intentions, then he is happy. However when there is a gap between the final result (artwork) and his intention, then there is ‘dukkha’ (a word from Buddhist psychology referring to suffering).

But sometimes the final result supersedes the expectation. Something magical has happened! Where the art Muses not only whispering but having a bigger part in it?

When I think about ‘Layer’, I think about ‘Layering’ and ‘Stages’ too. Artists put on layers to create depth. The more stages of inspiration the artist experiences, the more likely he will be surprised by the outcome.

Paula