Aha! – Eureka! – OMG!

Southcoast, MA - As I was pondering my approach to my new blog site – RON FORTIER'S Anyone Can Draw! – I was thunderstruck by the realization that as I was attempting to explain what drawing really was (really to me that is) that I discovered what indeed it really is; spiritual. Now if that thought hasn’t scared you away; consider this – what other purpose would it serve? Why a new blog? I need to start focusing on my return to teaching drawing and doing art again. Through the years I developed a system of teaching drawing but really never had a name for it until I watched Ratatouille with my grand kids and saw how Chef Gusteau believed that, “anyone can cook!” So, why wouldn’t the same hold true for drawing and that’s how Anyone Can Draw came about.

While preparing to write the first post of the new RON FORTIER'S Anyone Can Draw! blog, I wondered, if "cavemen" were drawing as early as early as 32,000 years ago – why? I teach art history (and marketing; what a combination, huh?) and I’ve heard all of the theories about Paleolithic cave art such as target bonding where drawing the intended prey transferred the prey’s strength to the hunter. [PHOTO: Lions - Chauvet Cave in France] Another theory involves a finite inventory where the spirit of the slain prey, if rendered (drawn) on the communal cave, would continue on to assure an adequate stock of that species. There are many other theories. I don’t have one. Just an opinion based on the observation that although the experts considered this art a part of a religious or or spiritual act, I realized it was more than that. It was the act, the ceremony and the rite – and it connected all or most of the theories. Drawing then was a spiritual act and it still is!

I came upon this concept on a walk. I was walking to review how I was going to approach this new blog site. As I was reviewing the concept of two-dimensional space in relation to Picasso’s statement that, “Every act of creation is first an act of destruction,” I realized that by violating the pristine white space, the illusionary negative space or the blank space – all the same by the way – we take control of “our space” in a very primal manner. It’s almost like scent marking. I’ve always compared graffiti tagging to scent marking because it is exactly about space or territory. I know, I can hear some of you saying, but I just like to draw. My answer to you is; did you ever really wonder why? No, no stereotype based answers. Why do you really, really, really like to draw? How does it make you feel and why do you feel that way?

Why are you happy when you draw or why does drawing make you happy? Is it because the act of drawing gives you a feeling or an illusion of control? Is it because you feel very affectionate towards yourself. No, not that! Saint Paul said that in order to love others you had to first love yourself. So what better way then? Or, is it because it gives you a feeling of belonging? By drawing, you express yourself in some manner and if the drawing is accepted so are you. I’ve often wondered why incredibly well executed, life-like drawings left me cold. Perhaps it’s because the artist was so exceptionally technically apt that the spirit of the drawing was muffled. “Oh, it’ so lifelike.” “It’s just like a photograph.” Some are mesmerized by the technical acuity because it does represent an incredible skill. I’m not so easily swept away. I’ve got a lot more to say about that but not here and not now. Discussing art; like politics and religion can be a slippery slope.

Looking at the earliest of the cave drawings, as beautiful as they are, they are not realistic in the true sense of the term, yet they seem teeming with an energetic life force. If you look at the cave drawings closer (they are referred to as paintings or art but for this post, I prefer the term drawing) you'll notice that the more crude drawings are actually from a much later (closer in time to us) period. The more realistic or less childlike of the drawings are actually from the earliest Paleolithic period but, I'm getting off the true focus of this particular post, which is that drawing is a spiritual or religious act. I know you may think this is a stretch but, the virginal, two-dimensional space is sacrificed the moment the first mark blemishes or destroys (or, graces) the surface. All of the marks made thereon delineate from and mass, depict the illusion of spacial depth, weight and perspective. While I'm getting it together for the new blog, I consider what Picasso said about action being the fundamental key to all success, so I'd better get going and get the new RON FORTIER'S Anyone Can Draw! blog site ready for my first posting - Drawing the Line; a New Way to Learn How to Draw.

Please Note: There is an Any One Can Draw based in Canada authored by Stephan Baker. When I last searched to see if anyone else was using the term, phrase or title a few weeks ago, nothing came up. Based on this new information, I will proceed as RON FORTIER'S Anyone Can Draw! As such, I have edited this post to reference: RON FORTIER'S Anyone Can Draw!