Dear Sarah - 015

Salty pepper sparks

Dear Nikki - January 15, 2025,

When I saw your drawing (before I read your 3 am list) I thought that, in the midst of fire and wind and chaos there was what looked like a winged creature--a phoenix? a demon? Or maybe this is what your brain looks like on jet lag! I can't believe you did a Zoom workshop right after you got back!

I worked at home all day today, and took a break to draw in the late afternoon. I chose to draw Salvador and Pablo, a set of salt and pepper shakers that my son brought back from MOMA for me a few years ago. How hard can this be, I thought. Basically they are painted ceramic cylinders.

I have included my first attempt at drawing Sal with a pen. The proportions eluded me and poor Sal looks positively demented (which he kinda was). I moved on to drawing with pencils, and then adding some colour with my grandkids pens and crayons. This was more successful and also hilarious, because, as mentioned before, I don't know how to draw three-dimensional objects yet. Pablo is slightly better than Salvador, but they still look to me like a pair of exotic dildos for art lovers. Sal still looks demented and Pablo looks up for a good time (also very on-brand).

Tomorrow I will study the next chapter in my how-to-draw book--it's on three dimensional drawing. But I gotta say, today's drawing session was a lot of fun!

Dear Sarah - January 15, 2025

I should have done a play by play of what I was imagining as I worked on that chaotic flames piece yesterday. Like your grandson, I was muttering to myself as I worked - broken roof line, a door, shattered glass, memories scattered, wind, heat, flames, spark, what remains, what is lost… more paint, too thick, smear, add something lighter, some black, charred trees…

Today I found myself wondering what a single spark looks like. Googling wasn’t much help - found lots of info on what it means when your spark plug produces an orange spark, and some great images of welders at work, but no single analysis of the shape/composition of a single spark.

I thought my sparky efforts would show up best on black paper, but a search of my office did not uncover the few sheets of black I know I have hiding around here somewhere. Hence, the purple background. And, a note to self that I really need to spend some time organizing my art supplies so I can put my hands on what I need without too much digging.

I’m not happy with either of these (the bottom one looks like maybe a fish has exploded?), but in the spirit of something is better than nothing, I’m sharing.

I LOVE the various iterations of Salvador and Pablo! If I had to pick a favourite, I think I like the pencil version without colour. Please pass along your 3-D tips after you digest the next chapter!

(Just joining us? These letters chronicle our full year of daily drawings and accompanying correspondence/conversation. Learn more about Sarah Harvey here. More info about me can be found here.)