Transparency

There is a fundamental difference between drawing with a pencil compared to using a pen. When using a pencil you can draw very light lines to lay out a composition and darken the lines by applying more pressure after “finding the line.” If you make a mistake, you can easily erase a line drawn with a pencil.  Using a pen or ink, on the other hand, requires commitment. You can sometimes mask a mistake made with a pen, but you can’t eliminate it completely. If the error is big enough you may need to get out a fresh sheet of paper and start over. If it happens near the completion of an image that took several hours or days to complete, it can be devastating. Using a pen is like life: We all are climbing a cliff face without a rope and harness. Granted, no one usually dies from a failed composition, but success requires the same level of training and confidence. To move forward you must be willing to risk all the progress you have made in an instant.

I always draw with a pen. Each mark is binding — no do-overs. When I collage, paint, pull a print or sculpt, I operate in a similar manner. I never sketch out a concept or idea; I simply jump in and start making. I make a mark and then respond to that mark and so on. Even if I have a clear idea of where I want to take a particular composition, I remain open and adapt as it emerges and evolves. The process reflects the way we all live life. I always finish a work — even if I don’t like it, this is how I strengthen my skills and train my intuition. After the initial sting of making something that I don’t particularly like, I own it and embrace it. I will spend weeks comparing it to my more successful compositions — learning more from my mistakes than my successes. Over the years this process has given me a confidence and understanding that any misstep can be salvaged and balanced with a few additional moves. There are moments when I will purposely make a mark from which it will be hard to recover, simply to strengthen my compositional understanding and awareness.