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Guatemala Art Post
May. 6th, 2010 01:22 amSo I feel like I didn't really keep a representative written journal when I was in Guatemala, but I did keep a decently maintained sketchbook. The two are related, in a way, but I think art has the potential to express a different sort of ambiance or emotion than words might and I think that in this case, that different perspective is worth sharing.
Art held a special importance for me in Guate, for numerous reasons. The country and the landscape and the *people* are simply stunning, and I felt inspired to examine their artistic qualities, and to try to replicate them...all the time, wherever I went. It was like consta-inspiration, of a type I've honestly never had. But drawing was also linked to a sort of a social phenomenon--having a sketchbook and sitting on a bench somewhere and drawing gave me an excuse to spend some time relaxing, passing a lot of time in one spot without necessarily participating in a particular activity, but rather taking in details at my own pace, and enjoying my surroundings. Alex, a friend of mine, also inspired me: she told me that when you draw plants, you pay more attention to the details of how they are constructed, and you begin to see the relationships between species. With that in mind, I began drawing plants. But I also believe that what she said applies to anything--when you try to draw something, you start to consciously pick up on details that would otherwise be subconscious and tenuous. I think when I started to draw Guatemalan scenes, I became more observant to what they entailed. Not to mention that some of the most interesting conversations I had with people started because people approached me while I was sketching, but those might be stories better saved for later.
Everything started when I borrowed a Guatemala guide book from my roommate, and felt this random urge to try to draw one of the photographs. This was how it came out:
It was really fun and rewarding, and I was surprised by the result. After that, I began to draw from life. I'm really unaccustomed to drawing in this sort of style, and I think it shows (especially in pictures of plants and buildings and cars, which I've *really* never drawn before), but I think that you can mostly get the idea anyway. In any case, the following are a selection of my favorites/the most complete. I hope that they in some sense convey Guatemala, or even if they don't, that you like them anyway!
( Dibujos )
Art held a special importance for me in Guate, for numerous reasons. The country and the landscape and the *people* are simply stunning, and I felt inspired to examine their artistic qualities, and to try to replicate them...all the time, wherever I went. It was like consta-inspiration, of a type I've honestly never had. But drawing was also linked to a sort of a social phenomenon--having a sketchbook and sitting on a bench somewhere and drawing gave me an excuse to spend some time relaxing, passing a lot of time in one spot without necessarily participating in a particular activity, but rather taking in details at my own pace, and enjoying my surroundings. Alex, a friend of mine, also inspired me: she told me that when you draw plants, you pay more attention to the details of how they are constructed, and you begin to see the relationships between species. With that in mind, I began drawing plants. But I also believe that what she said applies to anything--when you try to draw something, you start to consciously pick up on details that would otherwise be subconscious and tenuous. I think when I started to draw Guatemalan scenes, I became more observant to what they entailed. Not to mention that some of the most interesting conversations I had with people started because people approached me while I was sketching, but those might be stories better saved for later.
Everything started when I borrowed a Guatemala guide book from my roommate, and felt this random urge to try to draw one of the photographs. This was how it came out:
It was really fun and rewarding, and I was surprised by the result. After that, I began to draw from life. I'm really unaccustomed to drawing in this sort of style, and I think it shows (especially in pictures of plants and buildings and cars, which I've *really* never drawn before), but I think that you can mostly get the idea anyway. In any case, the following are a selection of my favorites/the most complete. I hope that they in some sense convey Guatemala, or even if they don't, that you like them anyway!
( Dibujos )
