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Now, having come this far, you know there is no mystery to drawing pictures. It's a matter of putting marks on a surface.
The more you draw, the closer you will get to the limits of your own talent, especially if you encounter a capable teacher.
For most of us, though, maintaining good mental health is the goal, not pictures at an exhibition. Drawing is worth the
effort even if we discover after reasonable effort that stick figures will always be our forte. If in our drawings we can
make things look approximately like they really do, all the better. If not, there will always be random lines, which can
prove rather pleasing to look upon. Some may still ask if a colored image encased within a random line can possibly be considered
art, but don't doubt it for a moment. Many well-known artists have been doing variations on that theme for a long while. Prove
it to yourself. Take several pieces of your best work, mount them in art store mats, and give them to your friends. You'll
be surprised by how many of them hang these creations on their walls. And, if you have a chance to eavesdrop, you'll hear
some of them tell their friends that they are personally acquainted with the artist. While you’re at it, e-mail a
.jpg or .gif of one of your favorites to crayonsforcodgers@mindspring.com.
We might just put it on this page and expose your greatness to the world.
Naming Your Work
It's nice to give titles to your pictures. Artists customarily do, even if they merely call a work "Untitled." It's helpful
to the viewer if you come up with a title that's appropriate to the piece of art, and, when you are dealing with an abstract
expression, it is often prudent to view the artwork from all sides and determine which is the best one to place at the top
of the frame. As you can see below, this can make a critical difference.
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Send Us Your Work
This space is reserved for crayon creations by our viewers. If you have something you wish the World Wide Web to see, e-mail
a jpeg of the artwork to crayonsforcodgers@mindspring.com. The editor will appraise all submissions for suitability.
This crayoned rock paperweight is the work of Virginia Peden, of Pittsburgh, Pa., an energetic and very active great grandmother,
who has been crayoning at least since her kids were little, more than half a century ago. Flat rocks found on the beach during
a vacation proved to be a perfect medium for her talents. In addition to freelancing part-time for Pennsylvania newspapers
and participating in three book discussion clubs and a needlework class, she crochets lap robes for invalids and afghans for
babies in Haiti.
On view above is "Rita's Rose," by a friend who has asked the editor to preserve her anonymity, since she has worked
many years at an elementary school, and fears that long association with rudimentary crayoning may have forever influenced
her style. In actuality, that is one of her artistic strengths. The flower was dashed off during one of those rare 60-second
breaks from the demands of students, making the sheer spontaneity of the sketch a big part of its charm.
THROUGHOUT YOUR LIFE, DRAW MORE THAN YOUR BREATH
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