Do Do That Doodle That You Do So Well
Do you doodle? Do you let yourself indulge in ink, pencil or crayon and paper?
You could probably do a nice bit of analysis of my historic doodles. In high school I was forever illustrating my journals and notebooks with that hilly sort of vista that has a sunburst at the cleft of the furthest mountain. In college I doodled dahlias or some other many petaled blossom that I could make bigger and bigger. I illustrated a whole theater playbill like that. It was very pen and papery. I loved it. I think I was in the minority. I have gone through doodling hearts, single blossoms, squares in perspective, block letters. How about you?
Now I get urged by one of my heros- Paulus Berensohn to doodle. Look what he did for his pal Mary Oliver’s book cover. That gorgeous leaf and emanating design is Paulus’ doodle! Get out our pen and let yourself doodle while you are on the phone. My friend makes the most amazing doodles when she is on the phone. She uses her intricate drawings with words in her collages. Doodling is a very gentle way of letting your inner artist play for a while. Doodling is noodling- really healthy brain time while your awareness is elsewhere. A phone is not required to doodle. Take a leap and just doodle. No agenda, just time with you and your paper. For me, doing it while I am on the phone takes the weight off. Otherwise if I have a pen and paper I must be drawing.
Last September I was with Paulus for an artist’s retreat on the Cape. He talked about the value of letting your self go with doodling, just to see what happens. Lately, while I am on the phone and resisting dusting or folding wash, I let my subconscious have a ride on my pen. The page below is the result of a weekly call I do on Wednesdays. I am intrigued now to see how all those spirals fit together.
Pix of Paulus
http://www.flickr.com/photos/louis_z_bickett_ii/sets/72157606697343733/
Interview with Paulus
http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=520614
April 2nd, 2010 at 1:41 pm
Suzi- reading what you wrote reminds me to share that I am also a devoted doodler. Where is this habit born I wonder?
In sensation? In hand to paper? Ink to line?
I love the flow of ink on paper- multicolor doodles are the most fun to design- but black ink on white paper is equally fun- making shades of gray and various intensities of black. My doodles contain arrows,compass rose, mandalas that grow like flowers and vines that wind organically around the pages. I also love spirals and concentric circles and squares.
Thanks for sharing the Mary Oliver cover with our pal Paulus’s doodle- great inspiration for a spring day: my motto-
” Take a walk with a line today.”
April 2nd, 2010 at 3:49 pm
That is another great inspirational idea…taking a walk with a line.
Just came in from the great outdoors. All my Christmas napkins are on the line…I wait for days like this. Vines…I went through a period of vines and leaves…and bunches of grapes…that was just in the past few years and led me to felting these sweet bunches of grapes for ornament gifts for my Knitting Circle. I like circular shapes that fit together. Like the labyrinth on your card! Love, S
April 2nd, 2010 at 8:30 pm
This is inspiring. I need to start doing this to get back into making art with my hands, not just
my eye. This seems like a wonderful way to loose
oneself. I once had a fellow in my office, who when
stressed, would get out a big piece of paper and let
it rip. He came up with amazing things and I think
it helped his head. I am going to give it a try!
April 3rd, 2010 at 8:48 am
You are so right Les- something so simple is so easy to drop out of our bag of tricks. I’d love to see what you doodle! I spent time at your website last night. Your images- especially the trees- are so captivating. I just fall in to them. Lush and detailed and wonderful. Just like you! Love, S
April 3rd, 2010 at 11:40 am
OK, I am in deep admiration of your doodling. That picture is a Doodle Extraordinaire. It’s also very synchronistic that you wrote this. There is a picture at the school that a kindergartener drew. I could not understand what it said underneath it, so I asked the teacher. It said, “I am a doodle puss.” sounds like you’re a doodle puss, too!
April 3rd, 2010 at 8:38 pm
I will start signing my name with a DP as part of my signature.
Just like that. Doctor of Doodlepuss. xoxoxo S
April 7th, 2010 at 2:11 pm
I really, really like the spring green in your doodle! For me it creates a kind of glowing halo. Very cool. I too, have to take the weight off by being on the phone. It somehow quiets the critics in my head and lets me just play.
April 7th, 2010 at 3:19 pm
Hi Lisa, I have been finding other things I doodled on- old calendars and stuff- feathers, I liked feathers for awhile and vines and leaves. I hadn’t looked at the green that way before. xoxox S
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