What Does A Line Say?

The draw of a line

It’s a strange feeling. Over the course of this past weekend, I found myself avoiding my studio. I think it’s because I am in a period where I am trying to do new things.

There is a pull, yet a repulsion. Excitement yet fear. Energy, then lethargy.

Trying to get beyond normal and push my personal creative boundaries. And push them in a way that will be of interest to others. Creativity is not necessarily about how one interacts with the viewer. But for me, it is. I am not a gallery painter, where the artist’s voice can be vague, understood, misunderstood, loved, hated, literal, obtuse.

I work in print. This mass medium is built on communication with the viewer.

I am struggling to find new ways and yet still appeal to those who lay eyes on my work. And say something.

Can a brush or pen line speak volumes? I think it can. I am wondering what that element is that makes a line work, that makes a certain combination of lines say something. Are we trying to appeal to a common denominator? Shared experience? Should it be literal or vague?

Can a drawing be imprecise yet connect precisely?