“What is drawing? How does one get there? It’s working one’s way through an invisible iron wall that seems to stand between what one feels and what one can do.
“How can one get through that wall? — since hammering on it doesn’t help at all. In my view, one must undermine the wall and grind through it slowly and patiently. … the great isn’t something accidental; it must be willed.”
— Vincent van Gogh, letter to Theo, 22 October 1882.
I always wonder – how do you know what happens in my artistic life?
Just yesterday I got at last Letters of Van Gogh to Theo. I feel I have to reread them several times.
I also just undermined one Great Wall. I am officially aknowledged as a professional artist and registered as a member of National Union (guild) of Artists of Turkmenistan. It looks that this is the first time that they registered an artist without regular artistic education. My deepest gratitude and congratulations to you, Marion, and to your unique training technique! Just to confirm my competence I presented 2×3 m landscape at the last show. (http://natalyakalugina.in.gallerix.ru/expo/vystavki/rabota-shibli-baba-na-vystavke-v/ ).
Congratulations Natalya!! That’s fabulous news!! You have worked so hard towards this, and I’m so thrilled for you! 🙂
2x3m… Wow that’s huge!
And it’s beautiful!
Thank you, Marion! I started almost from a zero point under your guidance.
Now my next step is to decide where to move further. I bought 2 gypsum heads. May be I will now undermine academic drawing technique, or quite opposite return to expressive portraits or abstracts. Or just continue with Sacred Places project…