The one thing that is important to me is drawing and sketching. I do not really devote my time to drawing from life. There are times when I do. But I like the notion of sketching what ever comes into my head, doodling something that turns into something, and just doing something that is weird, strange, surreal using references to help. The last several months I have been in a bit of a stalled zone when it comes to this. The heat of Phoenix during the summer is tough, triple digits, and I find that its not a condition that I work well under. Also other things have been sapping my energy and concentration too. I miss the careful doodles, the tightly drawn figure or weird creature and the big, epic figure drawings that do take effort and time. Painting is sort of like writing a novel. E.L. Doctorow said that writing a novel is like driving across the country at night, and you can only see what the head lights illuminate in front of you. Drawing is something different. For another artist drawing has primacy. For me it is complimentary to the paintings but also its where things begin, Where I get ideas, where I develop ideas, or where I put them down on paper. The simplicity of it, a surface to make marks and something that is the mark maker, seems so eloquent. My great medium is graphite. This attachment is due to me using pencils at many times sketching in classes, alone at home, where ever. The ease of use. You can carry a pencil and a sketchbook anywhere. If I see painting (at least the larger works) as novel writing what do I consider drawing? Good question. Short story writing? improvisations? I am not sure of what sort of analogy to give it. In the last several months have been doing sketching and drawing but feeling too tired or sort of frustrated. The results are generally bland or just me'h with a shoulder shrug. I want to get back into drawing again with some energy. This may be in due course with the ever slowly declining heat in Phoenix, when I say slow I mean as this writing it will take another six weeks for the feverish heat to break. Back to business. Drawing.