The Fine Art Blog of Darren Daz Cox

My awesome artist friend Lysh aka Scroobilus Pip wrote this comment after I mentioned that I was enjoying drawing things directly from my imagination rather than from using a photograph to copy from, "I sometimes wish that I could draw just from my imagination. I’ve read that it comes with practice. I’m going to challenge your assumption that you would already know what the picture would be if you used a reference photograph. I frequently use reference materials when drawing but I NEVER know what the picture is going to be. Perhaps it is a question of whether the reference material is there to copy, or there to give you a start. Or if you are a bad copy-er like me and just somehow deviate"

I didn’t mean to make it sound like drawing directly from your imagination in any less valid or creative than using a model or photographic reference, after all, that would be saying that Edgar Degas was somehow capable of ‘better’ work, which just isn’t the case.  His famous "bathers" were from photographs and they are perfect!

I’m not perfect, none of us are but we can be happy in the moment. Life is just a succesion of ‘nows’ rather than the past present and future, and as John Lennon famously said, Life is what happens while you make plans to do something else.

I have many different styles and phases of my art and  I get well intentioned ‘art career advice’ from people who assume that because I’m not selling any art or showing my art in galleries on a regular basis that I’m somehow not reaching my full potential. The advice I generally get offered involves me deciding what style I should concentrate on and then cranking out a portfolio of art that all looks similar, then, with a little smoozing and luck I can sell my art for a modest price and perhaps work towards the ultimate goal of being self sufficient and be a marketable brand etc blah blah blah.

You know, I’m perfect right now, in this moment I love my art and I do not feel the need to cater to anyone except the inner children of people who might cross my path. I did some really sweet drawings recently for my (also really sweet) friend Marisa, some of my best pencil work and you’ll never see it (unless you walk by her cubicle at work haha). The point is that I gauge my success on how quickly I can take inspiration and create things out of my head to make someone happy.

 Oh, and just because I don’t sell anything and I’m not in an art gallery doesn’t mean I’m not a successful and famous artist, in some ways I’m the most famous and successful artist in the world, after all you’re reading my blog and looking at my art (I have printable sized work on my Flickr account for you to download and print without any strings attached). have an awesome and creative day my friend!

Cat Yea! acrylic and feathers on canvas by Darren Daz Cox

It Is Complicated – pencil and digital paint by Darren Daz Cox

I joined Bloggersbase.com today here’s my url http://bloggersbase.com/users/Daz/  I trust Jeff keni Pulver so I’ll see if it’s fun or not!

oh, and according to compete.com, 11% of the people who find this blog are searching for "why people put animals in the pond"  and not only that, I get 974 people a month visiting because they searched for "chris brogan walmart"  haha!!!

Oh, and my new punk band is called Warcasm Awesomesauce! and our new CD is called why people put animals in the pond

Originally posted 2009-02-22 09:11:30. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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