Left Brain/Right Brain Artists

Today's Image

Rowboat

Acrylic on Canvas

Byrne Smith Copyright 2008

I appreciate your continued viewership, if that's the right word, so I will press on. If you have an opinion or suggestions about what you'd like this blog to cover, please let me know by leaving a comment. I say that at the end of every blog, but since I'm not sure everyone makes it to the end of every blog, I wanted to say it up front. And feel free to add Orbisplanis it to your list of favorite sites.

Don't forget, take time for your art!

Left Brain/Right Brain

In my last blog I said I may talking about using the left side of your brain. Oops! What I meant to say was using the right side of your brain. If you become a regular viewer, and I hope you do, you will find that whenever I say left, I really mean right. And vice versa. I thought it was because I am left-handed (I'll do a blog on being left-handed one day) or an "art thing," but my sister has it, too, so maybe it's a family affliction. It will drive your friends and family crazy because they're never sure which one you mean. Eventually, however, they do learn never to ask you for directions to anywhere or for instructions involving left/right. If you have this affliction, I sympathize.

Anyhoo, I've mentioned on several occasions how helpful my son has been in providing information that helped renew my interest and skills in art. Last year he sent me a book that he said was very useful on understanding drawing as well as renewing your skills.

This one will get you going for sure. It's called (The New) Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain. It's an update of the original. It's by Betty Edwards. She's evidently well known in art education circles, and at the time the book was published, was a professor at California State U-Long Beach.

For those of you who think you can't draw, this is the book for you! Not only does it explain why people think they can't draw or can't learn to draw, it shows you how to overcome your "handicap." There's a whole chapter on the difference between the left brain and the right brain and explains why people think they can't draw. She says the dominant left brain, which we use to count, mark time, plan, verbalize-basically to get us through the day-"takes over" and inhibits the right brain, where we "art." Hmm, so that's the problem.

Hey, it's getting late and I have an out of town guest to pick up at the airport, so I will talk about this more in the next blog. Betty shows us how anyone can draw.

In the "Studio"

I decided to add this section, which I'm calling In the Studio. by that I mean, in my "studio," such as it is. Why? Well, Orbisplanis talks mostly about how you can reinvigorate your interest in art. In the Studio is where I will let you know about things I'm currently working on. For instance, that gesso-ed over acrylic painting I've been working the last couple of days, and truth be told, was getting a little tired of, well, I finally finished it and included it at the top of blog if you're interested to see how it turned out (but I still reserve the right to re-work it again :-).

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Cheers!