Paris Is Always a Good Idea

Just a drawing I did over Spring break, and just now remembered to post. 

Why Do Artists Create?

A painter paints to unload himself of feelings and visions. ~Pablo Picasso

When I first encountered that quote, I focused on feelings. A painter paints to unload himself of feelings. I began to wonder why the art I had created with the heavy hand of frustration or the slow strokes of melancholy was hidden away in a small sketchbook on my shelf. Only one of those drawings has been seen by anyone else. Maybe I should not hide that. Maybe I should create more work to express my feelings.

Lifted by the soaring notes of the Prince Caspian soundtrack, I picked up my pencil and began this sketch. I found myself in another world--the world I used to enter every time I drew when I was younger, and it was magical. That brought me to my conclusion. Unlike Pablo Picasso, I do not usually create work to express my feelings. Art is an escape. It's a way to make another world as I allow my thoughts to drift away from the stresses of life. It's meant to be relaxing, not a way of venting.