MAD: Proverb

Monday Artday: Proverb, originally uploaded by psychopooch.

"A bird does not sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song."
~ Chinese Proverb*

Felt this quote/proverb was appropriate for this illustration (and I guess most other illustrations I've done so far). I've participated in a lot of drawing groups and have given myself multiple assignments. A lot of times, these personal projects involve me trying to find an answer to the topic at hand. However, deep down in my subconscious, I don't think I'm really answering anything at all. At the end, I draw what I want to draw and come up with some sort of rationale to fit the assignment. I bet that is the case with most other illustrators who participate in either Illustration Friday, Monday Artday, Art Jumble or other similar self motivated creative challenges. These assignments bring out the song that is already there (that is the great thing about these assignments, btw). And this bird you see here? This started out as a doodle I did 2 months ago. This assignment just gave me a reason to take my song further along and share it.

And on a side note, this quote, in a way also reminded me of an interview Sally Mann did for Art:21 on PBS. There was a part where she commented on critics looking for a deeper meaning to her photography specifically in reference to her dog bones prints. One of my favorite snippets in her response was this –

"These dog bones are just making art the way art should be made, I think, without any overarching reference. Just for fun, if you can imagine that. Art for fun. Sometimes it is fun."

And that is how I feel about a lot of my projects. I'm doing it because it's fun and I'm compelled to do it for me. No other deeper meaning beyond that. And if there's a way for me to share my "song" and other people happen to enjoy it (or maybe it speaks to them) then that's just an added bonus. You can read more of Sally Mann's interview here (highly recommended as it gives an interesting insight on how one artist approaches her work – actually I recommend the whole Art:21 series for the same reason since different contemporary artists are profiled).

*That is how I will credit the quote for now as there have been multiple attributes to the original source, like Maya Angelou and Lou Holtz. If someone can enlighten me on where it came from or what it is in Chinese, it would be appreciated.