ArtSwap, Part 2
When I was a kid, I was completely obsessed with drawing. I drew on the walls, on paper, on clothes—I basically vomited drawings everywhere I went. Ironically, the urge to express myself through drawing ebbed in art school and I hardly ever do it any more. Inspired by Nolan’s love for drawing, I decided to draw his portrait. After all, it was supposed to be an ArtSwap but Nolan helped me make the tacos and ice cream. I probably tried too hard to do a good job with Nolan’s likeness, remembering how natural drawing used to be at one time and how clumsy it felt now. The end result shows this pretty clearly. Even so, I’m pretty happy with the drawing because I met my main goal of expressing gratitude and appreciation for the ArtSwap experience.
The entire time I was working on Nolan’s portrait, I was wondering how my portrait was coming along. I was curious and nervous to see what I would look like through the eyes of a new friend. When we were finished with our respective portraits, we did our swap back at Nolan’s studio. He said, “I was a little choked up when she showed me my portrait! I don’t know if anyone has ever drawn me before.” As for me, I was completely stunned by a one-two punch: something unexpected and yet familiar. I cannot tell you how touched I was.
Nolan explains his inspiration:
I can’t believe how much camaraderie and positive, creative mojo Nolan and I were able to enjoy through ArtSwap. And I can’t believe I forgot how good it feels to draw.
Countless people stop by the Silver Lake Art Garage while walking around the Reservoir, so if you happen to be in Silver Lake in the next few weeks, you should stop by too. And if you see Nolan, be sure you say hello!
Silver Lake Art Garage
2301 W. Silver Lake Blvd
Back to Praxis: ArtSwap