Learn to See.  Realize that everything is connected to everything else.  Leonardo da Vinci

I knew this was his life’s mission, to notice connections between things, but I’d never seen this quote, put so succinctly.   When I look at objects or groups of objects, I see lines connecting several points and marvel at how many of these connections there are in nature.  I actually use this unique arrangement of lines as a grid to lay out my drawing, rather than imposing the typical, arbitrary and antiseptic grid of squares most artists are loathe to use.  I find the process more appealing and compelling as an art spirit.  It is also quite accurate, as long as you perceive the angles correctly, in relation to a fixed vertical and horizontal.  In fact, this concept of points connected by lines is one of what I call the “Three R’s of Drawing.”  The operative word is relative.

And these are just connections appreciated in the visual realm.  In the sixties they used to say, “everything is relative.”  Well it’s still true today, just as it was in da Vinci’s day.  We are all interrelated, economically, socially, intellectually, spiritually, etc.  Things we do, or fail to do, have an impact on the entire balance.  Sartre believed everything we do, we do on behalf of all humanity.  I remember when I first realized this, it was like a weight, because in my youthful impetuousness, I simply wanted what I wanted and believed serving my own interests was the path to happiness.  I have come to realize doing “right,” whether seeing the angle of a line correctly or being kind to a homeless person, is cumulative and exponential in its reward.

If you like the ideas expressed in these blogs, you probably should get a copy of Point of Art – Second Edition, or download it today.