| THE EPISTOLARIAN |

In my first drawing class in college, my professor, Kate Leonard, closely observed each student and gave different homework assignments to each.

My friend, Brynn’s, homework was simple: one art piece each night.

Mine was a tad more – thirty pieces (yes 3-0)!

Mind you, our school was on the block program; so we took one intense class at a time. We had three hours of class in the morning, and then drew for 7-10 hours or so into the night. Still, 30 pieces was A LOT.

Why the discrepancy between Brynn’s one and my thirty pieces? Simple. Kate saw the way we worked.

Brynn drew meticulously and slow. She had the cleanest line quality, with thin, tightly-controlled stokes. Her pencil seemed perennially sharp, and her work always appeared flawless.

My lines, in contrast, were quick and expressive, often originating far outside of my hand, through my shoulder and down my arm.

Kate believed it best I continue working with alacrity, refining the strokes without slowing myself down. Where Brynn learned the lines in slowness one at a time, I learned by making thousands of lines in succession. The first 999 may be rubbish but by the 1000th line, I finally had learned something.

Once of the reasons I’m drawn to wax seals is their quickness. I must work in quick precision since wax can only be worked in it’s sweet spot; too early or too late and the piece won’t come together.

Multiple times on Instagram each week I’m asked how I come up with so many ideas. It’s simple… I just keep creating. The Instagram highlights reel shows the new discoveries but misses tens of thousands of seals spent learning.

The one seal isn't just one seal, it's thousands of seals coming together in perfection.

"Le droit en avant" is a French phrase that means "the right forward.” It can be used in various contexts, including military commands or as a motivational slogan, to encourage people to move forward with determination and in the right direction. I like how the idea of determination and direction plays on many levels in this seal. First, it juxtaposes the idea of control with a hazmat scene. Either the forward direction has been abandoned, or the cleanup crew is desperately seeking a resolution through their diligence and determination. Second, it speaks to the artistic determination which can birth ideas as wild as this radioactive scene. ☢️ I’ve considered making a flat-lay version of this motif that could be framed in a shadow box. Would you be interested?