Confessions of a researchaholic

Excerpt from How to Look: Art Comics by Ad Reinhardt

Viewer: ha-ha what does this represent?
Painting: what do you represent?

An abstract painting will react to you if you react to it.
You get from it what you bring to it.
It will meet you halfway but no further.
It is alive if you are.
It represents something and so do you.
You, sir, are a space, too.

Realistic paintings tell you exactly what they are, while abstract paintings invite you to think.
This applies to not only paintings but also other things, such as books and people.

Today during a computer eye break I went to a high school art show hold inside the company. Some of the works are impressive, especially given that they were made by high school students.

I skipped almost all my art and music classes as a kid as I thought they were useless. Experimental results indicated that drawing is not too late to pick up later, even though I wish I could have spent more time on music and physical training earlier in my life.

When people express opinions about what I am doing, I find it very helpful to just focus on the parts that can constructively propel me forward and just ignore the rest which just cause positive or negative emotions.

A guy boarded at the Palo Alto Caltrain station and sat in the line of sight between me and my drawing subject a few rows away. After being assured that I was not drawing him and excited about our common profession in digital art, he enthused his experience about being one of the first artists using Photoshop and other tools, nearby art gallery sponsorship, etc.

After disembarking the train, I finished the original drawing from memory (notice the inconsistent perspectives and such).

Most people use social networks for venting, boasting, and scheming.
I use it mainly for fun and motivation, such as my progress in drawing.

So much intrigue to sight, so little time to draw.

I spotted this passenger on the upper deck while sitting on the lower deck.

I had to draw this one partially from memory as the subject kept on changing postures.