Diebenkorn Chat!

["Clive Murray-White" <clivemw@zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz>]

Dear Bill,

Diebenkorn's list has been lurking in my mind for some time, much easier to
talk about Ryobis.

I have always had things like the list handy, even written a few myself,
what they tend to do is trigger sound thoughts and sound actions as it is
always far too easy to let the left side of the brain gnaw away at just
about everything we do.

Re: the left side of the brain, I found book "Drawing on the right side of
the brain" particularly useful, it didn't help me draw any better because I
could draw before I read it, but all the stuff about little voices telling
you that what you were doing was useless was very helpful as it made me feel
a bit normal.

A good friend of mine used to bore us by constantly saying "if you can name
it you can do it". Obviously once is enough!

I have a habit of writing little motivational slogans on my studio wall.

The current one is, "Go back to the beginning and start again"
But I contradict myself by having "Many starts dont make a journey" on my
main list.

That list also includes.

Only change one thing at a time.......

Either or, neither both. This is my favourite and by far the most useful as
it is used as a guide to the choices that you can make all the time you are
working. It is one of those fantastic sets of opposites. Like something new,
something old, something borrowed and something blue. Just as I like
opposites I like pairs. I use these pairs and opposites to guide me.

Not that you need to invent something radical or new for every decision in
an art work as they'd cancel each other out if you did, but the idea of
looking for the "something blue" occasionally is very exciting.

The "either or" etc has been reworked into this.

" If a tick and a cross had a baby what could it be?" I should add that I
draw a tick, then a cross, then a tick with a cross through it for the baby,
and then I ask what symbol logically goes with "what could it be".

Whether these things are wise or not they have the very useful effect of
making you consider things that you may never have thought of.

Best regards Clive

Sculptor Clive Murray-White
Web: www.cowwarr.com