“How do you learn a language before you can hear? How can you make a painting before you can see?”
—JD Wissler
On Saturday, I took a monotype workshop led by the artist JD Wissler. The workshop took place at Kings Oaks in Newtown, PA. I had taken the same workshop last year (read about it here: Monotype Workshop) and my memories from that day were so wonderful that I was eager to do it again.
It was as lovely as I had hoped, and we made monotypes for hours! It was a glorious autumn day, the wide green fields stretched out beneath the pale blue sky. I lay down in the warm grass for a long time and watched the thin, wispy white clouds floating above me. In the surrounding distance were stands of trees, glowing like jewels with their new autumn colors: reds, oranges, and bright yellows.
Inspired by these autumn colors, I decided to try my hand at something new: monotypes using colors instead of my usual black ink. The images in this blog post are monotypes I made during the workshop.
And now… here are some things JD said that sounded wise, so I wrote them in my sketchbook. Enjoy!
Wise words from JD Wissler:
“You will learn something with every mark you make. It will lead you somewhere.”
“I don’t know how it’s going to turn out. That’s what’s so exciting at times.”
“I can’t wait to get ink on my fingers and wind in my hair!”
“It’s a process. It’s about learning. It’s about exploring. It’s about constantly questioning.”
“I happen to be one of those people that enjoys seeing the struggle, the decisions…”
“Enjoy what you’re doing.”
Further reading (poems by JD Wissler):