Drawing

The day Ed Whitney taught his last class at the Pratt Institute, he left his students a simple message. High on the wall in huge letters he wrote the word DRAW. Then he drew a line down the wall, along the floor and up the opposite wall where he wrote: "Goodbye. Good Luck."

Whitney was a fine watercolorist and excellent painting instructor. The fact that he emphasized the importance of drawing in his last message to his students should drive home to all of us the need to constantly practice this most basic of artistic expressions.

A friend of mine is currently undergoing training to become a volunteer docent at the St. Louis Zoo, and it reminded me of some drawings I did there a while back. I remember everything about these days. Drawing and painting seem to heighten awareness of your surroundings, and intensify all five senses. So carry your sketchbook and become a sketch hunter.