Racing the Clock

"Man with Cocoa" - Ink and Watercolor on Paper

I kind of like racing the clock in the mornings, trying to complete a sketch in ink and watercolor before the rest of my work duties begin.  I usually have about an hour before I must trade my artist's hat for my psychotherapist's hat.

"Father and Son - I" - Pigma Micron 005 pen on Paper

My tendency is to draw slowly and deliberately with my pen, and then feel a mild sense of panic when I realize it's almost the top of the hour and I have yet to apply watercolors.  I then have a choice -- I can either postpone finishing the sketch, or I can rush through, slapping down paint before my time runs out.  

"Father and Son - II" - Ink and Watercolor on Paper

Believe it or not, it's often the sketches where I've hurriedly splashed down color in the final minutes that I look back on later and enjoy the most.  Maybe that has to do with the fact that what I often like in art is a sense serendipity, spontaneity, or imperfection -- what painter Bob Ross calls "happy accidents."

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(All artworks shown are drawn using photos from Sktchy app.)