Slow down ~ The Joy of Summer Sketches | Maria Moldovan

Plein air was part of the curriculum when I was studying painting in high school. We took off from the school and looked for intriguing spots in nature and rural settings. Searched for hills, dramatic skies, architectural bravery. Something really interesting to put on paper.

Later, after graduation, my work was driven into the world of fantasy, imaginary and the act of creating after a live model, human or landscape stayed a bit behind. 

But I have those moments ... Sitting next to my sleeping baby, waiting at the airport, travelling through new places - and I take a small piece of paper and sketch, draw, quickly paint. For me is a bit unfamiliar, looking at something and trying to bring it back on paper. My work is always looking inside, searching into my memories and impressions and catch something from the inside.

When I create sketches in Plein air I observe the outside. Feel a bit odd at first then the flow starts and takes my hand and mind on the journey. Feels good, feels refreshing. Doing something I normally don’t do. And most importantly I live the magic of the slowdown, observing and preserving. We take so many pictures these days. We are almost intoxicated by digital images. It’s quick, so quick, and nothing stays with us. Just the image and most of the time we never look at it again. We store it but don’t have it.

When I sit and draw in these moments of nothingness I can see the person, I can really see the landscape. I dive into it and make it mine. 

I will remember it, I treasure it. 

These drawings and sketches are not big masterpieces but they preserve that very moment with such accuracy as no other well done digital image can do. Because I stopped, I slowed down and looked long enough trying to understand the shape, the light, the colour.