Sometimes you stumble on a blog that blows your mind. That happened to me yesterday. Stumble isn’t exactly the right word. Brett sent me the link to it. Several days ago. It’s actually the travel/art blog of a friend from Seattle. Brett rarely sees art that moves him towards his wallet, but he’s been saying for years now that he’s wanted to buy a piece of Andrew’s art. I should have paid attention when we had the chance.
Andrew Wicklund, who formerly worked for a design firm in Seattle, has been traveling the world for the last couple of years and drawing what he sees. His work is UNBELIEVABLE. Some people just get an extra measure of talent and Andrew is one of them. Admittedly I know little about art. However, I’ve been exposing myself to lots of art living here in Europe and I like Andrew’s art. It compels me, makes me smile, and captures the world in a unique way. I must have spent an hour on Andrew’s blog yesterday, but then decided to shut it down so I can “save” some viewing for later.
Okay this is the point where I should give you the link and stop talking. So here it is:
A tip on viewing the blog (because this took me a
minute to figure out): Every thumbnail
where there is text at the bottom is the start of a new blog entry. I particularly liked the blog entry near the top called “Drawing
a Crowd” (but remember I'm pacing myself) where Andrew describes an experience he had drawing in Durbar Square
in Kathmandu, Nepal.
“In going through my travel photos, I was reminded of the truly special moments that happen when people stop and interact with me while I'm drawing. Specifically, it's the interactions that happen with locals. Sadly, I'm terrible at picking up new languages, but fortunately—the drawing has become a vehicle for more genuine connections. Rather than seeing me as a passing tourist with a camera or worse yet, a walking cash machine—they stop to watch, inquire, chat or inform me about the subject matter of my drawing.”
Now that's the kind of artist I want to follow. Andrew’s first work in progress book is called “I Drew” which will
be a mix of his artwork and photos. He has three books planned and this first one will introduce him, the intent of his travel journey and focus on content from Europe and Africa. I
cannot wait to get my hands on it. Until
then, I signed up to subscribe to his blog and will s-l-o-w-l-y be making my way
through what's already on the page. I don't want to miss a thing. You shouldn't either.