Make a mess, clean up the mess-Adiel Mora

Adiel Mora

“Don’t cat’s have their tails up?” Oh no, did they? In one of my earlier drawing memories, I am trying to hide the orange cat I just drew from my mom.  Above the cat I had written “I love you mami,” an intended gift for my mother. I used to be proud of it, that is until an older girl pointed out I had drawn the tail incorrectly. As I grew older, I soon realized that there is no correct way to draw anything.Drawing comes from the depths of the imagination, and is an expression of the artist’s heart.

Drawing for me has never been about a destination. The process of putting my ideas on paper relaxes, inspires, and surprises me in the end. When I was about 12 years old I would make up stories for my siblings with a pencil in hand. It was a "make it up as you draw" story. As I spoke, I would draw, and, as the character I drew happened to have surprised looking eyes, I’d draw something for him to be surprised by, perhaps a dragon. The dragon I’d draw might turn out resembling a retarded rock more than a dragon, so I’d change my story to say the dragon had been turned to a rock. The original character would then set out on a quest to awaken the rock. And so on.

That is my favorite way to draw, with no predetermined destination. In highschool I would draw during lectures. The longer they spoke, the more intricate the drawing would become. I’d look up at my teacher every few seconds, but my heart was elsewhere-in the world I’d be creating in my very notebook. It was a beautiful escape.

When I came to Duke, I stopped sketching during classes. Until this semester, taking Fick’s drawing class, which has been  wonderful.   

I used to draw only from my imagination. At first drawing from actual buildings and objects scared me. I felt pressure to make my drawing appear like the real thing, and I felt cramped. However, I’ve learned through charcoaled hands that drawing from observation is nothing like snapping a camera. The artist must observe the world and return the image in their own way.  Still life and landscape sketches have expanded my skill set so that I can better express what is in my head. Each week we look over student’s drawings. You get a glimpse of everyone’s unique style and perspective. It is beautiful

I used to be afraid to make dark lines. I would spend minutes on end staring at the black paper, imagining all the possible places I could make my marks. As a result it would take me forever to draw anything. Now I’ve developed a "go for it style, where I just start drawing. The eraser is my new best friend. It’s like drawing backwards! I used to pick up an eraser to correct a mistake. Now the eraser is a tool, and I can use the eraser to draw too. No pressure, no mistakes. One day Professor Fick said my style was to “make a mess, clean up the mess.” I love how much I’ve been able to develop my confidence and personal style this year. I am so thankful for the opportunity to take this class, and all that I have learned from it. Thank you, Professor Fick!