EARNING IT

Taken from the sculpture Laocoön and Sons (Wrestling the Serpent) 1506
Mechanical pencil on Moleskine


Winged Victory of Somathrace (337-283 BC?)
Mechanical pencil on Moleskine

Over some trivia conversation i had with K, we came across the topic of "Earning-Your- Keeps".
K introduce me the idea that if i think i deserved something, i need to earn it first. For example, if i had read masterpiece like Ulysses in my teenage years, i would not had enjoy the book as much as i will in my 40s. Somethings in life we have to earn through life experiences so that we would be more worthy of it's reap. I am earning my keeps with the Greek Mythology great sculptures. Even when the statue of Nike (Winged Victory of Samothrace), was standing in front of me 4 years ago in Louvre, i didn’t really appreciate its glory, moreover it was known to be one of the most beautiful sculptures. 4 years later, i decided to do a series of Mythology sculpture sketches for practice. This time fully aware how intricate the sculpture was designed and how challenging even when i was sketching from a photo. I am going to continue to earn my keep and someday i will see these great sculptures again, only this time appreciating them with full reverence. With 2008 coming to a close...

I wish you a 2009 filled daily with enriching experiences.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!

NOTE: Those red label dots i placed on the sketch are actually mistakes that i made; as my patience to get the details right was wearing a little thin, Gahhhh....!