Sketching as Visual Therapy

Sit still

in a quiet place

looking far into the distance.

What do you see?

Put pencil to paper, 

make a mark. 

Long line for a mountain, 

hairpin for a tall saguaro, 

any squiggle or scroll to suggest

cottonwood trees and

multitudinous

desert shrubs.

Forget about rendering.

Accuracy is not important.

It is the experience of seeing,

far, near, far, near,

realizing with the eyes

context of form

contrast of light.

And then to make the marks,

to transpose visual stimulation 

into corresponding motion, 

whether it be moving a pencil,

or packing up

and walking off

into the landscape.

Will this work? My heart assures me that this is the right direction.