Drawing from memory
Drawing from memory
In this post I am sharing four drawings I’ve done that were clearly influenced by building forms – architectural styles I see in places I have visited.
Architectural influences in abstract drawings
November 19, 2017
Dwellings built one on top of another
The first drawing came about from thoughts of how so many old villages are built one on top of another, dwelling upon dwelling upon dwelling over time. Like adding a room for a family member, it is fascinating to see how they have grown organically to accommodate changing needs. I love how old towns are a composite of elements that somehow hold together. They show a sense of planning and social organization not seen in the places I have always lived. But then, the place I live in was not built for me, but to sell to someone, anyone. It has no connection to my past.
The lure of archways
Archways are interesting to use in a composition as well. Maybe it is because they are gateways, invitations into inner spaces. They have a kind of magnetic effect on me, where I want to see what is inside them – something new and unexpected around each corner. An interesting window, an ancient carved wood door, a tree growing up out of a decorated pot, a hidden tiled room, perhaps leading to a private balcony.
Houses on stilts
Years ago when driving through the countryside of Cambodia, I was completely taken by the natural beauty of the green, lush land after the rain, and by the houses built on stilts. Especially the houses. They are built on stilts to protect the farmers from floods during the monsoon rains. But to me they seemed like such fun places, forts for adults, refuges from the outer world.
Sometime later they were the subject of this drawing, done from memory like the others. Of course I take all the liberties I choose in drawing these, as they are not meant to represent any specific place or scene. Rather they are opportunities to explore form and contrast, texture and pattern. Adding trees and plants into them gives some relief to the more rigid architectural forms.
