Tardar Saucy

This is another quick drawing. In the summer of  2018 I had been asking friends for subjects to paint. I tried to paint each one, but to spend no more than five minutes per drawing. I also used ink, which is not changeable or erasable. This way I wouldn't obsess or get stuck in the details. I think this one was only about two minutes, partially due to size (it is only three inches squared) but also I am so accustomed to drawing cats that I can go pretty fast. I didn't do the best job with accuracy as I was slinging ink, but I actually love it. So grumpy!

With the passing of Tardar Sauce, affectionately known to the internet as "Grumpy Cat," the drawing ends up being a little more of  a sad meme than grumpy. I'm just glad she had the chance to put her mark on the world. If Grumpy Cat were ever arrested, this is defnitely what the mug shot would have looked like!

This is one of the most fun art exercises I have ever done to date. I don't like anxiety, and spending a ton of time on a drawing is a good way to pile on the stress. This might be counter-intuitive, I mean a time limit is pretty much the embodiedment of stress. That's the catch, that is why I say "close to" five minutes or "I think" this took about two minutes. I will not use a clock. I will not actually time myself. If it takes six minutes or two, who cares? The specific amount of time is not important, "five minutes" is just a nice tight metric.

If I were to teach a class of people doing this, obviously we could not sit and wait for everyone's "five minutes" to be up. So I would set an alarm of sorts, but the key point is to make it a happy alarm. Maybe have someone watch a stopwatch and give out treats every five minutes. No buzzes, beeps or other loud noises! Heck, it could be to have a projector showing a funny meme every five minutes! *gasp* Maybe they should draw the new meme! There are so many ways to impose a time limit in a way that is not invasive or stressful. Have booze, and every five minutes: everyone drink! New drawing! Or bring kittens and everyone gets to pet one every five minutes! Drawing Mad Libs! Make it about the effort, not the end product.

I honestly don't know why everyone makes everything so stressful and painful on everyone else. Life is stressful and painful enough. Ease up, already.