Feeding

Today's drawing began with a focus on much detail at the center of
"something" whose identity I was not fully conscious of.  I was drawn
to the symmetry though -- and to its possibly being more
"mandala-like" than other recent drawings. To expand on the need for
continued symmetry (and guidance), I drew in light pencil a greater
circle with an 8-inch diameter around the center point.  To complete
the "guide," I drew several (16) radial lines from the center to edge
of the paper.  Randomly drawn detail was then "filled in" around the
immediate center "cell" structure which began to take on the form of
what appeared to be four humming bird bodies with very fine "beaks"
that seemed to feed on this cellular "something." Seeing them as
possible "birds" I developed them more fully by highlighting their
eyes and variously feathered bodies.  I added very tiny stars to their
fish-like tails.  I wanted to increase the importance of these feeding
birds by somehow drawing more attention to them.  Their tiny
needle-like beaks reflected what I imagined actual hummingbird's beaks
are like.  In reality, they have tongues inside.  To accomplish this
need for "framing" them, I added 4 open circles which were tangential
to the greater one.  Larger "pin-point" stars were added at the
perimeter of the greater circle.  At this point, many other ideas
began to come in -- which included a large star-like structure the
four points of which included a lattice-work system and four other
off-set "base-stars." To the left and right of these four perimeter
circle star points, I then added one central pencil point (which later
became two [about 1/2" apart]) to serve as the "growth points" for
what would later become a system of leafless stems.  The sequence of
drawing these later design details is actually kind of interesting
because I did NOT want to cross any previously drawn structure's
lines.  The challenge became one about visualization "in advance"
which later turned out to be successful :) Each stem was drawn one at
a time.  Then the greater circle line was drawn.  Then the linear
"root system" for the stems was drawn (with a separating line for each
of the 8 pairs).  Finally, (and this is rather fascinating only
because it takes a really keen eye to see this tiny addition) I added
4 extremely tiny lines (1/32") at the ends of the four humming bird
beak tips each of which penetrate THROUGH the dashed line and into the
"food source" structure.  One of the images below shows one of these
lines. Prior to there addition, there was no "entry" anywhere into the
structure.  Only these penetrate.  It's fun to get into the life of
humming birds getting nourishment, hence the title "Feeding."

Center-most Detail:



Larger Circle Detail:



Full Size: 17" x 14"



Feeding "Line" (1 of 4):