The Lardner Report

Unleash your creative superpowers!

The Perfect One-Liner

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Sketch by artist @shouxin13141

A minimalist drawing that inspires my lazy ass.

My excitement over this sketch is this: It’s packed with energy, loose in style, and created basically with one stroke. it’s probably a 10-second work. It’s also proof that simplicity can be a beautiful artistic statement. In one jittery marking, the artist here has captured “the essence of cat.”

If you’re considering a dive into some basic drawing, try this. Look at the image above, and see if you can create your own one-liner. It’s super satisfying, and just might tackle your fear. There is no perfect way to draw a cat, and you could consider it a sort of warm-up for other sketches. It’s easy, pressure-free and requires no art-making experience. Try this approach with a cool wide-tip marker or piece of charcoal, and find time to draw every day.

For more from this artist, check out images and videos on Instagram: @shouxin13141

Happy New Year!

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Join me in ushering in 2025 with intention. Not a list of pointless resolutions we won’t keep for a week, but a commitment to approach everything in a fresh new way. Allow your artist within to find its way out. A minor shift in thought — that can lead to radical results. You may surprise yourself. Just imagine.

“Creativity doesn’t wait for that perfect moment. It fashions its own perfect moments out of ordinary ones.” — Bruce Garrabrandt, artist

Wishing you a spectacular year ahead!

Step Away From The Desk! Find Your Creative Zone In New Places

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SB server Ian visits poolside art studio

(Pic #1) As I make a total mess poolside at a tony Santa Barbara resort, server / musician “Ian” stops by to investigate the scene of the crime.

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(Pic #2) A few last strokes with Sennelier oil sticks. Exploring use of my left hand. Awkward but exciting.

I recently committed to keeping art supplies with me wherever I go. It’s been one of the most effective means of producing creative work. I keep a sort of “lunchbox” filled with little goodies from my local art store. Basics: tubes of acrylic paint, Sennelier oil sticks, graphite pencils with sharp points, newspaper (for ripping collage pieces as well as a way to protect the table you are working on), illustration board, colored paper, glue sticks.) These little treasures provide me with instant opportunities to paint, color or play with paper. Whether I’m waiting for my ride to emerge from the foamy poodle brushes at the car wash, or I’m staring resentfully at the blank walls of the DMV – I’m armed.

A few weeks ago,  Josh and I headed north for a couple of days in the sun at a seaside hair loss resort in Santa Barbara. At first I felt guilty, but then I realized I get to take my office outside. I got to create my own ersatz art studio amidst some of the most inspiring scenery on the planet.  All I needed was a table, which poolside server Ian (and his “man bun”) gladly shifted my way. (Pic #1)

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(Pic #3) Notice nature’s patterns and play with them.

Real productivity doesn’t mean you have to bury yourself in your routine. It means finding new ways to produce – and new places to do it.  For me, just being surrounded by fresh colors and quirky shapes is enough. Try exploring what surrounds you; find patterns in nature (Pic #3) or crazy color combinations in some lady’s muumuu. Play with those ideas and see what takes form.

A change in scenery can change your view — and the quality of your work. You will find yourself noticing things you passed by before, and that new habit will expand your visual vocabulary. Then, each time you paint, write, or make music, you will create something deeper, richer, and uniquely yours.

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