Geometrika Red

These little "geometrika" are ridiculously easy to draw and color in. Even a kid could do it - I think I taught my neighbor's 7-year-old son to do them. I remember doing this as a workshop at a science fiction convention, too. When people say to me that "I couldn't draw a straight line with a ruler, I have no art talent," I say "C'mon, let's do this." And I hand them some paper, a pencil, and some plastic graphics shape templates like circles and squares and ovals. "Can you trace this? Can you put this shape on top of this other shape?" Most people can do this, given that they are physically capable of it. Then I say, "Here's some colored pencils. Now you color this in. Yeah, just like all those adult comic books you see in the stores." Usually they can do this, too. So when they're done, and they've made a pretty geometric abstraction, I say, "Congratulations. You just did art." I did this one in digital medium but it's the same if I used pencils or paint on paper.

Now I feel the same way about computer programming and engineering. I say to an engineer/IT person, "I couldn't code my way out of a paper bag. It's all around me but I know nothing about it." Is there an analogy to my process with non-artists, for computer coding or software design or hardware engineering? So far, my attempts to emulate this have been futile. I know people who can design and build a complete electronic music synthesizer with a mini computer the size of your hand. All I can do is color stuff in. 

This Geometrika is originally ink on sketchbook page, colored in Photoshop, about 3 1/2" x 3", January 2017.