I unearthed this old thumbnail sketch recently while searching for some reference photos in an impossibly overstuffed manila folder, a visual treasure chest where all manner of computer printouts, random newspaper and magazine clippings, and sketches from the last 10+ years are stored.
This tiny drawing marks the genesis of my 2008 painting Grasping, which uses a visual metaphor to represent the human struggle with craving and addiction:
Many of my paintings start out this way, with the quick thumbnail sketch being the most efficient method to record a momentary flash of inspiration or percolating idea for later use, before it’s gone forever. (I mentioned thumbnail sketches briefly in this older post about what is quite often the next stage of the painter’s creative process.)