White Noise is the name of a drawing process, a meditation that I began in 1969. At the time, I was unable to draw spontaneously. I was unable to love the marks and images that sprang from my hand unless I planned them, manipulated them, or, worst of all, contrived them to be clever and slick.
So I created a process to teach myself how to draw directly and honestly. It was also a meditation on being in the moment, not worrying about results, just delighting in the present.
The term white noise usually refers to a kind of undifferentiated sound like the sound
"shhhh." For me it also refers to the sound of a blank surface
before I make marks on it.
Here is how it worked:
I got a ream of white typing paper.
I had a pencil or felt marker.
I had a wastebasket.I would practice the "draw-so-fast-you-can't-think" method.
When I stopped drawing, I would look at the drawing then toss it in the waste basket.
I went through many of reams of paper. I did this off and on for several years.Then on November 18, 1972, I decided to begin using better quality paper and to henceforth keep every drawing.
I numbered and logged each drawing. I did this for about 7 years.
There are now more than 500 W.N. Folios in various media ranging in size from 7 " x 10 " to 11 " x 14 " ( and many more on disk done with graphics tablet and stylus).
The White Noise Gallery
The White Noise Gallery features selected examples from the collection of White Noise Folios.
