karen cooper -- Blog: RAGBRAI

Just Like Riding A Bicycle

by Cooper on 7/29/2010 9:41:26 PMComment on this

Greetings,

Welcome to the Cooper studio, Jefferson, Iowa. Jefferson is a fortunate town. It just happens to be on the RaccoonRiverValley Bicycle Trail. http://raccoonrivervalleytrail.org It's one of those great trails that used to be a railroad line, that ran from DesMoines out to Jefferson. We made the ride down to the "Winkleman Switch" tonight, just a short jaunt but very enjoyable.

As we rode I was thinking about school starting again, and with that, the life drawing group I study with on campus at IowaStateUniversity. And THAT made me think about the old phrase "just like riding a bicycle". Surely my thought process is clearly visible? Let me explain. When people talk about a learned skill that's never forgotten, they say it's "just like riding a bicycle" meaning once you learn it, you've got it. You never forget it. You can ride a bicycle nonstop through your youth, take a ten year break, decide to start again, and get right back on and do it.

Now, what on earth does THAT have to do with art, you ask? Actually, I think art is the negative value for that old saying. The life drawing group I went to when we lived up north was a bit seasonal at times, various gaps in scheduling. We were always a little surprised when we got back on schedule and everyone had to whine a little bit about being rusty. It WASN'T "just like riding a bicycle" We found we could not immediately start right back in where we left off.

Dare I say that artists CAN'T share that phrase with bicycle riders? Do you really think you can paint/draw/create whatever for a year, stop for a while, and then start right back up where you left off? Maybe it depends on where you want to go with your art. If you are wanting it to grow and develop, I don't think it works to say it's "just like riding a bicycle". I would venture that continued growth requires nonstop practice.

Surely we need a bicycle painting here, don't you think?

Road Ride, acrylic painting on a 36 x 24 inch canvas.

Yes, this is an older painting of mine, but it is doubly appropriate for this blog post! Not only have we already talked about the phrase "just like riding a bicycle", but this is RAGBRAI http://ragbrai.com week in Iowa. 15,000 people riding their bicycles from the Missouri River on the western border of Iowa to the Mississippi River on the east. Road Ride is hanging at the Clear Lake Art Center currently, as Clear Lake was one of the "night camp" towns for this year's RAGBRAI. The painting, you ask? Painted the year RAGBRAI had a "night camp" in our previous hometown of Spencer, Iowa (2007) What a party. Thanks for stopping by.

Later, Cooper

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