Wendy
edelson
An Interview with Lon Levin
ARTWORK THAT WARMS THE HEART When did you first think about art as something you wanted to do? Were you encouraged or discouraged by family, friends, teachers, mentors? I started drawing when I was two. Almost all children start scribbling around that age but I began in the back of the family station wagon when we moved from New York City to Southern California. To keep me entertained ( quiet ) I was given paper and pencils and began drawing mothers holding babies, animals, children playing, the landscape out the windows…I would hand my drawings up to my parents in the front seat, and from what they tell me,,, they were very surprised. My parents both had wanted to be artists, my Dad a sculptor, my Mom a fashion designer… so they were very aware,
of art and drawing. I never stopped after that fateful cross country trip. My Dad had a sort of studio in our garage and he mostly carved large figures in wood, from fallen trees. I would draw there, to be with him. I remember being tired and saying I was going to go in the house and he looked at my drawing and said, “ NO! you cannot stop until you get that foreshortening of the foot right! To be a great artist you must first be a great draughtsman, you must draw, draw, draw and make sure the anatomy is correct… that your figures can STAND on those legs… until then, any technique is worthless, color is meaningless…. The drawing, the skeleton MUST be accurate!!!!” He was very passionate and not kidding, so I’d stayed and drew until he told me it was good My family was enormously encouraging and never said I should, “ learn X in case
