Waiting

I got to thinking, there is a lot in common twix modeling, zen meditation, the "primitive mind" and hunting. All are involved in now, right now, and only now.

Starting with the "primitive mind" and hunting: Years back I used to hunt moose with an Eskimo buddy, Henry Baily from Noatak. Often hunting just consists of sittin' & waitin'. I'd often get restless, stretch, move around but he'd just sit there unmoving. Unmoving until game appeared and then he'd be up, alert, limber and ready to shoot. Me, even though I'd stretched etc., I'd be ready, when the game showed, long long seconds behind him. When we were waiting sometimes I'd ask him what he was thinking about, he'd say "Nothing", and really mean nothing. He was just waiting for the game. Basically all higher mental functions are at rest and only the primitive mind, the lizard brain, is alert, the muscles are all relaxed but ready to act when the time is right.

Meditation: One stops remembering, planning, etc., and is just there right now, living in the moment.

I suspect modeling, by really good models is much the same, the inner voices are quiet, the past isn't even past, it just isn't and the future is not even a concept, there is just now, that moment, that relaxed state when one is living right now.

Ink and woodless colored pencil on 14" X 17" 50 pound paper.