Mixed media on watercolor paper, 9"x12"
These drawings were made during the Bahai 19 Day Fast, during which time those observing the Fast abstain from food and drink from sunup to sundown, in a spirit of restraint and reflection. Each morning I would awake before dawn to prepare a breakfast and as I peeled, sliced and steeped, I placed the discarded bits of food on a piece watercolor paper labeled with the date and sunrise time. I set the stained paper on the radiator to dry while I ate. After the paper dried, I brushed the food pieces into the compost bin and examined the stains, letting pictures emerge like clouds, informed by the morning's intake. Drawing was a matter of letting images appear gradually, without much editing. Each drawing was allotted 30 minutes to an hour, depending on the demands of the day.