Drawing from the Book of Nature
by Dennis Klocek
When students are given fixed and finalized abstractions from the beginning, they do not have to use their own inner forces to overcome the resistance of the world to arrive at truth or to create beauty. The result is that their inner pictures are devoid of life.
To arrive at a truth or to create beauty that reflects the order and harmony of the Creator, we must always begin humbly, in ignorance and ugliness. By striving out of ignorance and ugliness toward the true and beautiful, both scientists and artists can bring new, creative forces into the world. Neither memorizing data nor copying a beautiful drawing engages the true imagination of students as it is by drawing a flower from life. It is precisely this lack of an active, striving inner creativity that can result in the frequently overwhelming feelings of anxiety and alienation experienced by so many people today. As a counterbalance, education must—in all areas of knowledge—increasingly focus on the personal creation of what, through its beauty, speaks truth and through its truth radiates beauty.
Drawing from the Book of Nature is about both drawing and the natural world of plants and animals. It is a valuable resource for teachers, students, and anyone who wants to develop a capacity for artistic observation of natural phenomena.
Dennis Klocek provides a refreshing combination of depth and clarity, offering a wealth of insight into the lives that constitute living nature. The text is supported by easy-to-follow lessons that help the reader bring the kingdoms of nature to life on paper. This book is a resource through which teachers, students, and others can find their own way toward reuniting with beauty and truth.
About the Author
Dennis Klocek is a teacher, researcher, artist, gardener, and alchemist. He graduated with an MFA in 1975 from Temple University’s Tyler School of Art. He then taught for seven years at a community college. In 1982, his love for the work of Rudolf Steiner took him to Rudolf Steiner College in Sacramento, California, where he has been the director of their Consciousness Studies Program (“Goethean Studies”) since 1992. Dennis is engaged in research, teaching, and writing in many fields, including weather, gardening, meditation, the human organism, and self-transformation. He founded the Coros Institute to teach and promote dialogue experiences based on esoteric wisdom. Dennis Klocek’s books include Sacred Agriculture: The Alchemy of Biodynamics (2012); Cilmate: Soul of the Earth (2010); and The Seer’s Handbook (2005).
A Rudolf Steiner College Press title
156 pages with numerous black and white illustrations.
28 x 21.6 cms.
Paperback.
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