Drawing is writing in a visual language, not just a species of artwork J.A.D. Ingres commented that “Le dessin est la probité de l’art.” Horace Mann called drawing a “an essential industrial skill,” and a “moral force.” that also demonstrates the diligence and integrity of  creative thinking.  Children learn to read by first being taught to draw letters. One cannot read if one cannot write. Things designed for human consumption enter the world as lines on a page. Understanding the world in which we live thus depends on some knowledge of drawing.  In making art, one begins by taking notes and sketching out a plan. If one succeeds, the plan becomes a poem.         -JLM