'Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler'.
Whose quote is that?
What can I add?
This reads like the best possible argument in favour of sketching. Anyhow, it associates to a drawing I made this summer with little more than paper and a Bic (the popular french fine liner), in the north Brittany coast ('La côte de granite rose'). The scenery is a beautiful perspective of the river Trieux, flowing its way to the sea through the Bréhat archipelago, off the harbor of Paimpol. (This is approximately half way between the cities of Brest and St Malo, west of France.
Should one be a poet or a scientist to explore simplicity?
Well just plain sketching gives ample chance to discover all necessary details, leaving the fortuity or disgraceful out of sight. In a way that can be disturbing, one can sketch everything as beautiful as one needs to. This is disturbing because ugliness also takes part of reality - even forges it.
Something made simpler than it is, is often an ugly sight.
But where to draw the line?
As one sketches, the moment defines the power: the hand and eye meet in one passion for the subject matter. Nothing can go wrong because everything is there which needs to be there. So yes, sketching is a great for of meditation.
It is a beautiful and inspiring quote from Albert Einstein.