Second Class tonight

Tonight will be the second class with Marilyn Dale. I feel somewhat disappointed in myself that I haven't done more work on my own and independently. Last night, however, I did do a little work on the 'Two Fat Ladies' in my sketch journal. I did the head of one of the women, upside down, to see how it might differ from what I did in class last week. I find I still have this weakness in placing things (lines) relative to other lines in a drawing. Also there seems to be a comfort thing I have to learn to deal with - I don't like to shift around and change positions once I start working on something, but if I can't see my source material clearly I have to put down whatever I'm drawing with and pickup the book (in this case) and then go back to drawing. But it's like I've lost my place; I have to figure out where I was and get back there and it would be so much simpler if I could just glance over at whatever my source is, see what I need to see and continue in the work.

Actually, it's kind of like when I write a program for the computer. There's this focus one develops as one is in the work - you begin to see the whole in your mind as you work on the individual pieces or elements of the program and it is (for me, anyway) very difficult to reconstruct that focus if there is an interruption in the process. You get called into a meeting or some other distraction gets in the way and it's just GONE. Getting it back is possible, but tough. I find the same thing happens when I draw. I have always held that a good programmer is an artist; for writing software requires an understanding of how others are going to see and react to what is being written - the better the understanding, and the more developed the programming skillset, the more 'artful' and usable the end result. Apparently, the same is true of Art.

As before, I am looking forward to tonight's class. Marilyn is great - she communicates so clearly. I think I'm beginning to understand her part in this - she is a guide, she is there to help me explore what I already have and to show me how to develop and flex my artistic 'muscle'. She can't 'give' me anything I don't already have - but she can 'show' me how to use it.