The next day

Lat night I found myself fighting the same old I-don't-know-what-to-draw problem. Finally, I remembered the 'depth' problem I had with some of the work in the first class, so I practiced drawing boxes and a ball and a cup with a handle (and then added a shadow, later) but nothing 'from life' - which is where I really should start working.

I think tonight I'll try doing the 'fat ladies' upside down again. I tried it in class and I didn't get too far, plus my proportions were off because I wasn't locating lines properly - I wasn't relating things to each other properly. I found that I don't like working flat - I would rather have the work upright, or as near as I can get to upright, and it's important for me to be able to move freely - I should sit upright and be able to move my arms freely and not get lazy and rest my arms on the furniture. I probably should work on an easel - either the free standing or the tabletop.

Manana

Last night was the first class

Last night I attended my first art class - called "You Can Draw Anything". Annie gave this class to me as a birthday gift - for which I am very grateful. Our instructor is a very good artist, named Marilyn Dale, who has a site where you can see and judge her art for yourself - http://www.mdaleartist.com. She is a GREAT communicator and the class seemed to go very well.

Years ago ( I am in my 60's now - so there are actually things that I did "years ago") I dabbled in art to a minor degree. My wife had been into art when she was in school and had done some really nice work (copies of Van Gogh) that I found inspiration in and so I found a voice in charcoal and pastel chalk that worked for me. But kids and work and everything else just kinda pushed the 'art' to the side and it never went anywhere. Now, however, I find the interest re-kindled and I hope to explore it, find my voice, again, and develop what talent there may be in me to put to paper what I see, think and feel about the world around me.

I am also new to blogging. I am not sure what tone to take here - I don't know, for example, that anyone other than me is ever going to read this stuff - so I don't know whether to be informative or instructive or observational. I think, however, that as I begin to think in terms of art that I may just kind of 'talk to myself', like you do when you draw, and create a record of my progress toward my goal to do 'art'.

Last night, as an exercise, Marilyn had us put our keys on the table and sketch them. Besides being difficult to do, it made me begin to understand that 'subjects' are everywhere - all around us. Just LOOK. Before I didn't know 'what to draw' - kinda. I had fanciful images in my mind of being outdoors with an easel and a stool in a 'setting'. Now I'm seeing that those things, those trappings, aren't necessary. Paper, pencil and imagination are what is necessary. I will draw one thing, SOME thing, every day. Poorly, at first, I'm sure, but I will get better. I just need to do it every day.

At some point I will learn how to post copies of the things I draw in here, so I can see the progress I'm making. Hopefully. I'm assuming there will be progress. We'll see.

Manana.