The Search for Artistic Enlightenment

The Unknown, 2010

So, I’m getting more excited, rather than scared, about my portrait drawing class tomorrow.  It will be the first time I’ve professionally taught any kind of drawing class.  I was terrified at first because I was judging myself, but I am now confident in myself and have a rough idea of how the class will go.  I also have a potential of 5 people signed up for tomorrow! (I thought it might only be 3)  The max is 15, so I will be very pleased if I have 1/3 of that number!

Demo for portrait class

I’ve just finished a demonstration of the steps I use to get from A to B, but I think I may need to add one more step.

I will be stressing the importance of value, measuring, a lack of critical self judgment, and letting go of expectations.  I will also be helping everyone individually with their work. We will be working from a sculpture bust that I made of myself last semester.

Soon, I will be completing the painted wooden dancing figurines I am working on for a client – so excited about finishing that!  Once those are completed, I will be able to get on to the good stuff – painting a large painting for Art walk at Aria Lounge & … I have decided to pick “The Natural Way to Draw” back up.  It’s a lovely book and it was working for me before I attended Del Mar College & I am done with the art classes there, so I need to do something to hone my skills (although I am sure that the Art Center’s portrait group and teaching will greatly help with that!)

My goal is to follow the schedule of the book’s course as closely as I can & FINISH it in a timely manner.  That’s 3 hrs of self motivated drawing per day people.

You may not understand, but it’s been very difficult for me to START anything.  I research, get inspired and I read, read, read until I am overwhelmed and just cannot get myself to just START. So, this is my challenge to myself.  My only rule is not to let myself beat myself up over it if I don’t do it EVERY day.  This will only lead to more procrastination.  I need to just do yoga if I can’t bring myself to create.

My next challenge, which I don’t know when I will initiate it, is to go through all of my art books, one at a time, and read each one/study it front to back.  I tend to hoard good books and they just sit on the shelf – for some reason, I am better at reading books that I know someone else expects back. I want to stop taking it for granted that I own them.