Those of you that know me KNOW that I cannot draw a straight line even with a ruler! I have several 'artsy' friends and have always - not so secretly - wanted to be able to draw. Even doodle!!!
Last month I read in "Oregon Coast Today" - ironically, a weekly paper! I know - why not "Oregon Coast Weekly????" We'll never know! Anyway, they announced that there were free art lessons at the Visual Art Center. Lots of different mediums offered, but you know I have a busy schedule here [smile] One class that fit for me was "Colored Pencils". Hey, that's cool! I even have some of those and a drawing pad I got free at Nebraska Book! ... and I DON'T need another expensive hobby!
It didn't start out so well. I didn't have enough pencils and Teacher would prefer a different drawing pad. There was an apple that certainly didn't look like an apple in my drawing! I was encouraged to take it home and keep drawing. Then there was a mishap! One morning R grabbed it as he left to go golfing. It wasn't until after he'd eaten it that it dawned on him 'this apple wasn't in the fridge! In fact, it may have been sitting with doni's art supplies! Oh, oh!' I took the core back to class but it wasn't as funny to them as it was to us!
4 weeks into class this project started with taking a graphite pencil and darkening the entire sheet of paper! Then drawing life-size a stack of things on the table. I got the ball and the middle tube done fairly well. I hate ribbons!!! But ran out of time before working out the kinks in the bottom cubes! It's only a 2 1/2 hour class, after all! LOL! But I was so proud of my progress! I even ran home with it to show R!! And he was just as impressed!
A little known fact: colored pencils are $1.60+ EACH! But I'm sticking with it - although I'm not the most dedicated student. I tend not to do my homework - remember we do babysit every other week ... no one can accomplish anything after taking care of those dynamos! Last week I was feeling guilty; told 'Teacher' that I almost didn't come to class because I wasn't doing the homework. She said, "I used to teach Special Ed, I can deal with no homework ..." Not as reassuring as she could be!!! LOL!
After just 6 weeks I have advanced enough that a pear looks like a pear! It's getting exciting! I'm still not too fond of ribbons but I'm not tempted to rip them to shreds any more! And I even did some homework this week!
The reason that led me to study drawing was free-motion quilting! They say to get good at FM quilting you need to draw your design on white board/large paper/whatever! Well, I couldn't! Seeing it all pitiful on paper was bad enough - but when I imagined all the ripping-out that was going to happen ... I wanted to go to bed with a novel!!
So my growth opportunities this year are: lose weight - once and for all! [again!?] and drawing. Both are quite the stretch. My expanded list includes making one of my all-time favorite quilts too - log cabin!
So-o when friends talk about their quilting 'stretching' goals this year I quietly think to myself ... learn to draw. I'm sure it will improve my quilting too! Doesn't everything??
2 comments:
I have always wanted to learn to draw too. Several years ago I found an artist who gives weekly art lessons. I eagerly signed up and took lessons from her for two years before I switched to quilting. I spent a lot of time drawing and never for the hang of it.
I know what mean about the cost of pencils. While taking the lessons I bought about 100 Prismacolor pencils. When I gave up the lessons I gave most of my supplies, but not the pencils. They cost too much money to do that.
Your drawing is coming along well. You're much better than I am.
Hurray for you! As an "artsy friend", I give you two thumbs up. Well done. Don't stop, you'll be ready for your grandkid's portraits before you know it. ~Diane
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