Happenstance
I am a teacher. 3rd generation. If you were to ask me why I did it my stock answer would be, "for the light-bulbs." What I meant by that was the moment you could see understanding dawn in a student's eyes. Or the moment when passion or love of a subject took over. I'm retired now and that is why I have the time to indulge myself in my own learning. Last summer someone turned on a light bulb for me. It wasn't a quick flick of a switch, but a slow charging of a battery.
Laura, from Create Art Every Day, liked one of my posts and so I went to visit her at a time when she was posting a small watercolour every day, and I was impressed. No I didn't hop right to it. I'm more comfortable with acrylics and watercolour intimidates me. But I did use my Crayola watercolour pencils to capture the visit of a colourful arachnid to my peony. See Inspired By A Visitor. And that was all. For about 6 months.
After Christmas I took on two goals:
Continue writing a journal. I do a good job of a travel journal, but usually not of a more continuous variety.
Learn to draw; at least a little.
I can paint, but I have never considered myself able to draw. So I bought a couple of books at a second hand store, and started following Shoo Rayner and Cathy Johnson on Youtube. Cathy had this lovely tutorial on making folded sketchbooks from single sheets of paper-much less intimidating than a fancy new sketchbook.
Each night I would sit and write in my journal, and then try to sketch one small thing. Not every night, mind you, but most nights.
And black and white is pretty dull, but I had an old Prang kid's watercolour set. Well, the rest is history.
I now have quite a collection. All small, about double ATC size, but I've so enjoyed it. I'm learning every day; watercolour no longer intimidates me.
Here's a little selection of the progression
More recent sketches are definitely cleaner looking.
We have a holiday coming up, and I look forward to taking a little kit with me and adding some visuals to my travel journal. Thank You to, Danny Gregory, Liz Steel, Koosje Koene and so many more for all the many hours of free instruction they have provided. And thank you, Laura, for your advice and encouragement. It may have only been a moment but we never know what little thing we do that influences someone else. Be well.
Monika
