Learning Pen & Ink
Last Thursday and Friday I took my first art class.....ever. Oh sure, I loved coloring as a child. Could do it for hours. But drawing? Hmm, I never felt competent to even attempt it. But when you live in an artsy community like I do, with a wonderful Arts Center right downtown, something happens and all of a sudden you feel drawn to give it a try. Give it a try, I did and ended up surprising myself that I was capable of way more than I'd ever thought. (When it comes to creativity on this island, itmakes me think osmosis might enter into it)
Now, of course, most of this credit must be given to Joyce (above in blue) our excellent art instructor for the pen and ink classes. She explained basic concepts in such a way that I understood immediately. She encouraged us and came around giving individual assistance. I learned about shadow and how light falls on a subject. I came away learning much more than I thought I would. We were told we'd all be drawing wine glasses, a bottle of wine, a candle and a rose. We could be original with our choice of red or white wine, the shape of the candle, etc. We practiced with pencil the first day and then progressed on with the Micron pen.
And TA DAAAAA...........here's my finished work.......
Not bad for somebody that is in the category of lower than beginner/amateur. I won't lie......I was pretty pleased with my finished piece. And rather proud. I'm going to mat it and frame it and hang it here in my writer's studio. It'll serve to prove to me once again that.......even if you don't think you can......you can.
And since the class ended, I'm been a sketching fool. I got out the Beginners Sketching book that I bought on Amazon last year and I have all my "toys"......watercolors, pens, sketch pads, erasers, etc. And I've been having so much fun learning even more. I'll share a page or two with you soon.
Joyce will be doing one more class on March 8 and I'm really looking forward to returning. In the meantime, you'll find me sketching away.
Terri DuLong
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PS: no plans for a Florida trip in the near future...but I never know what tomorrow will bring.
The only time I took an art class - oils, mastering the medium was so hard that I quit before I had any indication of whether I could render the still lifes we were supposed to be painting. But the pleasant surprise that accompanied the class was a new way of looking at the world. I really started paying attention to light and shadow, perspective, etc. That gave new interest to my days. I wonder if that's happening to you? Or if you already were used to noticing things closely because of your interest in photography?
Keep up the great work and continue to have fun with it. That's what it's all about, right?