Today I tried drawing something new. Sure hope it shows up on this blog. Ok computers change faster than I can keep up with them. This is the site if it doesn't show up. http://tinyurl.com/ydkq6fx

I love drawing, always have loved it. But I love to color outside the lines too. So today I drew a lady from my head and put a scarf on her head. When I was young everybody wore a scarf. Now they might wear a hat but rarely see a scarf except around someone's neck.

What a great day at art class today. Working on the math part of art now. Measuring 15 ways from Sunday to get that line just right and I love it. Never dreamed that the human face has so many angles and lines. To some people faces comes natural, I am the type of artist that has to work very hard on that part. Have so much homework that there is no way I can get it all done. And I plan to start a college course Tuesday night in Adobe Photoshop. So I can take my photos and blow them up and paint from them. After spending so many years of my life in the tobacco fields and in the factories, this is turning out to be the best time of my life. Retirement can be great if you never stop learning. Go for your dream, no matter how crazy you think it sounds. Reach for your star and don't give up. Push yourself harder than you think you can handle, and most important keep a great attitude.

Class #6

Today was a great class and I learned a lot. I went in all proud with 83 drawings done since last class. Turns out 43 were cartoons and 39 of the rest had errors. Leaving this one I am trying to post tonight as the best of the lot. The things I learned today

1. Slow down a measure measure measure
2. Squint more - draw less
3. Commit to shading! Its either shaded or not!
4. Better to get one right than take in 82 wrong.
5. Get a great teacher who will not only tell you, but show you errors.

I got a great teacher and has the patience of Job to put up with me. Going to draw more. Will post later this week and let you know how its going.

The studio

For 3 days now my friend and I have labored in the clutter that I called my upstairs. There is something about clutter that drags the soul down with its weight. First day I was like, well I may need that - today I said "Trash it". We made 4 piles Trash, Goodwill or Salvation Army, stuff to take to antique mall and a keep pile. After I finish I plan to do it again with the same 4 piles until I get to just the stuff I have to have to work with.

I am blessed to have 4 rooms upstairs. One side is a bedroom and I plan to make it into a nice guest room. The other side is living room, kitchen and bath. That is the side in which will become my studio, the area between the 2 main rooms is mostly open.

Had an old door removed this fall and put in a 2 ton heater/ac unit, with a small window over it up there. Had the kitchen light removed and put in an 8' day light unit in. Since I get no north light, may need another one of those in the living room area. Will post photos when its done- trust me you don't want to see that mess. I am very tired tonight!!

Happy New Year 2010

Hello and welcome to my new blog. Hope you will follow me on this journey to become the artist I dream to be. Will share with you about my classes and paintings. And hopely good news and new events on my journey. AAWS is having a contest in Feb. for members and a guest to paint a picture together. My cousin brought her half done painting over for me to finish. Sure hope she finds the photo. I was there when she did the plein air start of the painting. But didn't study the scene very much. This will be a challenge.