First, I hope the New Year has started off well for everyone. It’s been good here and I’m trying some new things for the New Year.
I’ve set myself an intention (not a resolution or anything so formal or binding) to create a new work around once a month. Seems doable and it’s far less than I can accomplish – when I’m working. When I’m not, its way more. So, maybe it will average out.
If you’re on my email list, you’ve seen some posts come in with prints in my Etsy shop. That’s because I set up a system to post those here. It’s still in the “seeing how it goes phase” for now. I’d like to share new works a little more regularly and that’s the place I’m most reliable about posting. The downside is it may pick up duplicates occasionally and it doesn’t include how-to and behind the scenes articles. So, it’s a work in process – let me know how it’s working for you too …
Next, with this new intention to make more traditional art, I realized my drawing skills were getting a little rusty, so I sat down Sunday afternoon and sketched this little Eastern Screech Owl. It’s barely finished and the only thing on the page – for now. (I got new sketch books for Christmas.)
The funny thing about this drawing was I got the forward side of the face and head in one go – the eye the beak, the ear – all of it. Then the far side was just wonky and didn’t seem to want to straighten out. It took a bit but then I realized that because of the angle (it’s an extreme three-quarter view) the forward side is so dominant it was interfering with how I was seeing the far side proportion. I covered up the front half of the reference and my drawing and – presto! There it is.
I almost picked up some colored pencils but then reminded myself it’s just a sketch and it served its purpose. What’s in your sketchbook and on your list for the coming year?
PS Did you know I answer every single email? Every. Single. One. So drop me a note or leave a comment and find out…