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| Sticky buns just out of the oven! |
And immediately on the heels of that thought came the realization that I do the same thing when it comes to my new interests in drawing, painting, and mixed media. "I'm not really an artist, but . . . ", I tell anyone to whom I show my "artwork". I even use quotation marks to emphasize what I am not; and if we happen to be talking face to face, I'll use air quotes to get my message across. But then, I realized how silly that may sound, since I do bake occasionally and I am doing some drawing, painting and mixed media from time to time.
My thoughts transported me back to my childhood and to memories of how my sister and I pretended we were in the jungle (actually the tall grass behind the corn crib) and hunted for scary black panthers (AKA our docile little black Cocker Spaniel); and how we pretended we were fancy ladies when we dressed up in our mother's old hats, scarves and dresses; or when we jumped off the hay loft performing acrobatic feats before landing in the piles of grain on the barn floor. We believed, if even for a short while, that we really were in the jungle hunting scary black panthers, and we really were fancy grownup ladies carrying big purses and huge bouquets of wildflowers, and we really were acrobats as we jumped off the dusty hay loft into the piles of grain full of grasshoppers and who knows what else! It was what we were, not what we weren't. If you observe children playing together, you will see how they pretend with such a strong belief in themselves. It is a way of trying on roles in a safe environment . . . in the world of play. At my age, which is decades beyond childhood, I seek that safe place where I can still play and believe in myself.
The Internet provides many things, and when used in a healthy way, it can be a place to connect with others, learn about the world, or even learn new skills. It is all there at our fingertips! We can learn about cooking, carpentry, quilting, gardening, and even art! So, it was the obvious step that I would turn to the Internet a few weeks ago when I decided I wanted to learn how to draw. With so many choices of blogs, tutorials, and videos available, the options were plentiful. Being that we were still in the cold grasp of winter of Western New York State, I chose to draw flowers. I looked at various images and then every morning, after my first cup of coffee, I sat down and drew pictures by referring to images on my tablet. I found it to be an enjoyable way to start my days. After a few weeks, I decided I'd like to take drawing classes. For once, I decided I would try to learn something new by getting instruction first, instead of winging it, and having to unlearn any bad habits I might develop on my own! I attended my first class last week at Art Ah La Carte. ( http://artahlacarte.net ) I believe I will like this new hobby, and plan to take classes every week!
Here are some of the pictures I drew late last month in the quiet first hours of the day. I chose small pieces of paper that would be a manageable size, 4.25" x 5.5" and could be kept in my Garden Journal / Mini Album. Read about my Garden Journal here: https://studioemmy.blogspot.com/2018/03/2018-garden-journal-mini-album.html I used a pencil to draw the flowers and then colored them with colored pencils.
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| Of course, the first spring flower that came to mind was a tulip! |
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| It will be a while, I am afraid, before we see crocuses. |
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| The one flower that the deer and rabbits don't devour is a daffodil. |
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| During a recent thaw, we saw snowdrops blooming in our back yard. |
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| When I was a little girl, my mother had a Christmas Cactus that had been left in the house that she and my father set up housekeeping in after their wedding in 1948. It was a huge specimen plant and was probably over 50 years old at the time. She kept it alive and it kept growing and growing. By the 1970's, it had grown to be about 3 feet in diameter and my mother and father used to count the blossoms on it every winter. They numbered over 100. My sister still has a plant that came from the original. |
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| I was running out of ideas of what to draw, so I asked my husband for a suggestion. He loves Black-eyed Susans. |
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| Daylilies are a good perennial to add to any yard or garden. They are not fussy and will thrive in just about any soil. |
March came in like a lion, but I didn't mind. We stayed home and watched the snow pile up.
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| It snowed and snowed and snowed on March 2nd. While my husband and I watched movies, I drew this evergreen tree. |
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| It snowed all day, so I kept on drawing! The birch trees need branches, but I couldn't figure out how to draw them! |
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| I decided to give perspective drawing a try. I'd had enough snow for one day, so I colored the ground to look like green grass. |
When I drew the photo above, I had not yet called to sign up for classes, but the first thing the instructor told me is she would start out with one point perspective. I am glad I had at least tried it ahead of time, so I knew what she was even referring to!
Is there something you want to learn, or that you are trying for the first time? If so, I'd love to hear from you. If you don't know where to begin, I'd like to suggest the Internet. It gave me the confidence to try. Being shut-in this winter after surgery has had its' challenges, but a perk has been having the time to pursue a few new interests. I look forward to spring; but in the meanwhile, you'll find me here with my pencil and sketchbook, learning to draw, and believing what I am . . . instead of what I am not.
It is my sincere wish that those you love are well and happy. As always, your comments are welcome here or on Facebook. I will read each one and respond. And until we meet again, may the Lord hold you in the hollow of His hand.
Emmy
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