And a Dog! Blue Dog...

Or at least my attempt at Blue Dog.
Being a native of Louisiana, I have a great love of Blue Dog - so it was so much fun to try to draw him the other day.  I'm no Rodrigue, but I think he turned out okay.

A cat...

This is my very first attempt at drawing a cat.  It is okay.  I need to learn more about how to make fur more realistic.  I'm pleased with the placement of the eyes and ears, though.  This cat makes me happy, though.  Honestly, I'm learning that simply spending the time working in my art journal is so rewarding.  I feel more grounded, less stressed, and energized in spending this time with myself.  I post my pictures not because I think I'm some talented artist - in fact, I'm well aware that I'm not - but I post my pictures because I want to encourage others to try this.  Start experimenting - maybe you will find that you love painting.  Or drawing.  Maybe you will discover you like to make jewelry or knit or write short stories.  Maybe you will simply start documenting your days in a journal or start a blog.  Whatever it is, I think there is something in many people that is creative - there is some experience that you can participate that will bring you joy and maybe even a greater understanding of who you are.  

My First Face

I found a face picture on Pinterest and this is my attempt to draw it.  I'm actually excited about how it turned out.  I've never drawn a face before, so I think this is an okay first try.  The nose is too large and the lips too small.  I really struggled with the mouth.  I had so much fun though and hope that as I continue to practice I will become more skilled.  I think I need to invest in some real drawing supplies as that may help.  I've just been using a regular pencil from my daughter's school supplies so far.

A first attempt at drawing an eye!

So this is one of my first attempts at drawing an eye.  I have to say I'm pretty proud of this eye!  I've never drawn one before - just always assumed I would not be able to do it.  I found a video on YouTube that walked me through the process of how to make a realistic eye.  Of course, my version is not as good as what the artist in the video did, but I still think it is pretty good.  For some reason, I keep staring at this eye.  It is as if it is telling me to have hope - to push forward with exploring my passions.  It really does not matter if I'm an "artist" or if I have talent.  It really doesn't matter if my attempts are successful or if I fall flat and have to start over.  What matters is that it is important to me.  It refreshes and excites me at the same time to push myself to try new things - to attempt to create something.  And that is what it is all about - feeding our souls, finding those precious moments when we can pursue those things that make us feel alive.   

Getting Started...

This blog will be a place for me to talk about my attempts at exploring art and creative challenges.  I will say right now that I do not have "talent" in this area, but I do have a great love for artistic pursuits.  I have gone to a couple of Paint Nite Events and just fell in love with painting with acrylics.  I have also experimented some with sketching and am planning to start an art journal in the new year.  Right now I'm seeking an art journal challenge to help me get started.  I may have found one - more on that later.  If anyone should find this blog, welcome!  I'm primarily doing this for me as a place to keep a record of my progress as well as to save links and other information as I journey through this process.

Here are a couple of pics of me and my friend, Colleen, taken at a recent Paint Nite event.  SO fun!