Perceptions

I spent over three and a half hours yesterday drawing and painting. The exercises I have been doing in my Foundation level course with the Learning Connexion have proved quite nerve wracking as I am having to work much more loosely than usual PLUS drawing human beings which I have always been told I cannot do (by art teachers at High School). I spent some time on an exercise where I had to draw a charcoal portrait from a photocopy but with the photo upside down. This meant that I was looking at the face as a series of abstract shapes rather than as a person. What was weird is that it worked and I ended up with a slightly plumper version of the photocopy woman. I was thrilled and have the drawing propped up on my piano.

It's amazing how our perceptions of what we can do can be so severely marked by negative comments. How many people have given up art because some well meaning teacher in primary school told them they had no talent? When you think about it all children draw the same until their teens but then something happens to stop them pursuing art. I am sure this is negativity from their "betters". I think you need to have faith in your abilities so that it doesn't matter what others say you still have that burning passion to follow your dreams. It doesn't matter that we're not all going to be a Michelangelo or Monet. It's important that you find joy in what you do.

Searching through the blogs the other day for a mention of the Creative Fibre Festival I came across a blog from a knitter who attended. Lo and behold there was a shot over the trades hall and I was able to see Irene and I down in our stand to the middle left (with the two tables running diagonally). I am sitting with my head down painting and you can just see my two angora scarves stretched across the wall behind me. Beverley has been kind enough to say that I can republish her photo on this blog. This shot was taken in one of the quiet times- usually the aisles were full of people.