One of my drawing students is so good that I asked The Courthouse Gallery in Exeter ( where I teach drawing lessons) to feature her in an upcoming show. I’m defining “so good” based on several things: Her work is technically excellent. She composes her drawings from her own photos (and occasionally from mine), carefully […]
What Happens in My Brain While I Draw
A list is coming. First, please enjoy this drawing of a Wilsonia cabin: Turned out pretty well, especially considering it was another one of those cabins with cedar trees blocking much of its detail. Here is the sort of thing that runs through my head while I draw. 1. Yea! This is #________. I’m on […]
Fear and Drawing a Book of Cabins
Fear is a great obstacle to creativity. This post lists common info about fear and a list of my personal worries (an easier word to stomach than fear, as if I’m not a Big Chicken). Here is a list of random thoughts about fear: 1. The greatest fear that is most common to people is […]
More Thoughts About Happiness
I’m not done telling you about The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin. These are thoughts that struck me as I read through her chapter on happiness at work. (You can call me “List Lady” today.) 1. “Enthusiasm is more important to mastery than innate ability.” No kidding! My drawing students who are unexperienced but enthusiastic often […]
Happiness and Drawing a Book
The Happiness Project: Or, Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun has captivated me. She is a writer who had a flash of insight: “The days are long but the years are short”. She realized that she wasn’t enjoying […]
Random Thoughts on a Friday
1. Nothing to report about Mineral King. You can look at the webcam. I’m drawing in the studio, and Trail Guy is probably skiing. I think he should be renamed “Ski Guy” this winter. 2. I used to have a Blog Roll, which is a list of blogs I read. I don’t think any […]
A Peek into the Wilsonia Project
Perhaps I should have titled this “Book Report”. Then, you might have gotten it confused with my old Reading Rabbit reports. So many decisions. . . Remember that I am working almost exclusively on The Cabins of Wilsonia this year? (I told about it here.) Good thing I love to draw. At the time of this […]
Redwoods, Redwoods, Everywhere
I still have a very large commissioned oil painting of redwoods to complete. Redwoods are sequoia gigantea, not to be confused with California redwoods. We grew up calling them “the big trees”, and I had no clue what a privilege it was to live so close. (I might have been a bit of a twit.) […]
Only in a Small Town Like Three Rivers
Last week I experienced some things that only happen when one lives in a small town. Three Rivers in Central California qualifies as a small town, with a population around 2600, and many of whom are weekenders. (The Kaweah Post Office in this pencil drawing isn’t my post office, but it isn’t very far from […]
Normally on Tuesday. . .
. . . I would be teaching people how to draw. This happens at the Courthouse Gallery in Exeter. No lessons in July or August because in the past, the attendance was abysmal during those months. Besides, it is just hot! I’ve been teaching people how to draw since 1994. Looking back, I’m not sure […]