Blind Giraffes - Lesson 2

Okay, so the giraffes aren't really blind in Lesson 2, but instead, are blind contour drawings...

To jog your memory of what a blind contour drawing is....you spend your time looking only at your subject and not at your paper while slowly moving your pencil/pen in unison with your eyes.  You are supposed to use one continuous line to draw your subject.

It was hard to fight the urge to look down and "correct" myself....but it's a cool feeling to have your drawing be revealed to you in all it's wiggly, askew and sometimes scary glory and think "Hey, that's not half bad "  :)

The book author does say it's okay to lift your pencil to begin the interior details...which I did for the eyes above.....but, I didn't look while I was drawing them....I swear!  That head on the top left is my favorite.

I started enjoying the transformations...so I tried a couple more.

I cranked up the contrast on this so the lines would stand out a bit more.

Barn Owl

Penguin Chicks

Squirrel

Every time I see that squirrel drawing I hear Gollum in my head saying, "My Precioussss"....haha!!

I told you they sometimes turn out scary :)

But I hope you give this Lesson a try.  I learned to slow down my pace, to really take the time to notice all the curves and details (even if they didn't register on the drawings) and to be open to the end result without expecting too much from it. This allowed me to be pleasantly surprised rather than miserably disappointed :)

Please link up here to share your adventures in blind contour drawing!

Can't wait to see what your blind animals look like :)

Hugs,

Cameron

Ode to Nature

This week on Butterfly Effect, the theme is A Poem or A Quote.

Here is what I painted in response.

There were so many quotes about Nature that inspired this painting....

"And forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair"

-Kahlil Gibran

I fully intended to pick one and write the words onto the painting....

"Humankind has not woven the web of life.  We are but one thread within it.  Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves.  All things are bound together.  All things connect."

-Chief Seattle

But I didn't want to cover up anything once she was done.

So I wrote my chosen quote on the back instead.

"Nature is painting for us, day after day, pictures of infinite beauty

if only we have the eyes to see them."

-John Ruskin

The Beauty of Nature

Mixed Media on Chipboard (from an old scrapbook kit I'd never otherwise use)

7 x 8 3/4 inches

Please visit Butterfly Effect to see what other poems or quotes have made for good art :)

While you're there....go to Amy's site and find out when her next LIVE class is.

I was finally able to attend....woohoo!

I'll have to finish up what we made and show it to you later.

Hope your weekend is abundant with the beauty of Nature!

Biggest Hugs,

Cam

On the Agenda

It's that time of year....to sum up what we've done in the last 12 months.
To decide there are some things that can be improved,  others that can be strived for....and put on our list, yet again, those things that we still want, but have eluded us thus far...

The thing that most needs improvement in my Life, is my health...

Resolution # 1 Get Healthy

Since we moved and I stopped working as a Massage Therapist, I've done zero physical activity.  Do you remember the muscle pull while swatting flies incident?

I've been noticing aches and cramps that weren't there before....and a noticeable loss of flexibility....

I'm only 38. 

I spend way too much time sitting in front of the computer.

My Dad has heart issues.

I had borderline high cholesterol 3 years ago (the last time I had it checked).

Um....does anyone else see the red flags here...ding ding!!  Time to make some changes.

So, I need to drop Maggie off at school and...

Those red things are bike shorts....does anyone still wear those things? Haha!

This is for illustrative purposes only.  I wouldn't be caught dead in a pair of shorts in public :)

I just need to get my physical activity done in the morning, before email and blog checks, before excuses and obligations...I need to just start my day on a positive.

Be more regular about taking my vitamins...

...and eat more veggies.  I actually enjoy vegetables, but, I find I eat the same ones all the time.  I'd like to mix it up some kale and eggplant with my usual tomatoes and broccoli.  I can become so predictable. 

Perhaps I'll try Green Shakes like so many of you do.  If you have any advice or recipes to share I'd love to hear them! :)

My second Resolution stems from something else extremely important to me.  I've always longed to make a living as an Artist. 

I know I'm preaching to the choir here.

My Husband would love for me to contribute more financially and has politely suggested that I may be able to find a job when Maggie goes to school fulltime in 1st grade....

....but, it would be a dream come true to be able to make Art my profession, and have Chief Paint Slinger be my title :)

I think we established above, with all that health talk, just how short Life is...I want to live mine doing what I love most.

I figured I'd make it my goal to get published in a magazine. If an Art Mag takes your work seriously, than the rest of the world will too, right?!  Well, maybe not....but it's something to strive for anyways :)

Besides, it would make my Mom and Dad so proud :)

...and show Maggie that all dreams are within reach...

So, I'll create...

mail in....

...and keep my fingers crossed again and again...

Until, one day...I may be able to...

Celebrate....and you'll all be invited to party with me...heehee!

My 3rd Resolution is the one that keeps eluding me.  On the surface, it seems like a non-issue.

I mean, how could someone who doesn't have to work (yet...haha!), doesn't exercise and doesn't eat veggies not be having fun..haha!  Well, I don't have nearly as much as I should :)

I want to live in my heart more...and less in my mind....

While I have no problem laughing at myself sometimes, I have trouble in stressful situations relaxing and going with the flow.  Getting uptight and tense isn't going to help anything. Maybe just laughing at the whole thing would put me more at ease :)

I don't say yes enough to her.  She's only a kid once....and one day, she'll stop asking.

 Lazy is just way too easy for me... I believe there is definately room to do better. To try harder. 

I can put the clothes away as soon as I pull them out of the dryer (instead of letting them sit in the basket for a week).

I can write a love letter to my Hubby once a month instead of once a year.

I can cook a meal every now and then, rather than heat up a frozen dinner.

I can look in the mirror....and look past my crow's feet and gray hair....and not mourn over what I used to be.  But, appreciate who I am now and just how special she is :)

Maybe I'll finally do a self-portrait?

Well, probably not....haha!  Maybe in 2013....

Happy New Year, Blog Friends! 

Let's make it a great one!!

Big hugs,

Cameron