January 2025
WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS
Week 1 [12/29/24- 01/04/25]
Watched PKR Fundamentals Classes - 1. Drawing Styles & 2. Light on Form
Started practicing the vocabulary of light
Went to the thrift store to get inspiration/ supplies for a still life setup
Painted an art supply storage box that I found at the thrift store (a great “just for fun” activity that challenged me to take action without planning or pre-sketching… I just went for it! It’s not perfect, but it was a lot of fun.)
Week 2 [01/05/25- 01/11/25]
Painted lots of pears (practicing light on form)
I even broke out the acrylic paints… leveled up!
Started collecting random things to have good shapes to include in still-life setups (toothpaste carton, deodorant tube, spray bottle, etc)
Watched Ian Robert’s intro to composition videos (eye-opening when it comes to looking at art and thinking about painting a scene… really excited to continue learning about this)
Rewatched Peggi’s Light on Form class (very helpful to review, and watching her paint never gets old 😍)
Watched Reagan Rose 5-year Plan and Strategic Plan for Faithfulness videos
Highlighted the importance of DILIGENCE - “simple consistent daily effort”
Got me pondering the statement: “If God approves of my life and art, I don’t much care what anyone else thinks.”
Ordered Edgar Payne composition book recommended by Sandi Hester
Week 3 [01/12/25- 01/18/25]
Travel week to Fairhope
Bought some backyard chicken magazines to draw chickens 🙃
Focused on practicing drawing a few minutes before bed every night
Very simple, fast sketches… but I can tell my observation skills are improving
Week 4 [01/19/25- 01/25/25]
Travel week to Orlando
Got some time in the Airstream to watch Peggi’s Patreon videos
Negative space drawings
Painted with acrylics
Week 5 [01/26/25- 02/01/25]
Travel week to St. Augustine
Bought new paper, sharpies, and Velvetouch brushes recommended by Peggi
Make sure to mix in stuff “just for fun” that sparks my curiosity… I’m thinking about the Peggi Wid Kingdom Collage class (I don’t want to box myself in with the fundamentals so much that I feel bogged down and defeated)
1 SKILL I’M WORKING ON
Right now, I feel like “I don’t know what I don’t know.” So I’m starting with the fundamental classes with Peggi and trying to sprinkle in some composition learning. And then from there, hopefully, I can identify my “biggest pain point” and focus more on one skill at a time.
My current focus is on: drawing practice (observation) and light vocabulary
2 THINGS I LEARNED
The same way I get in a rush with Bible study, I get in a rush with art. I feel like I can’t study the Bible fast enough to learn everything that I need to know. I also feel that way with art. And that’s when I have to realize that… IT’S TRUE!! AND IT’S OK.
It’s about the process, not the destination. (From Ian Roberts’s video 5 Principles to Master Anything: “The process is the point!!”)
Enjoy the process of learning a little bit at a time. It’d be super boring to “arrive” and have nothing to work on anyways.
I can make art right where I am with the skills that I currently have. It will grow and evolve over time. That’s the fun of it!
It’s ok to be in a season where I want to work quietly and not share much.
3 FAVORITE PICS
Quick sketch with colored pencils and neopastels. I felt a lot better with my drawing than I have in the past. I took time to slow down and notice more.
I made this for Amber after taking Peggi’s Wild Kingdom collage class. It was a great opportunity to break out the acrylic paints and practice mixing colors. And it was an opportunity for me to stretch my “just for fun” muscle.
Watercolors “on location” 🙃 at Anastasia SP in St. Augustine. I felt really overwhelmed sitting outside and taking in the scene. I ended up just sitting on the ground and painting Robins from one of my bird books. There were lots of Robins and squirrels playing around us, but it feels beyond my skill level right now to try to paint them without a book reference.
