WR #7 + Education Update
Now that it’s been almost 2 months since my original planning post, I wanted to assess what’s working and what needs to change.
I’m making a pretty significant change to my scheduled studio time. Originally, I was aiming for 6:00-7:00AM. But Nick and I have shifted our order for working out and Bible study. So now studio time is scheduled for 10:00- 11:00AM. Drawing every day has been going really well, but my dedicated studio time has NOT been good. My drawing has been rushed, and I haven’t been giving it as much attention as I want to. So I hope this time shift helps.
I’ve also shifted how I’m thinking about education. Basically, I’ve gotten a better grasp on how much is at my fingertips with Emma Carlisle’s Patreon. I think I can get a lot of my structured practice from there. And then I think I need to focus on gestural drawing practice (I took a mini-class on this that was included in Bonnie Christine’s Immersion course). So basically I’m thinking more structured drawing type practice, and then playing a lot with different materials. To help me play, I’m focusing on Sandi Hester and Emily Powell workshops, as well as Orla Stevens’s Patreon. Orla is an abstract artist, and I didn’t previously have a lot of interest in abstract. But I love Orla’s work, and I’m feeling myself drawn to practicing abstract more and more. So I’m just gonna go with it! I made a point to order some stuff to facilitate a looser workflow during my studio time (canvas tarp to work in the floor, charcoal, stuff like I’m seeing Orla do). I’m going to layout my original plan and new plan in more detail below.
Original studio schedule:
6:00- 7:00 AM every day
Su - Free play (just do whatever!)
M - Emma Carlisle Patreon call replay
Tu - Structured play (Emily Powell workshop, Sandi Hester class, Melissa Lakey workshop, or Emma Carlisle Patreon content)
W - Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain (I’ve been slowly working my way through this)
Th - Emma Carlisle Patreon call replay
F - Structured play
Sa - Skill development (Peggi Kroll Roberts or Liz Steel)
NEW studio schedule:
10:00- 11:00 AM every day
Su - Free play (just do whatever!)
M - Emma Carlisle Patreon stuff; additional workshop (E. Powell, S. Hester) in the evening when possible, since Nick’s calls go late.
Tu - Orla Stevens Patreon stuff
W - Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain (I’ve been slowly working my way through this)
Th - Emma Carlisle Patreon stuff
F - Orla Stevens Patreon stuff
Sa - Bigger paint session/ art outing (drawing in Sequoyah or something like that)
I want to hold this schedule loosely, and ultimately just do whatever helps me make more art. But this feels like a good structure to aim for right now. I also want to watch Patreon videos while doing dishes/ folding laundry… intentionally fueling my brain with creative content!
I also still want to incorporate PKR stuff at some point:
Peggi Kroll Roberts - Learning the Fundamentals
DRAWING STYLES ($30)
LIGHT ON FORM ($30)
VALUES AND VALUE SCALE ($30)
FIGURE DRAWING ($30)
Last week’s focus
Nick and I are trying to establish a new 5am wake-up routine. Last week was our first week for that, so really the focus was on squeezing in a bit of art every day while getting work done and getting to bed on time… and getting chores done. It’s so hard to squeeze it all in! But I think it’ll get better as we get used to our new schedule.
I also re-arranged my studio space, and Mom said I can have her folding craft table. So I’m really excited for the setup I’m going to have!
Helpful inputs/ resources from the week
Orla Stevens! Her YouTube videos are so encouraging and peaceful, and she’s made me feel really drawn to more abstract work. So I joined her Patreon and am excited to incorporate that into my studio time.
Gestural drawing bonus module in Bonnie Christine’s Immersion course
STUDIO TIME LOG
Monday | 02-26
More quick cows… cows are tough!! They have a lot of harsh angles. If they’re edges are too round, they look like a deer or a dog. Well, mine do at least haha.
Tuesday | 02-27
Super quick sketch with one colored pencil, and I wrote “Trying to balance art + work… woke up too late for studio time. :(“ haha
Working on being patient with myself… I think dedicated studio time will come as Nick and I get our routine more dialed in.
Wednesday | 02-28
Sketching Benjamin Franklin for A100 branding stuff… he came out pretty scary 😂
Thursday | 02-29
Gesture drawing mini-class
This was a totally new way of drawing for me! I want to start incorporating this type of low key practice more regularly… could even practice this layered drawing style on the iPad when I’m riding in the car
It was a good reminder to just focus on practicing the skill instead of on what the finished product looks like… I’m not at a level to really focus on the finished product yet.
LOVED the drawing I did of the girl reading (see below), even though it’s very messy
Also a good reminder that frustration is a normal part of practicing art
Friday | 03-01
Quick sketch of Bonnie Christine while watching a replay of the call she did for Immersion alumni
A few quotes I really like from her call:
“Successful people do consistently what others only do occasionally.”
“Success is the natural consequence of consistently practicing the basic fundamentals.”
“Difficult things will increase your capacity to do more difficult things.”
“We build confidence by saying we’re going to do something… and then doing it.”
“Your ‘why’ has to be bigger than your worries.”
Saturday | 03-02
Quick drawing of Sawyer dog! I think it’s really hard to capture dogs… maybe I just think it’s really hard to capture anything. Oh well, just keep practicing the fundamentals and that problem will take care of itself!
Sunday | 03-03
Quick sketch of the Everdell (board game) badger… just squeezed it in after Nick and I played Everdell and before getting in bed
SKETCHBOOK REVIEW
February 29, 2024
What question did I ask my sketchbook with this spread?
What if I use layered materials to practice more technical drawing techniques?
How do I feel about it overall?
I love it! It’s a really sloppy drawing, but I like the color combinations and how it turned out. I also like reading, so I’m sure that plays into why I like it.
What am I curious about?
What would it be like to practice gesture drawing in layers on the iPad? Especially when I’m in settings that it’s hard to pull out all my supplies.
What do I want to carry forward?
Practicing different approaches to drawing. I ultimately want to create loose art. But I know mastery of the basics and technical skills will actually help me achieve that looseness.
FINAL WRAP UP
What has God taught me this week about glorifying Him through my art?
I think the biggest thing is just meditating on thanking Him for art while I’m drawing, and even meditating on specific Scripture while I’m drawing. That helps me drown out all the negative talk in my head that sneaks up when I don’t create a masterpiece (which is every time I draw or paint).
What am I excited about/ what’s my plan for next week? Any changes to initial 2024 planning?
I’m excited for more focused studio time. I’m hoping my intentional studio time will increase with every week. It’s really hard to give myself time to do art where I don’t feel rushed to get to the next thing… I need to work on being present in the moment! But part of that is consistently having productive days and keeping a good schedule so I don’t feel so worn down and behind.
I’m still interested in taking Peggi Kroll Roberts Fundamentals classes… maybe in May. (I think I’ll spend all my art money in Nashville in April. 🙃)
