Yes, I’ve challenged myself to not only writing in this blog once a week, but also to do one drawing every day for one hundred days in a row. I think I’m out of my fricking mind, oh well, we will see how I do. I got the idea from Chelsea, who many years ago was my office mate at EMU. I watched her on Facebook last winter create a hundred paintings and when she announced she was doing it again this winter I decided to try doing a hundred drawings. I need the push, the reason, the challenge, because once I say I will do something, I have to do it. It’s just the type of person I am. Chelsea actually sells her paintings on her website The Big Lake , check it out.

The challenge started on Sunday Jan. 31. Yes, I have done two drawings, although they are not finished. However, I’m not going to let that keep me down, I will keep working on them as I begin new drawings. The goal is to DRAW!

Day1 and Day 2

I took a two hour break, and Annie and I went for a brisk mile walk at Rolling Hills Park. Then on the way home, I stopped at the grocery story. I needed to get a couple birthday cards and gift cards for my February grandsons along with a few food items.

February 2 is Imbolt, I need to send a big wish out to the universe and down into mother earth. Maybe something will come from drawing and writing everyday. Oh knows.

Here is Day 3

I drew a close up of the cactus flower as it opened more. One of my favorite artists is Georgia O’Keefe. Maybe i will keep closing on this flower for day 4. It still is not finished. I just going to keep drawing every day whether I finish them or not. Maybe I will get one good drawing out of the 100 when I’m done.

Once I get started on a drawing it takes patience to keep working until the image emerges. Then I need to step away and decide what still needs to be done. It is the same with writing. I sit down and start writing staying with it until I feel I have a good start. Then I need to step away and let my brain percolate at least overnight.

So, now I have to decide Day 4’s drawing.

Blessings!

February 5, 2021

I’ve decided to keep track and write about my progress of drawing for 100 days in a row here on this blog page. All of the drawings are being done in a plain paper journal and since I’ve already written about the first three days I might as well discuss my progress here, melding two challenges into one.

Day 4

I decided to draw another version of the Petoskey stone. Two years ago, during a winter semester art class I drew a triptik illustrating the process of the Zianthus coral over 350 million years of fossilizing into the stone we Michiganders love to collect. I’m drawn to the beauty of the intricate pattern each coral makes. The day 4 drawing is an enlargement of just two of those little coral fossilized flowers.

Day 5

I went back to the cactus flower because it sits on my drawing table and I like to watch its blooming progression. However, you can see it is not finished. There’s something about an unfinished piece that is also fascinating. Why did I stop there? Did I run out of time, or just get tired or bored or . . .?

Day 6

Several days ago I pulled out an old art book I got when I was working on my bachelor degree. Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain by Betty Edwards. I have the first edition from 1979, there’s a 2020 fourth edition. The book was sitting on my drawing table, so this morning I opened it to a random page and started reading about doing a modified contour drawing. Aha! At that moment I decided I will draw one today. So I read the eight steps.

My modified contour drawing of my 74 year old right hand. The goal of a contour drawing is to draw without looking at the paper. A modified contour drawing lets you look for reference points in relation to a vertical and horizontal line. It actually is quite amazing how the brain works by just staring at an object, for me my right hand, with my eyes just noticing the edges of each form and drawing those forms. The exercise is supposed to take about 30 minutes. Per Edwards by gazing at my hand “this will start the cognitive shift to R-mode processing” (90) as I draw.

I will probably do more of these in the next 94 days of drawing.

February 9, 2021

I have drawn every day so far, however, not every drawing has been what I would consider good. But that isn’t the point of this challenge for me. The point is to make myself DRAW because the more I draw the better my drawings will become. Practice, Practice, Practice!

Day 7

For day 7 I sat down at my drawing table and decided to draw the pen holder, a mundane object. I was interested in the texture of the design and the different pens and pair of scissor within it.

Day 8

All of these drawings are being done in a blank book. When I get done the book will be about half full.

So on day 8, I opened my photos on my phone and decided to draw this little critter. I loved the curl of the tail, the bumpy and spiked features of the body, and its clinging to the vine. I think I related to its clinging like we are all just clinging to the safety of our homes.

I think it is a type of agama, a small lizard.

Day 9

I was reading a little more of the Edwards book and decided I would try a self portrait. So, I took a couple of selfies and started to draw. Ugh! I have never, ever been good at drawing facial features and this drawing definitely illustrates I still have a long way to go. Even when I was in art class I would draw all parts of the body but the head. In fact I went into photography because I couldn’t draw faces, but I could photograph them just fine. So I don’t know what made me think I could draw my face now.

Now you can see what I mean. Ugh! My photo has a thoughtful, wondering look, but the drawing is just plain ugly.

Oh well, I started this challenge to push myself to draw. I will have to just keep trying again and again and again.