Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Happy Mail and Some Encouragement

First of all let me just say a big WOO HOO!!!  I got some beautiful mail art today, from not one, but two lovely ladies!  Hooray!

First, from my darling Pamikins:
Two very awesome napkins, some really cool dress shaped paper (I think they must have been from a notepad?), and two AMAZING ATCs!  I love them both so much!  I love that Marilyn Monroe quote, especially that first line "Imperfection is beauty" (read on, because it applies to what I'll be talking about farther down).  And I love the WTF? ATC, that face... "Oh Lawd!"  I LOVE IT!!!  Thank you my dearest Pamikins!   

And from the fantastic Rose:

A fabulous bookmark (oh, I love these so much...I put my other one to good use right away, and, since I am a multiple books at once kind of reader, I will be doing the same with this one!), some really neat numbers (aren't they just too awesome???  I have been plotting with these since I opened the envelope...that 6 and the Paris napkin from my Pam are destined to be together I do believe!), a beautiful note card with butterflies (I love these so much, I don't know where she got them from, but I want to go to that place!) and then the Geisha and Crane piece, which I ADORE!  Thank you, wonderful Rose!

I am always so amazed by the creativity of the wonderful friends I've made online.  They are all so generous, kind and encouraging.  I am so fantastically lucky just to know each and every one of them!  Their kind words have made me so bold in taking chances and trying new things.  I know I would not have progressed as far as I have in so short a time without them cheering me on!

I had promised that I would share some of my beginning drawings with the ladies, and I decided to include them in this post too.  And I'm letting you see the horror that is my beginning drawings, because I want everybody to see that there is ZERO natural talent at work in me.  ZERO.  You won't believe it, but the following drawings aren't even the worst ones I did!  (I covered over the worst of them with gesso, hollered "DO-OVER!" and made art journal pages...so the following ones are the LEAST WORST...when you see them you won't think a person could do any worse, but trust me, there were worse...)

So here are a few of the (least) worst drawings I did when I was starting out:

Look at those hands...are they made out of straw?  Humongous head, little body.  Circular eyeballs.  Check out that nifty hair she's got going on there...look how flat her face is.  What nose has EVER looked like that?
Hand behind the back = I didn't have to attempt hands.  Two different sized legs.  Circle eyeballs again.  Who's hair looks like that?  What is up with those boobs?  It looks like one of her silicon implants is deflating...
So, you can't draw realistically?  Let's make some doll-like drawings then...good grief, how can you screw that up? Let's take note of just how you can screw it up: ..that hand situation...it looks like starfish and octopus tentacles...those are the fattest legs any ballerinas have ever had...do they have gout or something?  but look...eyeball improvement...they're no longer circles at least...  hair is clearly still an issue...  and proportion...
Check out that sweet pear shaped bod this gal's got going on...oh, and the one piece squiggle hair...who drew this stuff, a five year old?  Yuck.  

So, do you see what I mean?  NO NATURAL TALENT.  And the reason I want everybody to know that I have NO natural talent whatsoever, is so that they will know that they CAN draw (or paint or whatever).  All it takes is practice.  Talent is not needed.  Practice is the only thing you need.

Don't get me wrong, I know I am still, by far, NOT the best myself.  But, look at the above drawings, and then look at these: 
OK, she's definitely stylized, right?  But look at the 'before' doll-like drawings...disproportionate and terrible in general...  Now look at her, she's not perfect, but she's mostly in proportion.  The legs and arms do not look like disfigured sea creature appendages...  There is some sense to the hair as well...

OK, so what's going on here?  Still not perfect, right?  The wrong eyeball is bigger.  It looks like she got punched in the left cheek and it's swollen.  Mouth is still not right.  BUT, face has a face shape (it's not just a circle anymore!).  Same with the eyes.  The nose looks like it belongs on a human for once!


And then there's this girl, who I think is the best one I've done so far.  I still have hair issues, but I'm working on it...there is improvement.  Again, more realistic face shape, eyes, nose, mouth...more realistic everything!



I'm not showing you these because I want showered with praise...PLEASE DON'T!!!  I'm showing you because I want you to see that ANYBODY can get better with a little practice.  Again, I know that I've still got plenty of things I can do to improve, and I will keep practicing and practicing until I get to the point where I'm 100% satisfied (we all know that's imaginary...I bet no one is ever 100% satisfied...).  

I just want you all to see that you CAN draw (or paint or whatever), if you are willing to take the time and practice.  I've watched a lot of videos online, and did a lot of research, and I still am on the lookout for more and more.  I LOVE art, looking at it, practicing, reading about it, seeing what others do... I love everything about it and I do SOMETHING every single day.  

From the beginning drawings up above to the more recent ones down at the bottom, only about 6 months or so have passed.  When I look at these images, I can hardly believe that I've improved so much in that small amount of time!  It gets me so excited to think what I'll be able to do in another 6 months that I can't do now!

I guess the point I am trying to make is that six months from now, you can still be sitting there saying  "I wish I could..." or "I'll never be able to..." or you could be sitting there saying "Look how far I've come!"  I know you can do it if you really want to!  All you have to do is try and keep trying!  I KNOW YOU CAN!

OK, I'm getting down off my soapbox now...

Again, I just want to say a big THANK YOU to Rose and Pam for my GORGEOUS care packages!  (You ladies made my day a million times better!!! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!)  And I want to add more big THANK YOU's to all the fantastic folks I am lucky enough to know!  Your words of encouragement are a big part of the reason I can sit here today and say "Look how far I've come!"  Thank you all!

14 comments:

  1. Thanks, Sweet. I'll keep practicing.

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    1. See what I meant Boo! I love ya and I know you can do fabulous work! <3

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  2. Just so you know Sweets...you're pretty special yourself and always manage to bring a smile to everyone in the group. It's just the best group ever! I hope it doesn't grow toooo big. This is great to see how far you've come and how much you've grown in your art! Thanks for sharing! xoxo

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    1. Thanks Lynn! You are making me blush! It really is the best group! Everybody is so kind and encouraging...I wish everybody in the world had the kind of support we get to have! :)

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  3. Sweets, I am so glad that you liked you package. Apparently I forgot to include the purple polka dot one, next time. I bought that package of paisley napkins with you in mind. You raved about someone who had drawn a paisley and that's what I thought when I saw these. I agree, the Paris napkin and the 6 belong together.

    You really have improved! Fat ballerina legs? Deflating silicon implants? Octopus tentacles"... how funny!!! Love you bunches. Hugs, Pamikins

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    1. Thanks Pam! I do love everything so very much! I did the happy dance all day! <3 I do love paisleys! (I love the colors in that napkin too!) I'm gonna have to get on the ball with my Paris napkin and my 6! They are just destined for each other!

      Thank you on the other account too! I have practiced A LOT, but it feels good to be able to see for myself that I am improving! I just wanted everybody to see how bad I really was before! That way no one can say they "can't" draw! I refuse to accept that as an answer anymore! They can say "I don't want to practice", but no more "CAN'T"!!! <3 <3 <3

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  4. Thank you for the amazing encouragement. I am poopy at drawing, basically where your beginnings were too! It's really awesome what practice can do. Also, I giggled a lot reading your comments on the first few - "tentacle arms" reminds me of Leela's mom on Futurama, haha!

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    1. Thank you for the kind words! I really hope you will practice so you can get better! If I can get better, ANYBODY can!

      Also, when you said "reminds me of Leela's mom" I sat straight up in the chair and said to myself "I have found my soul mate!" <3

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  5. What a wondeful post Sweet! Your 'five year old' drawings are much better than my now drawings, but, like you, I practice and I have faith that I am getting better, bit by bit. And it too, is due to the loving encouragement of others I have 'met' on line. T'internet has opened up a whole WORLD for me. I never would have had the courage to pick up a piece of paper, let alone try to do something other than put it back down again had it not been for the good people in this new world. So thank YOU and thank you to everyone out there/here/everywhere in this electronic wonderland. :0))

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    1. I have a hard time believing that Mo! I've seen your work! You do great! I am a firm believer in practicing! I sound like an a paid advertisement for practicing! "It slices! It dices! It makes you proud about your art!" haha!

      I know just what you mean, without the kind words of the lovely folds out there on the interwebs, I definitely would not be at the point I'm at now!

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  6. I agree with what everyone has said and I so agree that practice is the key! Thank you for all your inspiration and encouragement. I also so agree with Lynn....I hope our art groups don't get too big, they are so personal now and I love everyone so much.

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    1. Thanks Cheryl! It is definitely the practice that does it! I just wish I could sing that from the rooftops!

      I, too, love our cozy groups! I really feel like we are part of something so very special!

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  7. Oh thank you so much for posting these - you have given me some encouragement ... I'm way way worse than your worse drawings but I've always wanted to do this and now I'm going to start .... Doodling is as far as I've got so far ..... Thanks you again :)

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    1. Yay! I know you can do it! (I have a hard time believing ANYONE draws worst than I did at first!) I can't wait to see what you create! <3 I know you will make awesome art! <3

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