Another blog and why I love to sketch

     A few months ago I read a magazine article about starting an art blog, and my sister has a photography blog that I loved so I thought  I would give it a try. Then I started following favorite author blogs and thought how cool it would be to have a blog about my favorite books and writing my first novel. Then I saw that other people were doing the exact same thing! So I just started a writing blog  today, so I could talk about writing without having it take away from my art, and because I wanted to be a part of Sarah's wannabe writer's group. Any follower's of my art blog who are writer's too would love to have you come check out my new blog, comment and be my friends :) And I would love if you stuck around here to see my new paintings and stuff, and let me know what you think.

     Now about sketching. I love sketching in my sketch book, because it is my safe place. No one else needs to see it, it's just for me. I can try new things and if they look horrible I don't have to feel bad about it because no one else will ever see it! A few years ago I left my sketchbook out on the counter and someone came over to my house and they picked it up and started flipping through it. I was kind of shocked, it was like someone reading your journal where you put all those thoughts you never want to have anyone else see. They were making comments and asking questions, some of which were not very uplifting. I kind of had my feelings hurt. I felt like I had to explain myself and I kept saying, "No one ususally looks at that, it's just some stuff I'm trying out." They didn't seem to get it. I left it out because I like to have it handy in case I have a few minutes when my kids are occupied so I can get a quick drawing in, to hone my skills, and really to just have fun. The photo above in my sketchbook is a little horse I drew, that I feel safe showing others (I'm trying to lighten up about that :)). I just recently discovered that if I sketch in colored pencil they don't smear! Another DUH! moment for me. So my sketchbook stays all nice and tidy. I love that! And it forces me to work quickly and be more accurate with my marks, because they don't erase. A good thing, as I tend to sometimes work a piece to death!

     But sketching is good for me because it helps me lighten up. I stress out a lot about certain paintings, if they aren't working and what other people will think about them. If they'll get what I'm trying to say. This is a time where I don't have to feel like that, kind of like a first draft (like how I threw that in there?).