I realized today that my return to work after S.A.W. was easier this year than any of the past three. I suspect is has something to do with the fact that I'm leaving at the end of October to pursue creative and business possibility.

OK I suspect it has a LOT to do with that.

On to Day 2...

practice faces - the one on the left was drawn with a charcoal pencil, the one on the right

with a charcoal stick; both need a bit of work, but I'm happy with the initial results

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Workshop: Painted Icon

Teacher: Misty Mawn

What I learned: how to use a grid to draw a face; that if I squint my eyes while looking at a portrait, shadows become shapes and when I focus on drawing the shapes, facial features magically appear; that I like to draw with charcoal because it's very forgiving; that just because I did something successfully before doesn't mean I'll do it again on a particular day; that I can easily descend into a negative spiral when I'm frustrated and that sometimes, maybe I just need to walk away instead of pushing through

~~~

What a pleasure it was to see Misty again! She was my first teacher at Squam in 2008; in that first class I picked up a paint brush for the first time since kindergarten and never looked back.

I learned some very practical techniques in this class that I look forward to practicing here at home. I also learned a lot about myself and my (in)ability to navigate the tricky process of painting when things just aren't. going. well.

It was a tough class for me - lessons about the self are sometimes the hardest ones, but the good news is that personal turmoil aside, I got to watch Misty work her magic with a paintbrush. And that alone made it all worthwhile.

Day 3: Primary Colors coming up next...