I ended up taking December 2022 off, due to decorations causing quite the chaotic mess in my already chaotic home. I was slowly starting to figure out how to reorganize my living and workspace in our way-too-small for us apartment (more on that another time), so I wouldn’t have to keep taking Decembers off due to decorations relocating rest-of-the-year items. I intended to get back to working on some of my personal art in January….
And then one of the tools I use for doing art stopped working. My scanner/printer.
I did eventually get another one (this time, it has a dual paper tray that I originally wanted – no more swapping out between 8.5×11 and 11×17 paper!), but it was HUGE so it ended up going to another spot, and I definitely had to keep reorganizing and moving things around. I’m not fully finished – I’m trying to figure out how exactly I want things set up or organized so I don’t feel like I’ve got to move my entire living room around just to work on something, all while making sure I have space since I had to squeeze my work area into a small corner. But I didn’t get back to art as quickly as I’d hoped.
Unfortunately, I also got a bit overwhelmed by too much: online, real life, cruddy and blah mood stuff. And it affected me. I didn’t want to do art. When I did finally want to do art, I didn’t know what to work on (my planned projects were too important for me to go near while in this sort of mood, and I just felt uninspired by any other sketching or doodles).
Honestly I was starting to almost feel lost. Like I didn’t remember how to draw, or if I even ever wanted to draw anything ever again.
Ouch.
Finally, I did manage to just sit down and scrawl out some goofy, cartoon doodles to make myself realize that yes, I did want to keep drawing (even if only for my own joy). And then while looking at photos friends posted, I finally felt inspired!
I started with a friend, Dianna, and her rescue chicken, Sweet Dee. You can find the images and details about the black pencil portrait sketch on this page here.
Feeling a bit better and more “myself,” I picked a photo of my friend and the founder/head of the sanctuary I help (The Farm Micro Sanctuary) posing for a selfie with Jack the Goat. I did a little more detail and finished her portrait in pencils. Images and details about her portrait on this page here.
I normally don’t draw portraits in general, nor do I take commissions (I’m really hoping to start working on personal art that’s been waiting in piles or in my head for a few years now). I also don’t typically draw in pencil very often! It’s usually brushed ink. But I am hoping to get back to painting more often as well, so it was a good way to ease back into drawing again.
Hopefully the weird moods (not to mention technology! Ugh! So troublesome having to replace expensive stuff when you’re not planning on it or need to replace other things too) will stay away and I’ll be able to focus on all of my goals, art, voice work, health… so many things I’d rather be focusing on. 😉
