A lovely family reunion with my youngest daughter returning from South Africa including a five hour round-trip to the airport and much enjoyed and anticipated catch-up.WHO WANTS TO DRAW ON THIS DAY? Not me. But I did it at day's end, very tired, to meet the challenge.
When my daughter left the challenge had just started. I wasn't sure it would last a fortnight knowing myself as well as I do. ON her return home, I am almost entering my seventh month and pleased as punch I haven't missed a day. My daughter asked me quietly:"HAVE YOU CHEATED?"
Honestly, I have not because that would be cheating myself. I could have though. It would have been easy to pick out an old sketch from ones that line the shelf but that would defeat the plan to flex the drawing muscle daily for hopefully an improved art skill set. Also, to prove to myself, I can stick with something like this.
On my daughter's return home, it got me reflecting. What have been the hardest things around this challenge?
-Stomach Flu
-Long travel days with 3 am starts and late arrivals in destinations. Friends to meet for dinner.
-Travel days when there is so much to just enjoying SEEING and EXPLORING rather than drawing.
-Family reunions.
-Weekends. Friday and Saturday nights especially, I hate drawing then.
-Sunday afternoons, Sunday evenings. Sunday mornings. Sunday anything. I like being lazy.
-Tiredness after long day in studio. I now try to incorporate the challenge into my working day.
-Public posting...this has been the hardest part of all but the part that keeps me going somehow.
- Letting go of my art ego and just focus on why I am doing the challenge. Not to impress. Just to get better as an artist. I am not sure it started out that way when I first saw "Julie and Julia", the movie that inspired my challenge.
BUT the support has been really tremendous. Around 650 people are now watching the challenge daily on Facebook. I started with just one fan. And here on this blog, people are visiting from all over the world which I find absolutely amazing and inspirational.
I also know people have started their own personal art challenges, travel journals, and blogs after see me do this and have written to tell me about it. Also amazing and something I had no way of forseeing when I started.
I know my drawing skills are building and it has been interesting to see my interest in what I WANT to draw and show publicly change direction quite considerably.
I thank each and every one of you for helping me along this challenge road.
I feel I am mid-way through my drawing challenge gestation. Hence the pregnant pause. I am looking forward to the birth, January 2nd 2011. All being well. Want to throw me a drawing challenge shower?
I post also a drawing I did of Rosie for the challenge the day she left for her big adventure in South Africa when I was feeling very sad but excited for her.
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