I have a hard time committing to any activity for an extended period of time. I have a long list of “tried and abandoned” pursuits, including the piano, the harmonica, Spanish, speed reading, and CrossFit, to name a few.
Even in my artwork, I don’t stick to a specific media. Sometimes I sketch in pencil, other times in pen. In my art class, I paint in acrylics on canvas, but at home, I usually paint with watercolors in my sketchbooks. I love using art markers, and on rare occasions, when my kids haven’t hijacked Stacie’s iPad, I’ll doodle in an app called Paper.
As an example, in this post, I included two sketches and a painting, all of the same subject, but each using different media. The first is a sketch in Paper, the second is a watercolor sketch, and below is an acrylic painting that I recently finished.
Sometimes I think I should focus on one media in order to develop my skills. But I like the variety of trying different tools and materials. And I think my sketching helps my painting, and vice versa.
The question is whether or not I will add artwork to my list of fleeting interests. I like to think that all of those activities just led me back to art. I finally feel committed to drawing and painting, even if it means I have to postpone trying jiu jitsu, gourmet cooking, and DIY home renovations.
P.S. The image I sketched and painted is from a photo my friend took of the Rocky Mountain foothills outside of Calgary. Thanks for letting me use your image, Jess.
Filed under: Art, Friends, Life, Sketches
