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BLUF: This is another LONG essay piece. Get coffee/tea/cocoa/drink of choice, get comfortable, and plan for 15-30 minutes of reading. Really…

====================================

As of this writing I have 450 pieces in my gallery (well +1 now). Also as of this writing I’ve not been feeling it as far as doing ‘art’. And I haven’t for a really long time…

I thought it might be worth it (to me) to not just look at all that I’ve posted thus far (again) but to really curate it to myself. And do a ‘celebration’ doodle looking back to seven years ago when I started the learn to draw journey.

I am honestly surprised almost to tears at what I did today compared to seven years ago. I never would have believed the difference seven years of even the most minimal of continual attempts at drawing/painting/etc. drawing would or could make.

I didn’t put links in or format the writing the way I would have liked because of the size of this written piece. The last post I did had an equally large written portion and Eclipse did not handle that well. I’m certain that many people only saw the picture posted and “1” for the written portion for several minutes after it was posted. I had to re-upload the words MANY TIMES before it finally “took”. So if you missed the commentary on what art supplies survived the final cut, you should be able to read that now. In any case you are always encouraged to revisit my gallery/"museum".

2015
First DA post on March 26: “Happy Clouds!”. “Light on the top, dark on the bottom!” as the video sang. I don’t think the original video of how to paint clouds in Paper 53 is even still on the internet…

Started with Paper 53, Sketchbook Pro, COPICs, a little bit of charcoal, a little bit of colored pencil, pigment liner pens, pen/pencil/paper…

I did a lot of stuff that year having been bitten by the desire to learn to draw. Mostly faces and figures. I also see and concede that a lot of stuff looks really good! Even for a beginner. Again it shows the work you put into something is the result you get from your efforts. And that anyone/everyone CAN draw.

I find it curious of myself that in drawing I prefer faces/figures/people. In my photo geek life I prefer anything except faces/figures/people. Except for taking pictures of people taking pictures…

Fun Fact: I actually started collecting COPICs because the Sketchbook app used digital COPICs so I figured it would be more consistent to have real ones in addition to the digital ones. I don’t have or use Sketchbook anymore and haven’t since, probably 2015/2016-ish. Ironically, I don’t use COPICs much either. I always have to re-learn their particular ways. I love their colors and blending properties though!

2016
First pic: “The Unknown Bride”. Actually done shortly after midnight while at work. I still love that bride…

I decided that was the year I would actually take some art classes and get a little more serious about learning. There is a lot of ‘realistic’ style during that year given the classes I was taking. “That Girl” was the pinnacle of my efforts. Best point of learning was/is I or anyone really can draw like that!!!

April 19th is when I first saw Chenelle. She had been around apparently since the end of the prior year but she didn’t choose to meet me until that Day.

Not surprisingly, in addition to the ‘realistic’ stuff from that year I drew a lot of Chenelle (or at least tried to!). And I became (more) of a photo geek [which is to say I dusted off my old camera and started enjoying it again].

July 15 is when I first posted the “What would you ask a Pixie about herself (or pixies at large)?” journal.

I received my first gift art. I will try to avoid going on about it but truly gift art is unspeakably powerful. If you have ever gotten any, you know. I am SO THANKFUL for all the pieces I have ever gotten. I gave my first gift art that same year which was/is also unspeakably satisfying.

I started using ProCreate in 2016. First try was terrible (“Pixie dust”), second was really good (“A flower for HiImCatasaurus”). I adopted two wonderful Cloud Kittens (SunShowers and Twitch). I do try to draw them every so often but they never turn out for me That is a real shame because I love them both a lot and they have cute adventures too. They are often on my mind even if not in my gallery.

Most of 2016 was pen/pencil/graphite, digital, photos, and a little bit of COPICs.

2017
First pic: “IDK…” I love it partly for how it turned out and the story that was created by it but also the ‘real life’ story of how so many things happened to come together to create that piece.

I also tried oil paint/Bob Ross style. SOLVENT FREE. Yep, no KaBoom where I live!!! I also worked with watercolors and Chinese ink. And a little bit of charcoal.

This was the year Lily swooped in out of nowhere. Literally.

And I adopted Nessa. <3 I haven’t tried to draw her. Yet…

I didn’t do a lot of art in 2017 compared to the previous years.

2018
First pic: “Thought Full”.

A little charcoal, a little colored pencil, a little water color, digital, pencil/pen, and the beginning of inks/fountain pens. And one red chalk piece (“Red Lily”).

That year seemed to have a little of everything and yet not so many pieces. Quality over quantity? Nah…

Space Girl Tina, Shasta, and those Stupid (ampersand Cutest) Bunnies came into my life. “Stitches” [Kendra] got more of the limelight in 2018 though I knew her since (and she was first posted in) 2015. All beautiful stories (especially Shasta).

2019
First pic: “Inktense plant”.

Pencil, a little colored pencil, oil painting (four pieces!), a little ink, and a little metallic watercolor. Again, a little of everything and yet not a lot of stuff produced. That was also the year I got to see “The Ruby Slippers” at the Oz museum.

2020
First Pic: “2020 Coffee Resolution”. I love how I actually got the metallic look right on that piece! I also love looking back at the thoughtful caption (essay?) that I posted with it and the comments at the bottom.

I would have to characterize that year ‘the beautiful period’. Ironic, right?! Stay with me for a minute…

It was the longest run of daily drawing I have ever done.

More often than not I actually WORKED on the drawings. Some maybe only a little more, but enough more. And it shows.

Some I REALLY worked on and was thoughtful about. At least three I actually researched / used references! (*GASP*). AND IT SHOWS! (So why don’t I do this more often?!)

Most of the drawings were doodles. But ‘good’ doodles. There was a lot of everything topically. I still love that nautilus pic!

I find it interesting that even though there is a wide variety of styles and topics there seems to me to be a more cohesive ‘personal’ style visible. Which I still can’t consciously reproduce but I can faintly see it there.

I used coquille board/stipple paper, pencils, pens, inks, markers of every type and kind [Tombows, Pentel sign pens, Fudenosuke, etc.] (every kind/type except COPICS?! Which I just now realized…)

I also had fun with metallic watercolors, inks, Chinese ink, used cardboard to work on, the canvas like cover of a book/journal, digital, and using unprimed, very smooth skim coated drywall as a painting surface.

Apparently I made effort, went artistic, and tried whatever. I didn’t worry about it.

The Zombie Bride (<3), Rex and Regina, My Corona, and those ‘pencil goofing’ ladies entered my life that year. I posted my first tutorial. And a pic of those pixies by moonlight. That is and will likely always be one of the top five pieces I did or will ever do.

2021
First pic: “Cardboard fun”. I am often surprised by whatever the first piece of any year actually is over what was in my head to do ‘first’.

Hardly any art produced for a variety of reasons. Did do a great representation each of Chenelle and Lily.

Pencil, ink, Chinese ink, and a tiny bit of colored pencil used. A little of everything topically but more of faces/figures. Back to basics?

2022
I haven’t really done anything.

Ok, not fully true. I did this of course. I do have a few of those ‘coffee cup’ doodles for those two cup of coffee days and an unposted WIP that I did recently.

I don’t know what this year will be ‘artistically’ for me. I’m not art blocked but also I’m not feeling it. I know there is one author (I can’t remember who) who says since she makes her living being an artist and even she doesn’t always feel ‘in the mood’ she just draws/paints until she feels like drawing/painting. There has to be truth in that for most anyone. The hardest part is starting (and letting your mind play a bit). I also appreciate it is a part of any kind of work to take a break. And perhaps occasionally, a hiatus (planned or not).

I’m not sure what the future will bring at DA/Eclipse. (Why do I even mention this?! *GASP* So faux pas!!!???)

I joined DA because I figured if I was going to learn to draw I should see how other people solve or do their art. It has been great! I ended up meeting a few ‘pen pals’ and have also been surprised by a few ‘Great Ones’ of DA actually noticing me with a fav or comment. I am more ‘pro solitude’ than social. DA is my only social site. That’s right, I don’t have faceblab, insta, Pinterests, or any of it. Just here.

A lot of people are not here any more for one reason or another. Sadly it is making holes in the "What would you ask a Pixie…” blog as various artists and their [linked] pieces blink out. Not sure DA is quite going the way of MySpace but from my perspective it is looking a lot more ghost town than seven years ago. For those that are still here it feels like many are watching but few are posting, as if everyone is waiting to see if anyone else will post/share to make it worth their own effort to post/share. Or they are becoming very singular/less social [shout to the World, no reply needed]. Fading out/fading away?

I’m not leaving anytime soon (unless I am forced to by way of unforeseen circumstances). I’m still going to post the good, bad, and the ugly. I still like it here.

I think curating my gallery to myself it did help me appreciate what is there. And what is possible (or not there yet.) I notice that I have become more choosy about what posts to featured gallery versus posting to another gallery. I still post the good, bad, and the ugly but now I make more of a distinction about what is ‘feature worthy’.

I have many, many pictures/pieces in my head. Many for a VERY long time. And stories too! Really I just need to do or do not instead of making excuses to draw, being ‘afraid’ of it, and/or choosing other things instead of daring to draw. (what do I really want to do?)

Recently I have started to focus on writing a little more. Partly because I recognize I am more of a wordsmith than a visual artist. Partly because it is true as Aspiring-Awesomeness , Obelis and many others have said that it is better to write, then draw. While I knew those with experience were right I know it more clearly now in starting to follow that advice. Writing it [all] down makes everything less of a moving target and helps crystalize what visuals or ”story boards” to do. Even if it is all much more movies than snapshots in my head…

It may also be that as I write I will want to draw more of what I see in my mind’s eye just as learning to draw made me want to write the stories of all those scenes.

Maybe art is just getting others to experience what is in your own head?!

Oh, and the art piece posted above was done with ProCreate (5.2). I debated on doing whatever came to mind or a redo/revisit of my first post as well as digital or not. You see which won. I chose “do again” because it would be digital like the first and I was curious to see the comparison of how I would do clouds, etc. now especially on the digital app of ‘today’.

Thank you for sticking with me this far. In this piece and in this place on my journey.

Description
BLUF: This is another LONG essay piece. Get coffee/tea/cocoa/drink of choice, get comfortable, and plan for 15-30 minutes of reading. Really…

====================================

As of this writing I have 450 pieces in my gallery (well +1 now). Also as of this writing I’ve not been feeling it as far as doing ‘art’. And I haven’t for a really long time…

I thought it might be worth it (to me) to not just look at all that I’ve posted thus far (again) but to really curate it to myself. And do a ‘celebration’ doodle looking back to seven years ago when I started the learn to draw journey.

I am honestly surprised almost to tears at what I did today compared to seven years ago. I never would have believed the difference seven years of even the most minimal of continual attempts at drawing/painting/etc. drawing would or could make.

I didn’t put links in or format the writing the way I would have liked because of the size of this written piece. The last post I did had an equally large written portion and Eclipse did not handle that well. I’m certain that many people only saw the picture posted and “1” for the written portion for several minutes after it was posted. I had to re-upload the words MANY TIMES before it finally “took”. So if you missed the commentary on what art supplies survived the final cut, you should be able to read that now. In any case you are always encouraged to revisit my gallery/"museum".

2015
First DA post on March 26: “Happy Clouds!”. “Light on the top, dark on the bottom!” as the video sang. I don’t think the original video of how to paint clouds in Paper 53 is even still on the internet…

Started with Paper 53, Sketchbook Pro, COPICs, a little bit of charcoal, a little bit of colored pencil, pigment liner pens, pen/pencil/paper…

I did a lot of stuff that year having been bitten by the desire to learn to draw. Mostly faces and figures. I also see and concede that a lot of stuff looks really good! Even for a beginner. Again it shows the work you put into something is the result you get from your efforts. And that anyone/everyone CAN draw.

I find it curious of myself that in drawing I prefer faces/figures/people. In my photo geek life I prefer anything except faces/figures/people. Except for taking pictures of people taking pictures…

Fun Fact: I actually started collecting COPICs because the Sketchbook app used digital COPICs so I figured it would be more consistent to have real ones in addition to the digital ones. I don’t have or use Sketchbook anymore and haven’t since, probably 2015/2016-ish. Ironically, I don’t use COPICs much either. I always have to re-learn their particular ways. I love their colors and blending properties though!

2016
First pic: “The Unknown Bride”. Actually done shortly after midnight while at work. I still love that bride…

I decided that was the year I would actually take some art classes and get a little more serious about learning. There is a lot of ‘realistic’ style during that year given the classes I was taking. “That Girl” was the pinnacle of my efforts. Best point of learning was/is I or anyone really can draw like that!!!

April 19th is when I first saw Chenelle. She had been around apparently since the end of the prior year but she didn’t choose to meet me until that Day.

Not surprisingly, in addition to the ‘realistic’ stuff from that year I drew a lot of Chenelle (or at least tried to!). And I became (more) of a photo geek [which is to say I dusted off my old camera and started enjoying it again].

July 15 is when I first posted the “What would you ask a Pixie about herself (or pixies at large)?” journal.

I received my first gift art. I will try to avoid going on about it but truly gift art is unspeakably powerful. If you have ever gotten any, you know. I am SO THANKFUL for all the pieces I have ever gotten. I gave my first gift art that same year which was/is also unspeakably satisfying.

I started using ProCreate in 2016. First try was terrible (“Pixie dust”), second was really good (“A flower for HiImCatasaurus”). I adopted two wonderful Cloud Kittens (SunShowers and Twitch). I do try to draw them every so often but they never turn out for me That is a real shame because I love them both a lot and they have cute adventures too. They are often on my mind even if not in my gallery.

Most of 2016 was pen/pencil/graphite, digital, photos, and a little bit of COPICs.

2017
First pic: “IDK…” I love it partly for how it turned out and the story that was created by it but also the ‘real life’ story of how so many things happened to come together to create that piece.

I also tried oil paint/Bob Ross style. SOLVENT FREE. Yep, no KaBoom where I live!!! I also worked with watercolors and Chinese ink. And a little bit of charcoal.

This was the year Lily swooped in out of nowhere. Literally.

And I adopted Nessa. <3 I haven’t tried to draw her. Yet…

I didn’t do a lot of art in 2017 compared to the previous years.

2018
First pic: “Thought Full”.

A little charcoal, a little colored pencil, a little water color, digital, pencil/pen, and the beginning of inks/fountain pens. And one red chalk piece (“Red Lily”).

That year seemed to have a little of everything and yet not so many pieces. Quality over quantity? Nah…

Space Girl Tina, Shasta, and those Stupid (ampersand Cutest) Bunnies came into my life. “Stitches” [Kendra] got more of the limelight in 2018 though I knew her since (and she was first posted in) 2015. All beautiful stories (especially Shasta).

2019
First pic: “Inktense plant”.

Pencil, a little colored pencil, oil painting (four pieces!), a little ink, and a little metallic watercolor. Again, a little of everything and yet not a lot of stuff produced. That was also the year I got to see “The Ruby Slippers” at the Oz museum.

2020
First Pic: “2020 Coffee Resolution”. I love how I actually got the metallic look right on that piece! I also love looking back at the thoughtful caption (essay?) that I posted with it and the comments at the bottom.

I would have to characterize that year ‘the beautiful period’. Ironic, right?! Stay with me for a minute…

It was the longest run of daily drawing I have ever done.

More often than not I actually WORKED on the drawings. Some maybe only a little more, but enough more. And it shows.

Some I REALLY worked on and was thoughtful about. At least three I actually researched / used references! (*GASP*). AND IT SHOWS! (So why don’t I do this more often?!)

Most of the drawings were doodles. But ‘good’ doodles. There was a lot of everything topically. I still love that nautilus pic!

I find it interesting that even though there is a wide variety of styles and topics there seems to me to be a more cohesive ‘personal’ style visible. Which I still can’t consciously reproduce but I can faintly see it there.

I used coquille board/stipple paper, pencils, pens, inks, markers of every type and kind [Tombows, Pentel sign pens, Fudenosuke, etc.] (every kind/type except COPICS?! Which I just now realized…)

I also had fun with metallic watercolors, inks, Chinese ink, used cardboard to work on, the canvas like cover of a book/journal, digital, and using unprimed, very smooth skim coated drywall as a painting surface.

Apparently I made effort, went artistic, and tried whatever. I didn’t worry about it.

The Zombie Bride (<3), Rex and Regina, My Corona, and those ‘pencil goofing’ ladies entered my life that year. I posted my first tutorial. And a pic of those pixies by moonlight. That is and will likely always be one of the top five pieces I did or will ever do.

2021
First pic: “Cardboard fun”. I am often surprised by whatever the first piece of any year actually is over what was in my head to do ‘first’.

Hardly any art produced for a variety of reasons. Did do a great representation each of Chenelle and Lily.

Pencil, ink, Chinese ink, and a tiny bit of colored pencil used. A little of everything topically but more of faces/figures. Back to basics?

2022
I haven’t really done anything.

Ok, not fully true. I did this of course. I do have a few of those ‘coffee cup’ doodles for those two cup of coffee days and an unposted WIP that I did recently.

I don’t know what this year will be ‘artistically’ for me. I’m not art blocked but also I’m not feeling it. I know there is one author (I can’t remember who) who says since she makes her living being an artist and even she doesn’t always feel ‘in the mood’ she just draws/paints until she feels like drawing/painting. There has to be truth in that for most anyone. The hardest part is starting (and letting your mind play a bit). I also appreciate it is a part of any kind of work to take a break. And perhaps occasionally, a hiatus (planned or not).

I’m not sure what the future will bring at DA/Eclipse. (Why do I even mention this?! *GASP* So faux pas!!!???)

I joined DA because I figured if I was going to learn to draw I should see how other people solve or do their art. It has been great! I ended up meeting a few ‘pen pals’ and have also been surprised by a few ‘Great Ones’ of DA actually noticing me with a fav or comment. I am more ‘pro solitude’ than social. DA is my only social site. That’s right, I don’t have faceblab, insta, Pinterests, or any of it. Just here.

A lot of people are not here any more for one reason or another. Sadly it is making holes in the "What would you ask a Pixie…” blog as various artists and their [linked] pieces blink out. Not sure DA is quite going the way of MySpace but from my perspective it is looking a lot more ghost town than seven years ago. For those that are still here it feels like many are watching but few are posting, as if everyone is waiting to see if anyone else will post/share to make it worth their own effort to post/share. Or they are becoming very singular/less social [shout to the World, no reply needed]. Fading out/fading away?

I’m not leaving anytime soon (unless I am forced to by way of unforeseen circumstances). I’m still going to post the good, bad, and the ugly. I still like it here.

I think curating my gallery to myself it did help me appreciate what is there. And what is possible (or not there yet.) I notice that I have become more choosy about what posts to featured gallery versus posting to another gallery. I still post the good, bad, and the ugly but now I make more of a distinction about what is ‘feature worthy’.

I have many, many pictures/pieces in my head. Many for a VERY long time. And stories too! Really I just need to do or do not instead of making excuses to draw, being ‘afraid’ of it, and/or choosing other things instead of daring to draw. (what do I really want to do?)

Recently I have started to focus on writing a little more. Partly because I recognize I am more of a wordsmith than a visual artist. Partly because it is true as Aspiring-Awesomeness , Obelis and many others have said that it is better to write, then draw. While I knew those with experience were right I know it more clearly now in starting to follow that advice. Writing it [all] down makes everything less of a moving target and helps crystalize what visuals or ”story boards” to do. Even if it is all much more movies than snapshots in my head…

It may also be that as I write I will want to draw more of what I see in my mind’s eye just as learning to draw made me want to write the stories of all those scenes.

Maybe art is just getting others to experience what is in your own head?!

Oh, and the art piece posted above was done with ProCreate (5.2). I debated on doing whatever came to mind or a redo/revisit of my first post as well as digital or not. You see which won. I chose “do again” because it would be digital like the first and I was curious to see the comparison of how I would do clouds, etc. now especially on the digital app of ‘today’.

Thank you for sticking with me this far. In this piece and in this place on my journey.