Jack of all Trades; Master of Nothing

Dear Crafty Girls and Guys...

First, my apologies for my three week absence.  To say things are crazy in my life is like calling the Pope Catholic!  This morning I've been waxing poetic (I lay in bed from about 4:15 am - 5:30 am trying to will myself back to sleep.  Instead I started thinking about The Crafty Girl Project and this blog.

I'm not sure I'm that interesting, personally, but I think I have some interesting posts.  The Crafty Girl Project has been a great outlet for me to experiment with different things and sometimes pontificate on a non-crafty, non-artsy fartsy subject.  You've heard the saying before, "Jack of all trades; master of nothing."  That's my biggest fear.  I want to be a master at something creative.  I want to pick up a pencil and be able to draw what I see.  I want to create art that not only interests me but draws in other people.  I want people to read my stories or blog entries or poems and wonder what I meant by using a certain analogy or vividly see the scene I'm describing.

Waiting and Hoping -- Kasey Litt 2010

There's one thing that is stopping me from being a master...ok, there are several things that are stopping me from being a master!  But the one thing, the primary reason is I don't dedicate the time.  I've only been diagnosed ADHD at age 45 but believe me when I say I've been this way all my life.  Do I have the discipline to practice over and over and over again until I see improvement in my performance?

I think I can (says the little choo choo!).  With drawing, I can see improvements as I create and then recreate things.  Here is a shot of a pencil drawing I'm doing of Izzie.  It is incomplete but I showed it to my lovely Bookclub Ladies last night to see what they thought but also to feel the glow of their appreciation of my work.  The one thing I can count on from Bookclub Ladies is their unfailing support of any and all projects I am working on! They are still waiting for me to complete a novel (I have shared excerpts from things in progress).

This weekend, I am taking a two day workshop on Acrylic Paints.  What a coinkydink that my next project for 2D design is an Acrylic still life.   I have a feeling that this "art thing" is the place I'm supposed to be and the area I'm supposed to be mastering.  I hope I didn't wait too long to get here!

PS - for those of you who don't already know this, last Monday I dropped my Drawing 1 class.  I talked with my professor and he was concerned I would not pass the class because of my average home work assignments/projects and my absences I've had because of work.  It was the last day to be able to drop with receiving a WF (no I didn't say WTF which is what I would have said if I received a Withdraw/Failure!).  So where does leave me and my portfolio?  I will continue to draw and to hone my skills and as I do so, I will be selecting drawings that might work for my portfolio.  However, I came to the decision before I dropped this Drawing 1 class that I was going to retake the class next semester and turn my portfolio in for the Spring deadline.  I still have two Gen'l Ed classes I need -- Economics and World History so I'm not really off track!
































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Why Do They Call It Still Life?

I have spent at least 20 hours working on a still life for Drawing Class although still life is a bit of an oxymoron.  There is no "life" in a plastic cup, styrofoam ball, milk carton, paper cone and a pyramid.  I have never done a still life before.  As far as drawing, I haven't really done much formal work.  Doodling is not creating a still life.

One of my fellow students has spent at least as many hours as I have creating every shadow and wrinkle in the background paper.  The detail he has put in is incredible and almost photo-like.  He has helped me on my piece, adding that it possesses a great deal of character.  I wonder if that is a nice way of saying it sucks! 

For this exercise I discovered the beauty of a blending stump and blotting paper.  What did I do without a blending stump before??

I have to admit I am semi-impressed with this.  Not that it is the best drawing every but that I completed something like this.  It is definitely a new experience for me.  Does it suck?  You be the judge.