Why I stopped doing the EDiM

Forgive me followers for I have sinned. It has been 23 days since my last post. I feel bad about it; I really do but I had to do some soul searching about this whole drawing thing and my reasons for wanting to take part in the EDiM challenge.

Let me explain.

Day 9 came along and I was fully prepared to get on with it but the challenge wasn't in the drawing but in finding the prop to draw. Draw an interesting label was way more stressful than what it appears to be.

I scoured the house searching for this Holy Grail of props. Sometimes with the intent of looking and sometimes without even thinking about it as I went about my day. And that's when I realized that there was a problem.

In trying so hard to find a prop to draw from, I suddenly realized that this was all too stressful. The hunt for a daily prop was distracting me from the challenge itself. What was supposed to be something so simple turned into a nightmare.

I eventually found an excellent subject to draw from (a bottle of champagne wrapped from top to bottom in traditional Dutch blue and white labeling which was ironically made in South Africa, my mother had given me as a souvenir from her trip to Holland) but with all of the spontaneous creative energy sucked out of me looking for this ONE item, I never did draw the bottle or the label at all.

After that, I was silently dreading day 10 and day eleven and so on. The challenge became too challenging. And I thought I was the only one who felt this way but it wasn't until a few days ago that I read a blog post from Liz Steel addressing the same thing called Why Bother? Pushing Yourself for a challenge.

Having done the challenges before, she knew that they were going to be hard to complete because of the pressure "the list" creates. Liz also mentioned in the post that she likes to take the time to think about each and every one of her sketches. In the first eight days of the challenge, I soon discovered that I am much like her.

I have to feel an attachment to something or find something interesting and how it relates to me and my life in order to take the time to sketch it.

Some would argue that the list is merely a guideline to get a person into a habit of daily sketching and I was thinking too much about the challenge. Maybe they're right; after-all  I am just starting up again after many years of not doing anything drawing or sketching related so I should just put on my big boy pants and get it done.

I could do that but then I wouldn't enjoy it and would probably stop drawing entirely if I'm not having fun while I'm doing it. Besides, isn't that the whole purpose of the challenge from a very fundamental viewpoint; to have fun? I think it is. The sketching is merely a bi-product of my experience at that exact moment.

For now, I'll admit defeat. The challenge got the better of me. Bu I learned something about myself and how I approach drawing and for that, I take away far more than what I produced. That lesson proved to be far more valuable than any prompt would have taught me.

EDiM 08 - Something with a handle

Day 8 of the challenge and I'm starting to notice a few things about myself and my sketches.

I'll explain in my next post so for now, here's my sketch for today.

Enjoy!

EDiM02 - No Trees, Winds, Kites and beggars; Oh my

Went away for the weekend and yes, I brought my drawing stuff with me. When I found out about the EDiM challenge, my intention was to stay ahead of the challenge and draw the next day in advance, but since the weekend trip was last minute, things didn't go as planned.

The next morning (Saturday) was crisp and with reports of snow or rain in the area, sketching outside was going to be hit or miss. One would think finding a nearby tree to draw would be easy but when staying in a hotel in the middle of an urban center, it proved to be more challenging than I thought.

The hotel room, stuffed in the back corner of the building, overlooked an apartment complex parking lot. Not a tree to be found. Since I was going to head further south for the day, my chances of finding any trees at this point would increase dramatically.

After grabbing a coffee, (perfect cold weather nectar), I stumbled upon a multi use park tucked away behind gas stations and student housing complexes I've been in this area numerous times before but never knew this park existed.

Parked the car, gathered my back-pack and headed out to find some sun and a tree. Following a make-shift trail through the shrubs and down a steep hill, I was in the park...sort of. A chain link fence stood between me and tree utopia.

I followed the fence line around which was interrupted by a few equipment buildings and public washrooms (which were locked) and finally found an opening into the park. Stopping at the entrance, I looked around at the prospects and found the perfect location. A warped picnic table under this massive tree at the back of the park. All I had to do was navigate my way around a cricket match, a few kids flying kites and I was home free.

What seemed like the perfect location was anything but. The sky's darkened, the winds swooped in making it nearly impossible to attempt to draw anything on flapping paper. (the binder clip I had must have fallen off somewhere). I took a picture of the tree and quickly packed up my bag and made my way back to the car.

The winds that forced me to flee my location played havoc with the kids kites. One fell from the sky dive bomber style. The tip stuck into the ground like a lawn dart about 15 feet in front of me.

Death by kite sounds tragically fun doesn't it?

Back at the car, there was a tree directly in front of where I parked. I broke out the sketchbook once again only to be disturbed by a knock on the window. Just some random guy looking for any spare change. I used the last of it to pay for the parking. He wasn't impressed; swearing and calling me a few names as he walked into the bushes.

"Yup. That's it for me." I thought as I packed my stuff after taking a picture of this tree. I didn't think this challenge was going to be so hostile.

I drove back to the hotel, about an hours drive north and thought I could settle in when I got back to get this thing done but it never happened. I was kind of rattled by the day. A few cold beers takes the edge off but dampens any drawing ambition I had when I got back.

You tell yourself "Ya, I'll do it Sunday" but Sunday I was heading back home. A two hour drive north, house work stuff and preparing for the work week got in the way of my intended promise.

Continued on Monday when I'll get caught up....  

Better late than never

I'm fairly new to this sketching thing so at times it's a bit overwhelming to be sneaking in well after the party has started. As odd as it seems, I feel as though Im barging my way in. I'm a party crasher.

But that's pure nonsense really.

From what Ive seen so far in visiting the numerous sites and pages is that the community is very welcoming and encouraging.

And so this sketchbooking journey for me is about to begin. I dug up my old drawing stuff which has been used very, very sparingly over the last 5 or so years.

- a 75page 70lb 9x12 Bienfang sketchbook
- 2 dozen or so pencils of various lead types
- 3 white rubber eraser
- 5 kneaded erasers (yes five. Dont ask why just smile, nod and continue reading)
- 10 Staedler 0.3mm finetip pens (various colours)
- 6 Steadler 0.4mm metallic gel-liners (gold, silver, copper etc..) Actually I have no idea where I got these from. I kmow I would have never willingly purchased them. Employee theft maybe? Shhhh. Ha ha. 
- 2 pencil sharpeners
- one 0.5mm mechanical pencil
- 2 rulers(metal, plastic)
- erasing shield ( I took drafting in high school so finding this was a trip down memory lane)
- and last but not least, a plaid kilt bag loaded with possibly 100 Prismacolour pencil crayons. ( high school art supplies which are 25plus years old...ugh! Thinking of that just made me feel very, very old...)

Here's my first attempt drawing my supplies:

Starting to draw again is simultaneously exciting and terrifying so there's no better way to begin then by joining a challenge group. Liz Steel had a post about the whole thing on her blog so I thought I'd check it out and give it a go. It's the EDiM ( Every Day in May) challenge. The challenge is to complete one drawing according to the event calendar. I went to the Facebook page, joined the group and got the EDiM challenge list so I'm good to go.

She also mentioned the Everyday Matters Challenge and even though the Yahoo group is done, I downloaded the list when those moments of not knowing what to draw try to prevent any of my progress.  If anything it'll be great practice and fun to see how it goes.

Stay tuned....

This is a blog?

Welcome. Have a burger. Try not to drip secret sauce all over the place. 

First attempt sketching on a tablet. (Ok it's a slider, NOT a burger)