Drawing fearlessly

If there is any phrase I hear from quilt artists and textile artists often, it's the "but I can't draw" lament.
So what?
I can't either, much, but that doesn't stop me from trying. And, in trying, I've found that my skills at rendering 3-d life in 2-d form has improved over the years. Because, in truth, that's what drawing is (a skill) despite the fact that some few of us come into the world gifted in line and shading. Of course, those are the ones who long, long ago in your life convinced many of us that we really were not artists, since we could not draw 1. Horses, 2. People, 3. (related to 2) Faces, 4. Anything.

I am mounting a campaign to turn the rest of us into fearless sketchers, because it is fun, Because you can capture information about the world and your ideas that can not (even with cameras) be captured any other way. And, third, we can all benefit for the careful attention to NOW that drawing promotes. Drawing is actually a very wonderful entry into meditation, as a practice it is especially valuable for those visually inclined.

My venture onto this bandwagon starts in September 7-9 with a workshop at El Cielo called Fearless Sketching, $175, Friday evening potluck (optional) through 3 pm Sunday. My friend and master of drawing Sarah Jones is scheduled to help out, but I'll be leading most of the activities with an eye on our fears and insecurities. Discover drawing as a meditative practice, as a way to capture an idea, as a reminder and as an approach to learning a new skill. And I'll also be sharing some iPad drawing tools that are fun to use, too, for those of you exploring that new media.

Email me on the contact form for more info!