Post Halloween

What have I been doing since Halloween? I'm so glad you asked. I've been staying on the craft/art kick, and I've been making myself get out and about a little bit. I've been saying I would go to open drawing night at MIAD for a few months, and the same went for Doodle Day. I'd been putting both off because my drawing skills were so rusty! And because the Doodle Day crew is seriously creative and skilled. It was intimidating.

I dipped my toe in the water first by going to figure drawing. It has been so long, I don't think I've seen a naked model for... four years, maybe more. It was a bit of a shock to realize that, and strange like first-time-figure-drawing-strange to see that again. But! The setting was familiar and I soon fell back into the art groove. After a few hours, I realized that I've still got it! And by 'it' I mean drawing skills that are neither great nor totally shameful. I'll take it!

First drawing back (1 min gesture drawing):



Last drawing of the night (20 or 30 min):



Next up was Doodle Day, a week or two later. I biked up to Alterra (a coffee shop) on the East Side (look at me, getting out!). I sat down at a table with a bunch of people, set up my markers and stared at the blank page for a while. Then I stared some more. So big, so much paper, so white! Glancing around, I saw all sorts of good ideas and cool executions. Talent to the left of me, talent to the right! I decided to keep my head down and go for quantity over quality.



I did manage to fill the whole page, and it wasn't so agonizing!

The other thing I've been doing with nearly all my free time is crocheting. Maybe this is the year I finally learn to do more than just scarves. Maybe not! I made this one for myself out of a bunch of smaller balls of yarn. I tried to make a gradient in purples and yellows. I'm happy with how it turned out.



A better look at all the colors: