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Over the weekend some of my artist friends and I took a portrait workshop.  It’s been years since I had taken a life drawing, or a class on faces, so for me it was a much-needed review!  Believing that we can never practice too much, or review technique too frequently, and gathering together all the drawing supplies that have been stored away for way too long, I prepared for a weekend of getting back to the way things started!  Am I rusty?  That’s an understatement!  Frequently I sit and do character sketches, and believe me, they have a lot of character!  I love the quirky way it looks, but it’s time to polish up my skills!

Let me see, I am taking my new journal that had just been dressed, erasers, ruler, pencils of all kinds, even some tracing paper!  The teacher promised a new, easy technique that would cut to the chase, and get us all up to speed by the end of Sunday!  How could I refuse, “I want to be up to speed too!”  Also, my plans are to take a class at Palomar College in San Marcos  next semester, and this is in preparation for that class.  Reviewing never hurts!

Off we go to the classroom with high hopes of returning home on Sunday afternoon  being  a perfect portrait artist!   Huh, I’m not perfect?  Don’t tell my husband that, he doesn’t know!  What easy way to draw faces?  Is there an easy way?  I admit, it was easier than I expected, but not as easy as hoped.  My skills are rusty, my supplies are great, but  a super-duper battery operated eraser is desperately needed!

After class on Saturday, one of my artist sisters, and I talked about looking for that magic eraser, and decided to check GeoQpons for Aaron Bros, or Michael’s.  Those were the two closest stores, and we only had enough energy left to pick one!  OMG,  on my phone, there it was,  a 50% off coupon for Aaron Bros…..and we both had a coupon!   So off we go to secure an eraser for each of us that promises to leave us with exceptional skills, on the way to our eminent masterpieces!   My girlfriends tell me, “Not to worry about it because, it will never hang in La Louvre!”   Never?  So they say!!!

Sunday went so much better, I’m sure because of the little battery operated device that made monumental  promises, and a great teacher!   After lunch, the teacher said, “I want you to start on your final project!”   Yikes, I’m not sure I’m ready to put anything on Bristol paper.  With  doubt, insecurities, and  ego shoved to the back, and chained down,  I jumped in methodically sketching the face, one section at a time, Pretty soon my right brain switched on, and all track of time was lost if  not forgotten until it was 3:00 pm.  Time to go, and I’m just getting started!

There isn’t a doubt in my mind that I badly needed this brush up class.  Nor is there a doubt that practice, practice,  practice will be my motto for most everything artsy, including portraits.  The following sketches are  what I accomplished;  the beginning of a face, a face from my mind, and finally a portrait of my granddaughter Sage.  In my opinion, each one is just a little better than the last, but there isn’t a doubt that I need to work on my skills continually to achieve the level it needs to be.  The workshop  so much fun, and  I’m so glad I stepped up to the plate and committed to it!