Symbols of Joy and Accomplishment

"Hummingbirds are symbolic of love and joy

and of accomplishing that which seems impossible."

~ Sandy Sandy

Hummingbirds can migrate more than 3,500 miles twice a year!

What seems like an impossible feat for such a tiny creature, happens without fail,
year after year. They often return to the place of their birth again and again,
to build nests and have 2-3 broods every spring and summer!

You can find out more about attracting and caring for these flying flowers
and about my hummingbirds here in SandyLand by going HERE.

Some say to draw and paint what you love and also to draw the same thing
20 times or more, so here's some more of my recent summer sketches!

6-24-19 • Watercolor and Ink sketch from Pixabay.com photo

6-25-19 • Watercolor and Ink sketch from Pixabay.com photo

6-26-19 • Watercolor and Ink sketch from a video

Stay Inspired and Happy Creating My Friends!

X ♥  O

Sketch and Draw - Without Expectations

"One of the biggest issues that stops people from drawing is

their expectation to create something ‘good’."

~ Sara Yasin

 Drawing is a skill, like many others, where you can only improve if you practice and are doing it regularly. It has been suggested that you should draw the same thing at least a dozen times, and even as many as 20 times or more, in order to get proficient at it. So draw the same subject and the same pose over and over until it becomes better and better and easier for you to do. Get into a routine, even it's only 15 - 20 minutes a day and I guarantee you will improve.

Watercolor sketch from life - 6-20-19

"Throw away your ideas about making a ‘good’ drawing

and just get drawing!"
~ Sara Yasin

Watercolor sketch from Pixabay.com photo - 6-21-19

Watercolor sketch from Pixabay.com photo - 6-22-19

"Repetition is the key to mastery." 

~ Sandy Sandy 

Watercolor sketch from Pixabay.com photo - 6-23-19

"Draw, as much and as often as you can.

When drawing lies fallow, the skill diminishes."

~ Gene Black

Stay Inspired and Happy Creating My Friends!

X ♥  O

 

Drawing Is Good For The Spirit

"Do not fail, as you go on, to draw something every day,

for no matter how little it is, it will be well worthwhile,

and it will do you a world of good."

~ Cennino Cennini

I took a little break from drawing the state birds except for Sunday, but I
am continuing to make sketching part of my daily summer routine.
It's getting easier everyday and that feels really good!

6-15-19 • drawing with a grid for my upcoming class project

6-16-19 • Mountain Bluebird - Idaho State Bird

6-17-19 • Hummingbird Sketch in Watercolor Journal

6-18-19 • 15 min. Watercolor Sketch - Class Demo

6-19-19 • From a photo of a fresh flower wreath

Jerry saved this from the trash for me to sketch.

I set up and worked right from my computer.

"When you do a sketch from life or a photo, don't be afraid to move things around,

use your imagination and employ some artistic license!"

~ Sandy Sandy

Stay Inspired My Friends!

X ♥  O

From Arkansas To Connecticut

"Drawing teaches habits of close observation
that will always be useful."
~ Susanna Clarke

I have continued with the daily project of sketching the state birds.  I'm still really enjoying it and can easily do these pencil sketches in 10 - 20 minutes.  They are not the best drawings I have ever done, but that doesn't matter as much as the fact that I am making a habit of drawing regularly and they are getting easier to do. I really think some of you should give it a try. It's a great exercise. I am posting the photos here, but you can see them larger by going to this link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._state_birds

Arkansas

California

Colorado

Connecticut

District of Columbia

Happy Creating My Friends!

X ♥  O

Drawing The State Birds

"Do not fail, as you go on, to draw something every day,

for no matter how little it is, it will be well worth while, 

and it will do you a world of good."

~ Cennino Cennini

I don't have a lot of time for sketching right now, but I wanted to keep up with my summer sketching series, even if it is only for a few minutes each day, because I know that even a small amount of time has a lot of great benefits. So I decided to start a project of sketching the state birds.  Who knows where it will lead .... I'm really enjoying it and I can already see my drawings are going faster and getting easier.

I went to Wikipedia and got all the information I need to get started. The photos are all free to use, so there is no issue with drawing from them. I thought some of you might like to join me on this project! I am posting the photos here, but you can see them larger by going to this link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._state_birds

Alabama

Alaska

Arizona

Here are the photos and my sketches from them over the past few days.

Won't somebody join me? 

10-15 min. pencil sketches

Happy Creating My Friends!

X ♥  O

The Drawing Skill Diminishes

"Draw, as much and as often as you can.

When drawing lies fallow,

the skill diminishes."

~ Gene Black

I have not kept up my drawing everyday this summer like I had planned. It seems that the older I get, the harder it is to fit everything I need to do into a 16 - 18 hour day. Regardless of other obligations, there are really no excuses. I just didn't want it bad enough, because somehow, we make time for the things that really matter, the things that we really want to do.  

Although still sketching and drawing, it is not with the same intensity or commitment that was given to "drawing everyday" for seven summers in a row. Of course, to clarify, I was not teaching and giving demos regularly, involved in the local art center and town art walk, didn't have my own art gallery or have Instagram or an online course, wasn't contributing to online communities with videos, or obligated to stay on top of several websites and facebook accounts. Phew! OK, enough of that! I'm not feeling guilty anymore ....

BUT I do want to say that my skills are NOT up to par like they were when I was sketching more. If you can, it is well worth your time and effort to draw something everyday. Here's a couple of drawings from yesterday that aren't horrible, but they took a lot more time than expected.

Don't let my example sway your dedication to study drawing! Everybody feels awkward and fumbles around with it in the beginning. Even if you can draw, but have been delinquent in doing it for a while, it can make you feel downright inadequate and uncomfortable. But that's what growth is all about! Accept the challenge and enjoy the process. If you work through it, and dedicate some time everyday (as little as 15 - 30 minutes), I assure you, that drawing will become easier and more enjoyable the more you do it. (Scrolling through my blog archives here may help get you inspired.)

Thanks So Much for Stopping By & Happy Creating!

X ♥  O

Wild, Free and Spontaneous

"Earth laughs in flowers."  

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

"For myself I hold no preferences among flowers, 

so long as they are wild, free and spontaneous."

  ~Edward Abbey