New year... new resolution.

Its been a while since I blogged.... life happens... I'm not going into the reasons why I stopped blogging but I also stopped drawing. 

Recently, my Dad died; he was an architect and one of my greatest supporters and teachers when I was drawing. Over the years I had given him drawings and some photos. When I walked into his home office this month, those drawings are hung, proudly, on the wall. They had been carefully looked after, framed and were clearly important to him. The weekend before the first COVID lockdown was our final outing together - we went to the Tate Britain and the Tate Modern - our regular outing in the final few years of his life. Dad was the first one to give me a camera, to feedback on my drawings, take me to art galleries, talk to me about painting, colour and shape, teaching me the rules of perspective, and encouraged me to put pen to paper. He delighted in watching me rediscover my love of drawing, 10 years ago when I was seriously ill so I'm sure he would tell me to pick up a pencil and draw as I navigate this new normal without him. 

So, I am setting myself a challenge... a drawing a day for the next 365 days.  

The goal I'm setting is:

1 - I have to spend at least 30 minutes on the drawing.

2 - It can be anything - not just an urban sketch, so still life, objects, people etc. It should be from life BUT it can be from photos if needed. 

3 - Each Sunday I should have completed 7 days that week. If, for some reason, I cannot do one that day - I will catch up by the following Sunday. 

4 - No phone use during the process. 

Each week I am going to upload the week's sketches here and on my instagram @bunnyscribble

Why do this?

• I want to get back to sketching regularly - 30 minutes a day is better than 3 hours in a block each month. 
• To overcome my internal critic that seems to be causing a massive artistic block.
• I need to stop doom scrolling on my phone.
• I know the more practice I do - the better I get - its all about the practice. 

How:

1 - Set aside at least 30 minutes a day to draw without interruption. This should be in one block but can split if needed. 

2 - The drawing should be initially just pen and pencil - lets not complicate it by colour right now. 

3 - Working through:

    Liz Steel's online courses: Foundations, Buildings and Watercolour. 
    Exercises in Betty Edward's Drawing on the right side of the brain book
    Exercises in Bert Dodson's Keys to drawing book

4 - Not to let my internal critic stop me - Danny Gregory's book - Shut Your Monkey book is a useful tool.

5 - Attend as many urban sketching events as I can

6 - Take a sketchbook and pen everywhere with me

7 - put the phone down and set a timer so you know not to pick it up. 

8 - post every sketch - not just the good ones... but the bad ones too....

    

So here we are.. the start of a new year, with a new goal and even more importantly I've said what and how I am going to achieve it. by putting it here I've got a permanent record of what and how and perhaps some people to hold me accountable. 

Join me on my journey and prepare for lots of coffee cups, cakes and pastries...