The drawing a day challenge

Since the first of March, I have been doing a drawing a day with only missing one. This is a challenge suggested by Parapluie. When she mentioned it, I was attracted to her idea because I had found how much I like plein air painting where I paint what I see while I am there. It really gave me a feeling different than I get from painting from sketches back at home. Emotionally more of that was what I felt I needed. Maybe drawing could do it.

At this point, I am about half way through the challenge and the results have been mostly mediocre to be honest. I used to be good at drawing. Where did that go? When I went to the beach, I did sketch quite a bit but nothing at all exceptional.


Still I was doing it and nobody said the sketch a day had to be wonderful. I thought maybe my problem is materials; with a coupon worth 50% off, I bought a few drawing pencils, some charcoal and drawing pens to see if that would do any better. Not sure it did.


Thursday in riding along to get a load of hay, I was reminded I had forgotten my sketch pad and pens. Great. My one chance to get out in the main valley where the clouds are more formed, the hills show up, and I forget my pad. I do have an explanation as I was working on writing a story with characters more on my mind than lines; but I was disappointed.

Even more so when I saw where we were going and so many interesting opportunities for mid-valley clouds, for vistas. One thing I have learned in doing this is we don't get the great cloud formations out in the hills. It's like they form here or are broken up here but when I get to the main valley, that's when I see them, these great cumulus columns, the strata, all the shapes that work together to create a feeling of energy.

While the boss was off getting the hay, talking to the owner, I quit bemoaning my stupidity and realized I had what I needed-- pens in the glove compartment that I liked better than mine at home and a napkin from a Subway. Voila.

Actually I liked the little sketches better than any I have done this month (which given the quality of the rest, isn't saying a lot. Still, I taped them to my sketchbook page for the 17th. Nobody said the sketches had to be done on sketching paper...