Drawing Without Fear - Mission Accomplished - image 1 - student project I really enjoyed this class because it helped me to get over my perfectionism, which is a constant work in progress. The last activity, where you have to purposely make a mistake in your drawing, seriously changed me. I used an old half-finished drawing of my house that I had gotten hung up on some details. I also used watercolors, which I have never been comfortable with. Setting out with the intention to make mistakes is really quite freeing. It took me to a place I would have never gotten without that challenge. Halfway through, my cat walked across the painting, still wet, and I was like "Thanks, girl, you just added more interest to my picture." LOL Looking as mistakes as opportunities instead of barriers makes me want to make a lot of mistakes. Thank you, Marie-Noelle!

Drawing Without Fear - Mission Accomplished - image 2 - student project

This was fun.

Drawing Without Fear - Mission Accomplished - image 3 - student project Blind countour disclaimer - I added pupils and eyelashes after. All the purple is what was original to the blind part of the activity.

Drawing Without Fear - Mission Accomplished - image 4 - student project

I was really surprised at this and I am going to try to do this more often. A few years ago I had massive bilateral pulmonary embolisms. This means my lungs filled up with blood clots. I almost died but as a trade for staying alive I lost functioning in major organs and other parts of my body. One of the things that took a hit was my hands. I have muscle atrophy and nerve death in both hands but my left hand I generally call my dead hand. I started occupational therapy in March with a hand specialist and obviously it has paid off. I was amazed that I could eke out a likeness of me. I couldn't hold a pencil six months ago in my nondominant hand so the fact that I can do this at all feels amazing to me. It is pretty painful which is why I only did half of my face.

Drawing Without Fear - Mission Accomplished - image 5 - student project

This, inspired by a Rage Against the Machine song, is a book burning pile. I think the flames look more like grass than fire so I should add some more depth to this one

Drawing Without Fear - Mission Accomplished - image 6 - student project

Quote on the picture above: It has to start somewhere; It has to start sometime; What better place than now? -- Rage Against the Machine, the music that inspired me.

Drawing Without Fear - Mission Accomplished - image 7 - student project

This is Franklin Delano Roosesmelt. He lives in my yard. I have many pictures of him. I drew him in as many different types of pens as I could to get a feel for them.

Drawing Without Fear - Mission Accomplished - image 8 - student project

This is the result that I talked about in the beginning of working with mistakes. I am not going to tell you where the mistakes were but I can tell you some of the things that happened: my cat walked across it, I forgot half the house and had to add on after I painted stuff in that area, general splootch stuff. The quilt blocks that make up the background are Darting Birds. This is my house and I live in Darting Bird Hollow.

Torina Torina

Writer, artist, naturalist

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