A Beginning Sketch

I believe I have mentioned that my new friend from Holland or the Netherlands is an art instructor at a university or college or some sort of higher education system. I believe I also have mentioned that she volunteered to maybe instruct me a little bit in my quest for some kind of art instruction. We've only been communicating a couple weeks now. Technology is great and has allowed us to communicate. Regardless of how good technology is technology cannot shorten the distance between her computer and mine. No matter what we do we or eight hours apart and that is a challenge. When Elske is getting up and getting ready for her day is 3 AM to two Utah. When I am getting up and ready for my day Elske's day is nearly finished work wise.

Elske spent last week in Rome and sent me many images. Elske has a rich and full life. I feel quite the bumpkin. I have actually thought that Elske had forgotten her agreeing to act as instructor after she heard by challenges of auditing some art classes here at Salt Lake Community college which is just a couple blocks from my apartment complex. Elske texted me this morning – – midmorning – – after I texted her some images of the tree (see yesterday's posting) across the driveway for my apartment. She wanted me to sketch what I saw. Elske event started giving the instruction: go slow methodical with your marks on paper, watch the image you intend to draw don't just look at it, then she gave me the assignment to draw the scene. Elske instructed me to do the drawing in black and white in pencil suggesting later that I can switch to color. Elske was definitely in her teaching mode and it felt like it. This and that are construction for today. I felt I had learned something that I was about to do something better than I had before because of Elske's teaching.

I have been using my felt tips quite a bit lately in making my marks on paper. I have to go to my art closet to see if I had any kind of pencil that I can use for the sketch. To my shock I get a very nice number two. I do not remember whether it was for Father's Day, birthday or Christmas but I received a sketchbook that I've never used and I figured this would be a good use for this tablet. I sketched the tree across the street from my area. I was embarrassed with what I had done. The sketch iscrude and elementary and as I said I am a little embarrassed but hopefully this is just the beginning of some real instruction. I don't know how realistic this endeavor is but the endeavor is interesting if nothing else. Trees are nice and other views of nature but I'm really interested in figure art as well as portraits. There is another Dutch artist who are followed for some time – – actually it was from this artists Facebook page that I found Elske's. This other artist does some great self self-portraits as well as self nudes. I doubt I will ever get anything close to the quality of these two Dutch artists but at least I have a direction and someone to point me the way.