Thanks to a fairly hectic production schedule the last couple of weeks this blog entry is coming to you a little late but, here it is nonetheless!

Today I want to talk to you about the power of observation. You know, the thing that made Sherlock Holmes such a good detective? Now, I know that he's fictional and that you're an artist not a detective but, just bear with me for a sec and I'll explain. 

I know, I know, 'What the heck is contour drawing?' and 'Why is it so important?'. You can start by watching the video and then continue reading for a more in-depth explanation.

Okay, so, a contour drawing is a drawing that is primarily the outline of the subject that you are drawing. It gets complicated though because you can (and should) include details that are not strictly part of the outline of the subject. As I'm sure you noticed in my example. 

​Welcome to another Saturday edition of ARTminute!

So far the response to this project has been very encouraging and I hope that people will continue to watch and participate. If you’re new to my blog or YouTube channel I’ll let you in on what we’re up to here. The idea is that twice a week I release a very short video that is either a mini-lesson about some art/drawing technique or it’s a practical discussion about how to incorporate an art practice into your life. I will also likely include my ruminations on the creative process and ways to stay inspired.

Hello, my lovelies!
I am super pleased with today's video lesson! It's the first video with actual advice about drawing. The subject today is sketching. Since these lessons are so short I really have to segment everything that I have to tell you, which means that we're really just scratching the surface and you'll have to stick with me every week to get more and more into each topic as it comes up.

Okay! Here's the thing about sketching, it's like warming up for a workout. You're often stiff, uncoordinated, and awkward. Which is exactly how your sketches will come out, especially if it's the first drawing you've done all day.

Happy Saturday everybody! 
I'm super excited to be releasing episode 2 of ARTminute, on schedule!!
If you know me, you know that I'm a bit of a procrastinator and also sort of allergic to schedules so this is a big deal for me.

Can I get an internet high-five from everyone out there who doesn't have a job with regular hours?

So this is it!! I'm taking the plunge...right off the deep end.
I'm officially launching a series of videos that will be released every Thursday and Saturday. These videos will be little bite-sized art lessons, some of them will be about my philosophy and approach to art-making, others will be straight-up techniques. 

Each video will be about 1 or 2 minutes long and will give you enough information to go forth and take some steps (even baby steps) into a creative way of life. 

The whole point of these videos is that I really, truly believe that every single person out there is an artist! Don't freak out!! This doesn't mean that everyone is a painter or illustrator it just means that you deserve to have space in your life to be creative! If I can help you find that space then I know I'm doing my job as an educator. Plus, so many people tell me (over and over again) that they wished they could draw better (or at all). I can help with that!!

So, here is the very first video in the series, it's just an intro really, but the next video will hit the waves on Saturday when I'll be chatting about art supplies and how to avoid spending zillions of dollars on them.

So don't forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel and you can also find me on Instagram! I'd love to see your comments and I'll be happy to answer any questions you might have!!​

​Okay, so this is embarrassing but I have written, re-written, posted, deleted, and re-posted so many of these 'I'm starting a blog and I'm so excited about it!' posts that it's now sort of a pathological problem. I start blogs with the best intentions and I always fall short right off the starting line.

And here I am, doing it again! 

The difference is, that this is the last time I'm going to try. If it doesn't work I'm just going to accept that blogging isn't for me and give up on it forever! However, I am not willing to throw in the towel until I make one last genuine effort to make it work.

So, I'll skip the heartfelt starting point speech and just tell you that I'll be with you for the next little while sharing my experiences, my knowledge, and my feels.

See you around my little wonders.
Stay radical!