Grandma Henke

I bought some art books today. One of them, “Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain” by Betty Edwards is one I checked out of the library for four weeks in a row . I didn’t realize I liked … or could … draw until after I wrote the novel. I think tapping into my right side of the brain for that helped me to visualize and draw my main character. I’d never tried drawing before, well since Junior High School, and just always thought I couldn’t do it. This is a fascinating book and has little assignments that are made to help you It was written as a means of teaching drawing but it has become a tool used in teaching different aspects of problem solving in a variety of industries. Sort of the “outside of the box” idea … where you see things differently because you’re pulling from your creative side.

One of the other books is on anatomy … in drawing, like in sculpting, it is important to know what lies beneath the surface if you want it to look like it’s supposed to on the outside. “Drawing Human Anatomy” by Giovanni Civardi looks to be some good studying.

“Secrets to Drawing Realistic Faces” by Carrie Stuart Parks was my choice out of the ten or so books I found at Michael’s Craft Store. It says it is foolproof so I figure even a beginner like me should be able to learn to draw lips and eyes in proportion to the head.

And last but not least, “Drawing for the Absolute and Utter Beginner” by Claire Watson Garcia is bound to teach me how to draw bottles, vases of flowers, barns … all kinds of things a person might want to make look realistic and balanced. The attempt I made at an ordinary dining room table a few weeks ago ended up being absolutely impossible to sit on as the seat had an obvious downward tilt to it. (Although the rest of it looked pretty good.

Isn’t it wonderful to have so many resource books and/or the Internet at our resources for any topic we want to study? It is sure a different kind of world now than it was in Grandma’s day. I love the opportunities and resources I have to learn and expand my talents. It’s almost been a year since I retired … May 1st … and I am amazed at the things I’ve discovered about myself now that I have a little “me” time. That’s all it takes … a little time to explore yourself plus some good friends to encourage you and keep you going. Retirement is FUN!