Twenty-Eight

I also noticed that it doesn't occur to me to make copies any more, that I prefer to venture into the unknown and just see what happens. One day you can't figure out how to get up without training wheels and another you forget that you had them on altogether. 

Twenty-Nine

It was while drawing this 71st head that I realized I forgot to be afraid of drawing faces.

Thirty

I recently raced to Santa Fe to see a show of Lee Friedlander's work titled "Mannequin" at the Andrew Smith Gallery. The reason I raced was I had done similar work in the same place, like here and here and here, and I couldn't believe that what had caught my eye also caught the eye of a famous photographer. This time what I was looking at was $14,000 photographs and what I saw reflecting back in the glass was me.

Thirty-One

I loved the way this model posed with two white paper fans. I'm currently in a year long program to become a Certified Yoga Therapist. One of the things we work with is the difference between what "Is" and "Ought" to be. For example, I think I ought to be able to draw every day, but in reality I also need to work and complete all the requirements of the yoga therapy program, that is what "Is." 

The way the "Is" line gets closer to the "Ought" line is through baby steps and being real about where you truly are. With this I announce that my 100 Heads project may only post a time or two a week rather than the "Daily" in my title. I started this project wanting to face my fear of drawing faces, through baby steps and being real about "What Is" I am getting closer. 

Thirty-Two

Every now and then I stop by Studio Incamminati's website to fantasize about all the classes I wish I could be taking. What a total surprise to discover that, by popular demand, they've started a new workshop series called "In Your Town" and one of the towns they're coming to is Albuquerque! I actually burst into tears when I read it. There's a constant sting in knowing that the instruction I long for is so far away. Amazing to think that for one week the far away place I long for will be right here.

Thirty-Three

Slowly, quietly, not all at once but every now and then, I have made my way back to life drawing. I like the way my last post makes it seem that I spent the whole summer break in New England. It's a dream of mine, winters in New Mexico, summers in New England, painting, drawing. This model looks to be in transition, awake but not quite ready to get up yet. 

Summer Break

I didn't mean to leave our model coiled up in the 100 degree heat for as long as I did. I escaped to Vermont for summer vacation and thought for sure I could fit in another drawing session before I left. I'll be out of town again for two trainings, in craniosacral and yoga therapy, so my 100 heads project will be on an official summer break until the end of August.

This photo was taken last week at Kingsland Bay, just a few miles down the road from where I grew up. Kingsland Bay is the essence of summer vacation for me. It rained so much this year that the dock is under water, I took this photo when the sky cleared up enough for an early evening swim. The huge clouds overhead looked threatening but never touched us.

I always have the fear that a project will fall apart if not diligently attended to, that if I don't grasp and hold on to the original plan it will ultimately fail. But another possibility is surrender. What we fear might never touch us. Let's let our model rest a little longer, let's see what comes from letting go.