I Am Still Here

Practice Drawings from an All-Day Workshop during Teacher Inservice

He is the rich man and enjoys the fruits of riches, who, summer and winter forever, can find delight in the contemplation of his soul.

Henry David Thoreau, Journal, December 26, 1841

In the quiet of this night I finally reach out to my WordPress, Twitter and facebook friends.  My last post was over two weeks ago, as I was preparing to leave on a two-week vacation, not wishing to advertise that my residence was uninhabited. During that space, I have drafted a number of blog posts, but am still editing them, not wishing to publish a pile of crude first drafts. I cannot express my deepfelt gratitude for the two-week sojourn in Missouri and the visits with family and friends from long ago. The relaxation and repose were qualitatively unexplainable–no deadlines, no appointments, no alarm clocks, just rest. My whole world slowed down considerably.

As I write this, I am nearly halfway through a week of mandatory Inservice meetings provided by my school district.  I wish I could write that they have presented quality instruction and inspiration, but I try to keep my blog honest.  But I will say, without reservation, that today’s all-day workshop in colored-pencil drawing was one of the finest I have ever attended, and I cannot sufficiently praise the high school instructor who led this–Ryan Willingham of Arlington High School.  This man is a master draftsman and even better communicator and demonstrator.  His work throughout the day made me want to quit my job and spend entire days, weeks, months in the studio, attempting to get better in drawing skills.  In this, I do not exaggerate. Above, I posted my own attempts, and though I obtained permission to photograph his work, I didn’t think to ask permission to publish his, so I will not.  But if I did, my work in the photo above would certainly diminish.  I have spent hours this evening, poring over the photos I took of his demonstration drawings created this day before our delighted eyes.  Wow. What a day, and what an artist!

Tomorrow begins the first day of the semester at Texas Wesleyan University in Fort Worth, and with it, the launch of my first ever online course in Logic.  Naturally, I feel jitters waiting to see how this is going to play out.  And then Monday begins the first day of high school, with my courses in Advanced Placement and Regular Art History, Philosophy and AVID.  AVID will be a new experience for me, as will the college online arena.  I only hope to retain sanity and a measure of success in those new endeavors.

More art will be posted in the future.  I did engage in some plein air watercolor activity during my vacation, dashing out two small studies, and I have nearly finished that large Fort Worth Scat Jazz Lounge watercolor as well.  Oh–and I finished reading Moby Dick–WOW!!!! More on that later as well.

Thanks for reading.

I paint in order to remember.

I journal when I feel alone (and did a ton of that over the past weeks)

I blog to remind myself that I am not alone.

Tags: Arlington High School, colored pencil, drawing, Henry David Thoreau, Ryan Willingham