Adventure #10-Inktober

     At the beginning of October, my sister, the artist, began posting ink sketches with the hashtag inktober followed by one word. It took me several posts before it donned on me that they were her sketches.  In my defense, she frequently shares other artist's work. It took me even longer to make the connection between the word and her drawing as her art is a bit on the abstract side. (Technically it is not classified as abstract, that is just how I think of it as I can never remember the correct term for her style of painting.)

 A few days later, more by accident than design, I touched #inktober and a link popped up explaining it was a challenge to draw an ink sketch everyday of October. I had never heard of it so the added information was very helpful. To aid inspiration, each day is given a word. The idea of trying to sketch each day appealed to me but as I scanned the list of words, I felt no connection. Out of curiosity, I scrolled down through other postings which ran the gambit of artistic styles. 

I came to a full stop at one lady's post who had linked Inktober to a shorter challenge connected to the quote, "Once upon a haunted forest..." The first day introduced a character who than on subsequent days encountered "things" that one would find in a haunted forest. Much more story like in nature. I thought, "I could do that." 

Since I am still learning to sketch, I find it very challenging to impossible to sketch without some kind of visual to spring board off of. I don't remember ever doing any ink sketches before this so I am pleased with the final product although I actually did the major outlines first in pencil than traced over them with ink. The word for today, October 16th, 2021 is compass. I am terrible at consistency so it will be interesting, for me at least, to see how many days I actual manage to sketch something. Here is my first sketch introducing, "LoveMonk", "Gnomeo", and "MeToo" on their first inktober adventure. 

Finally having my new "studio" area cleared of boxes and clutter, mostly, has been very inspirational. I am hoping that it will help me follow through on my desire to create. And as I create, I hope to improve my skills, whatever they may be, as an artist. I don't think of myself as an artist, not really. However, I heard snatches of a talk to which my daughter was listening. given by a lady engineer. She was attempting to encourage other ladies to become engineers also. In response to some forgotten question she said, "I started calling myself an engineer even before I finished school. Straight forward, no waffling with maybes or wannabes. It helped me believe in myself and, for me as well as others, to begin to see myself as an engineer."  In that moment, I decided to start calling myself an artist and a writer instead of one day I want to draw and write. 

 My studio

 Two recent paintings. The Dancing on the Rising Sun is inspired by the words of a song. The waterfall was done step by step as a zoom snack and paint through Becky's Community College. LoveMonk is one I did years ago at my sister's.

Mr. Crow. A recent splurge for myself who instantly became my writing muse. 

All of my family is artistic in one way or another. I have a small "artists" corner in my studio where I post some of my recent work along with some of my family's. Also I have included a few pictures that somehow managed to survive my multiple moves, like 40. Perhaps because they spoke to me in some fashion or reminded me of a treasured memory. I'm pleased with the look and feel of "my artist's corner."

My mom never carved out the time to paint very much but for a short time she made a few lamps of concrete and rock pictures that she had meticulously collected. She loved rocks! Her lamp is one of my treasured possessions.