Hallo cousins! As you might already know, I am a sucker for sets. Especially art sets. ^_^ So to stay true to myself, I am working on a companion piece to Winter Solstice.

There’s a slight chance I got carried away with the ribbons. ^_^ But as fun as they were to draw, I am not ready for the longest day of the year. :/ We’re having a super cold spring in the Pacific Northwest, and I can only take solace in the extended daytime hours. I’m not ready to lose all that light! But such is the nature of… nature, I suppose. XD

Like with Winter Solstice, I will be offering this piece mid-June as an art card and a postcard.

So week four concludes my experiment. I did it, cousins. I lived for one month without an internet connection at home.

And it was wonderful. :D I got so much drawing done! I rekindled two old projects and started a new one. I now magically have time to work on all the ideas that have been accumulating on the back burner. (Okay, not all of them, but definitely 2-3 at a time.) I experimented with a new medium and a new style, and I loved all of it.

But the personal victory for me happened last Saturday night. I got home later than expected, with only an hour and a half before bed. It was a weird window, and I could’ve occupied myself with a dozen activities. But the first impulse, the first thought in my mind was that I wanted to draw. :D I can’t tell you how awesome that feels after two years of artist’s block! And the impulse is still there. Pretty much everyday I can’t wait to get home, get the daily stuff done and get to my sketchpad. I want to keep the momentum going, and so have decided to remain net-free at home.

My biggest goal for 2008 is to implement the habit of sketching for one hour every day. And I think this experiment has given me a jump start to do just that.

Last Friday, I took another first baby step towards getting over myself. :D I went to Seattle Art Museum to see the exhibit of Roman art from the Louvre. The place was pretty packed, and at first I was mortified to bust out my sketchbook and draw in public. But then I told myself not to be silly, and got down to business. Two hour on my feet (in heels), but it was all totally worth it. ^_^

On an interesting note: the bust of a young Gaul on the bottom left was missing its nose. It didn’t take away from the beauty of the sculpture (he was very handsome), but it totally messed me up because I couldn’t establish a relationship between his facial features. Though usually erasing during free sketching is a big no-no, I had to erase the first attempt and start from scratch. :O

Another week has gone. I almost don’t remember what it’s like to surf the internet from home. :D Most excellent.

More importantly, I am getting back into the art zone. I can feel it. This week I could not wait to get home and work on my art projects. I haven’t felt this way in many many months, so it’s very encouraging. I finished a companion piece to Spring 2.0, picked up an old project, and on Sunday went on a lovely walk around my new neighborhood.

And a practice sketch from a Nordstrom catalog. :)~

Wow, week two has come and gone in a flash! I guess it helps not being on the interwebs when you’re otherwise engaged. ^_^

This week I attended the Divine Performing Arts’ Chinese Spectacular and Cirque du Soleil’s Corteo. So much visual stimulation!

What really touched my heart was a female musician’s performance on erhu. I’ve heard the instrument many times before, but hearing it live, and in the hands of a real pro – there’s nothing else like it. Simply amazing. Very soon I hope to do a more detailed piece of the above erhu sketch.

Corteo, like any Cirque du Soleil production, was awesome. I came in slightly dubious about the premise (a clown’s funeral? I donno…), but was completely blown away. I loved the costumes, loved the setup, loved my little program book, loved it all!

And speaking of Corteo—last Thursday we had a gaggle of angels running around the market and downtown Seattle, promoting the show. It was so delightful I have no words. ^__^ Instead, have a picture.

This week I drew and worked on a new piece 5 days out of seven. :)