Learning to sketch.

My husband says I live down in the back of my head.  In other words I am always thinking, contemplating, considering, wondering, planning, stressing, etc.  My husband says I am not always present to the moment because I am down in the back of my head.

Please don't misjudge my husband. He doesn't say these things to be critical. On the contrary he says them to help me after I have just poured out my heart to him. When I am stressed and anxious and so overwhelmed I could crumble.  My husband gently offers encouragement and a possible explanation for my feelings.

Over the past 18 months I have been exploring ways I can become more present. I am not wanting to completely stop living down in the back of my head. 

I do a lot of good work down there.

 No, I just want to balance it.

 I want to be able to see and feel and touch and smell and taste and be totally present to what there is to learn and experience whilst being present.

One of the practices I have begun to love is sketching.

In fact I can't believe how relaxing it is.

What surprises me the most is that I would not consider myself a person who can draw. My repertoire until recently consisted of stick people, houses with a square and triangle, and maybe a basic flower.

Because my skills in drawing were so limited I decided I wanted to learn some techniques that would help as well as learn a bit about the type of pencils and paper to use.

After some investigating I came across an artist by the name of Alisa Burke. She shares her sketch book regularly on her blog and offers a wide selection of on-line classes. I signed up for sketch book delight part-1. and sketch book delight part-2.  I am still working on this one now.
Lots of wonderful tips and info.

Below are a few sketches I have been working on. They are all pretty rough. Certainly no masterpieces here, however that was never the goal.

Sketching with charcoal.



Added watercolour to this sketch.



Sketching for me has become something that has turned an agitated, anxious, overwhelmed spirit into a calm, peaceful relaxed soul.

 I look forward to developing this new practice and seeing what develops and where it goes.