Sloppy Beginnings - Learning to Paint

I've never heard a single solitary soul utter or even insinuate the ease of beginnings.  I don't believe anyone has uttered the word easy in reference to beginning something new in the history of the entire world.  I know it's a bold claim, but anyone who even breathed the word easy in regards to beginnings must have been high.  I have to say I'm experiencing that times three months right now.  I'm loving the process and my classes - but somehow these fingers and brain cannot output what I want or need right now.  There is nothing I can do to change this - no easy fix.  However, I also know wholeheartedly things get better.  I've seen myself get better - just not good.  My progress for this week has been slow coming.  I've started to take my time and do very small increments of creative work when I notice my frustration mounting to unmanageable peaks.  I remind myself that this is supposed to be fun - to feel the brush in my hand and the sensation of the paint meeting the paper and sometimes, when I'm focused...I remember.  So not a lot of pics for this week.  Just know that I've worked each day to create something new and better.  This girl was a happy part of my week (for the most part).

In other news...I'm still battling with this abomination. I have loved her then made mistake after mistake in the finishing touches stage.  I cannot stand her in this moment - in most moments.  I keep plugging away remembering this fun - even when it blows.  I think I'll name her False Starts - she fits that name perfectly!

This is the best picture I got of this hag.  Pardon my anger towards her.  You can't look directly at her or she doesn't look right and frankly I'm fed up.  She's like Medusa.  Don't look her dead on or it's a little like dying...just kidding (a little). That's why her eyes or closed - no need to risk eternity as a statue  for this sad girl.  So that's it for today.  I hope you had a nice Sunday.  I had a minor thing happen - I turned 37.  I spent the day doing my favorite things - visiting the bookstore, Target, Michaels, and Chili's.  I spent it as most solitary creatures do...alone.  And it was perfect.  There are celebration plans in the works for this upcoming weekend.  A quick picture of my swag...

My plan is to make 37 figures or whimsical portraits this year.  I had planned on coming up with 37 things or goals for this year, but who am I kidding?  So excited about my haul.  Just in case you were wondering, the book is Figure it Out by Chris Hart.  I hope to get this book soon as well.  The author has a whole series on drawing and I'm pretty excited about learning more.  Right now my goal seems like a little thing, but it makes me happy.  I could make a goal to read 37 classics or listen to 37 audiobooks but those goals don't reflect where I'm at right now.  Not to mention, they're things I already incorporate into my daily life, albeit I wish I did more.  I'm going to take this first week to think about it further...but I'm happy with my one goal.  Again, hoping your day was great.  Until then...

P.S. I used my Andrea Gomoll's stamps on my first girl's facial features.  I freehanded the second girl using the stamps as a guide.  The stamps come with her Facecinating girls classes - I highly recommend volumes one and two.