My Creative Pursuit Week One

                              

   

Well, one week down.  For the last seven days, I have completed an act of creativity each day.  I've added photos of each creative act below, along with a brief description.

I've decided for my first month to concentrate on drawing.  

Drawing has never been my strongest point, although I do enjoy it.  I can't remember the last time I sat down and purposefully drew something.  Aside from doodling while I'm on the phone, this is something I've never taken the time to do on my own time. It was while I was in college for Interior Design that I found I really enjoyed drawing by hand.  We spent a lot of time working on perspectives of interiors and were taught the fundamentals of drawing. I learned how to do quick sketches, how to render through shade and shadow, and how to add colour and detailing.  However, by my final year, everything was digital.  Though I learned how to create digital perspective drawings through computer programs like Autocad and Revit (which is really cool!), my pencil crayons and markers were packed away never to be taken out again.  I wish I could dig them back out, however since they are back in Canada, they are probably still gathering dust.  I luckily found a good deal on a brand new tin of pencils and a nice little sketchbook.  It excited me to bring my purchases home and get started!  Let the drawing commence!

Day 1: Cambridge Cycle Bridge

This drawing almost made me give up on my whole pursuit.  I drew this before I introduced my Creative Pursuit on the blog, so there was still time to abort the entire plan.  I thought "hmm... I could quit right here and now and no one would know...".  Needless to say, even though I was not particularly proud of my first drawing, I realized it's not about how good it is anyways.  I had made my decision to pursue creativity, and for once I really wanted to stick to it.  I realize I chose something with way to much detail for my first drawing.  After I had figured out all the lines and angles, I did not have the time or energy to put in anymore detail into the rest of the drawing (hence that sad looking house below the bridge).

Why did I draw this, anyways?

This is what I see from our bedroom window.  I have arranged a little make shift desk right in front of our bedroom window, and so if I sit and work there, it's what I'm staring at.  The bridge goes over top of the train tracks and Zack and I use this bridge every day to get to work.  When I sat down at my desk to start my very first drawing, it's the first thing that came to my attention.  Though I don't regret my decision to attempt this as my first drawing, I've decided I need to try and think more simply about what I draw.  

Day 2: Tea Time

This tea cup saved me from sabotaging my entire Creative Pursuit!  I was ready to give up, thinking "do I really have time for this?" when I made myself a cup of tea in my favourite tea cup (gifted to me from a dear friend of mine- thanks Kaila!).  I thought maybe drawing a tea cup would be an easier way to go rather than an entire cycle bridge.  So, while I enjoyed my tea, I grabbed my pencils and did a sketch.  It ended up being very calming, and took me much less time than figuring out that darn cycle bridge.  Though I know it's not perfect, I found myself not thinking about a million other things for once, and just simply concentrating on what I was drawing.  As simple as that, I was back on track.

Day 3: Corner of Sally Ann's

This Salvation Army is not far from where we live.  I wanted to draw something out in the neighbourhood, so for whatever reason I found myself sketching this corner.  Typical Cambridge with the bicycle in the foreground :) I had more fun doing this drawing than the last two.

Day 4: Trainspotting at 33 Lichfield

I love this drawing for a number of reasons:

- When we moved into 33 Lichfield, we joked (but were half serious) about all the serious train spotting we could do from our apartment (we look directly over the train station).

- Our housemates got us a train voucher for Christmas and a card that had this same picture of a train.  So no, I didn't draw this from my head but it reminds me of their gift to us!  

- I added my own "Trainspotting at 33 Lichfield" title and it was fun to draw.

Day 5: Book cover of Eat Pray Love

It was overcast, dreary and cold outside today.  So I decided to draw the cover of the book I am currently reading.  I've been reading this verrrrry slowly but if you must know, I'm at the part where she just arrived in India.  Reading about Italy made me want to go back.  I dream of going to Sicily and seeking out the restaurants where she experiences some of her favourite Italian food.  Sigh... maybe one day...

Day 6: Completed this yellow handmade scarf

Look what I did!!  Aren't you proud of me?  I am, lol.  I've been working away at this since the completion of my last scarf.  Today I knitted the very last row. So I let myself off the hook for drawing today.  I'm pleased, though it looks better in the photo. 

Day 7: Portrait of Zack

I learned through this drawing that I actually block out everything else around me when I'm sketching.  Zack was sitting across the table and was reading something to me.  I told him, "keep going, I'm just going to do a quick little sketch of you", only to not hear one more word he read to me. lol.

I also couldn't believe I opted for drawing a person.  I've always found drawing people are so hard!!  I know it doesn't look exactly like him.  But I still gave myself a pat on the back for trying.

And that concludes my very first week of my Creative Pursuit!

Thanks for following along in my journey.  I am continuing my drawing this week and I have some nice little ideas regarding a special theme for this week.  I don't want to give too much away, so you'll just have to wait until next week!  

-sarah