When I arrive, the instructor suddenly and, I think, rather confidently informs me that I will be finished today. I take this comment as both a complement and as a challenge. I had not planned to be finished today.
Finishing a project makes me wonder about the future of art in my life. Will I ever create something worth selling? I’ll certainly keep my little unnamed first project framed. I should name it: Mouse Police, or Dreams of Mephistopheles.
One of my fellow students has a relative who is a “real” artist. I asked her what she might do with her newfound talent, and she said her relative mocked the photo-copy process for learning how to draw. “Draw something real!” he challenged in a German accent, “Draw this coffee mug!” Something like that. She doesn’t plan to sell any of her work.
I’m sure a “real” artist can make even a coffee mug exciting and new, but I cannot imagine attempting anything so boring or frustratingly difficult as “that thing right in front of you!” Also, for the life of me, I cannot convince my cat to put that hat on and sleep peacefully in the same position for two hours at a time. Or to stop aging.
My next projects will likely be a golden dragon, and then maybe a dinosaur and some mythical creatures. To ensure these will be considered “real” art, I will first invent a trans-dimensional space-and-time machine, travel to a world populated with golden dragons, and then ask one to please hold still because I have never before attempted anything with pastels.
Anyway, since I will not be permitted another class to work on this, I fill in the central face area, add shadow details to the nose, pull the lower lips up a little, and speed-shade areas that still need more depth. Then, I quickly shade the body in the background, trying to make it as blurry as it is in the picture.
It is finished! I see much need for improvement, but from a distance, it looks like a cat!
I’ll take suggestions on the name! Leave your suggestion in the comments.
Related posts:
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
“Cat Hat ATTAK”