As an author and a library technician working in an elementary school, writing picture books has always been a goal. Illustrating a picture book has been a secret dream, but I hadn't picked up a paint brush or sketchbook in many years. Now and then I'd look through my old sketch books and think, someday I'll get back into art.
That someday finally happened.
One of our dogs, okay, Willow was my favourite of our three crazy labs...lol... passed on due to cancer. I was devastated. My husband and I don't have kids, we're childless by choice, and our dogs are true companion animals / complete members of our family. When Willow died, I needed another outlet in addition to my writing, which for the most part is dark - I write horror, thriller, mystery type stories. I do love my work, but I needed to channel my grief into something different, positive, and bright.
We got a new puppy, an English Mastiff, and she became the inspiration I needed to pick up my paintbrushes once more. Vimy was a big goofy girl with an open heart and soulful eyes. I just had to draw her. Almost immediately my mood shifted and the heaviness of my grief began to ease.
As Vimy grew (and grew!), I started to actively revisit whatever drawing skills I had, thoroughly enjoying every step of the process. It's unfortunate that it took an emotional crisis to bring me back to art, but I think that's what creativity is there for. To be a support system for us when life starts throwing knives at our backs. It's cheap therapy with the bonus of producing a tangible item to give away to friends/family, to adorn your house, or to take to another level and supplement or become your main source of income.
When a good friend noticed some of my Facebook pictures of my sketchbook, she introduced me to Creativebug. This pay-per-use site features a ton of fantastic training videos created by artists and craft artisans. I tried most of the drawing and illustration classes and was hungry for more.
I then sought out the lessons on a similar, but more varied site - Skillshare and have been steadily taking lessons on all things artsy, the inner workings of Photoshop and Illustrator, and even a few business classes.
I realize this isn't the same as going to school for art and design, but in this day and age, self-taught doesn't have to mean starting off clueless. There is a wealth of information, insights, and hands-on training out there if you look for it. These sites are also far more affordable than college classes.
Don't get me wrong - if our local college offered fine art courses, I'd likely be signed up for one or two classes a semester. But at this time, the closest formal education is in Edmonton, a three-hour drive from my hometown.
So if you're like me and have a hunger to improve your skills, but may not live close to a big city centre, or don't have any other resources available to you - I encourage you to try Creativebug and/or Skillshare. And, most especially, if life is throwing knives your way - GET CREATING!
I'll leave you with a final picture of Vimy, now almost two years old...oh, how they grow!
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| Willow, our sweet yellow lab. |
One of our dogs, okay, Willow was my favourite of our three crazy labs...lol... passed on due to cancer. I was devastated. My husband and I don't have kids, we're childless by choice, and our dogs are true companion animals / complete members of our family. When Willow died, I needed another outlet in addition to my writing, which for the most part is dark - I write horror, thriller, mystery type stories. I do love my work, but I needed to channel my grief into something different, positive, and bright.
We got a new puppy, an English Mastiff, and she became the inspiration I needed to pick up my paintbrushes once more. Vimy was a big goofy girl with an open heart and soulful eyes. I just had to draw her. Almost immediately my mood shifted and the heaviness of my grief began to ease.
As Vimy grew (and grew!), I started to actively revisit whatever drawing skills I had, thoroughly enjoying every step of the process. It's unfortunate that it took an emotional crisis to bring me back to art, but I think that's what creativity is there for. To be a support system for us when life starts throwing knives at our backs. It's cheap therapy with the bonus of producing a tangible item to give away to friends/family, to adorn your house, or to take to another level and supplement or become your main source of income.
 |
| Vimy, our English Mastiff girl |
When a good friend noticed some of my Facebook pictures of my sketchbook, she introduced me to Creativebug. This pay-per-use site features a ton of fantastic training videos created by artists and craft artisans. I tried most of the drawing and illustration classes and was hungry for more.
I realize this isn't the same as going to school for art and design, but in this day and age, self-taught doesn't have to mean starting off clueless. There is a wealth of information, insights, and hands-on training out there if you look for it. These sites are also far more affordable than college classes.
Don't get me wrong - if our local college offered fine art courses, I'd likely be signed up for one or two classes a semester. But at this time, the closest formal education is in Edmonton, a three-hour drive from my hometown.
So if you're like me and have a hunger to improve your skills, but may not live close to a big city centre, or don't have any other resources available to you - I encourage you to try Creativebug and/or Skillshare. And, most especially, if life is throwing knives your way - GET CREATING!
I'll leave you with a final picture of Vimy, now almost two years old...oh, how they grow!
 |
| Vimy's almost two! |
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