Portrait Drawing: Day 1

I had my first portrait drawing class at Cooper Union tonight. I have only ever taken one art class (Intro to Drawing at NYU) and that was five years ago. I was nervous to start drawing again. I was worried about how my work would compare to the other students. I had to keep reminding myself that no matter how brilliant the other students might be, ultimately I am taking this class to improve my skills. It is about commitment to create.

For the next eight weeks I will draw on Monday nights for three hours. I would never do that alone in the comfort of my apartment. It is far more likely that I would come home from work and start doing laundry or cleaning the kitchen. These are, of course, important tasks in the interest of good hygiene and cooking excellence. They absolutely need to be done. And the sense of joy I feel whilst snuggling in my dryer-sheet-fresh-bedding or reaching for my favorite cooking knife (thanks Ron Popeil!) straight from the magnetic strip can be so satisfying! But all that progress and happiness dies so quickly. Clothes and dishes will always be dirty again. And washing them over and over again will certainly never elevate their maximal level of cleanliness, ultimately causing frustration and a bad attitude about cleaning.

So.

But.

If I keep drawing I will continue to get better. And there will always be room for more improvement.

So, in closing, drawing (much like cleaning) is bound to be an endless task, but promises to be much more fun and rewarding. I think it might even make me happier.

Oh, and if you're wondering, that drawing of me up above? (Yes, that's supposed to be me.) That is my attempt at a self portrait without looking in the mirror. It was our first assignment. I won't be illustrating New Yorker covers any time soon, but I am happy to say my walls will look less bare. Even if my life is dirtier because of it.