Welcome to the Staycation Series, an online oasis.
Now would be a great time to start drawing again. You drew as a child, right? Some of you have continued to draw and paint all your lives. All of you are welcome.
Staycation Art will work for any level of experience. All you need is a pencil and paper. More supplies will be suggested, but a pencil and any kind of paper will do. It will always be free and always stay positive. I will keep doing weekly posts during this Oddest of Times.
Drawing and painting can lead to tremendous centering and joy. We are doing this to bring mindfulness and pleasure into our lives – not to become great artists. Doing it, however, WILL improve your ability to do it “better”. Art at this site is a practice and a path not a destination.
Although it’s always free, fun, and supportive, I take these lessons seriously. If you want them to come directly to your inbox every week, be sure to subscribe by entering your email in the subscription box on the right.
The lessons will share images, ideas, and tips. I am using a WordPress site that has been dormant for years, and I will draw from the old lessons but stay current with the times. The tagline at WeeklyArtLesson.com has always been “Refresh your Spirit with Fearless Drawing and Painting” because I believe that it will.
It will be helpful to me if you post what is working for you and what you would like to learn in the comments section. The comments section is there for sharing and getting to know one another.
If you feel that these lessons will help others, please share them. Forward the link or post it on your social media accounts. FYI, I am not active on social media.
Lesson #1. Drawing a Flower / Drawing a Deep Breath
Look for cut or potted flowers the next time you or your shopper goes to the store. Look for them in your garden if you have blooms already.
If you can’t get flowers, use almost anything from nature. Pick up old leaves, a branch, or a rock. It’s preferable to work “from life”, but the most important thing is to simply start drawing this week and to try to draw at least ten minutes on most days. There are no rules. These are suggestions to get you started.
Assignment: draw your subject for a least ten minutes a day. You can do a new drawing each day or work on the same drawing over again. Extend your drawing periods to as long as you like. We will work towards the point when you can get lost in the process for hours. That can be a blissful place.
How to draw? Start by looking at the subject and moving your pencil. Try not to self judge. Make lots of light lines as you figure out the basic shapes. Then firm them up. The process is explained in the captions on this video on drawing roses.
You won’t see the drawn lines in the beginning of the video so watch my hand move as you ponder the captions.
If you don’t like the music, turn the sound off. There are no verbal instructions. I made this video years ago; that second piece of music used is not about our current times.
There are many approaches to beginning a drawing. This is the one I use most of the time because it works for me and brings me great pleasure. I hope it does for you!
After watching the video and reading the poem, click on the additional links for related lessons that might help. It’s natural to feel a bit overwhelmed if you haven’t drawn since childhood! I think you’ll find that it’s worth it to push through any resistance that you might have.
The poem is meant to be instructional. Try doing it not just reading it. Breathing is always good… so go ahead, Draw a Deeper Breath.
Let the typo in the poem be a reminder that we aren’t aiming for perfection here. I didn’t put it there for that reason, but there it is. Remember that no one is watching you draw. No one else is commenting on the quality of what you do. The aim is to be in the moment with the drawing. Breathe. Draw. Breathe.
Click on The Grace of Gazing first if you are new to drawing.
