Practice Makes Perfect

I bought an old piano from my mom when they retired and didn't want to move it.  I took a few lessons, but did not have the time and energy to pursue the piano at that time.  When my daughter was about six, I signed her up for piano lessons.  She took piano lessons until she was in middle school.  At one point, she was pretty good.  Now, we neither have a piano nor did she really play it much when it was here!  But the point is, with a little brush up practice she can!

When she started, I didn't expect her to sit down at the piano and be a virtuoso.  We got "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" and other simple songs.  As time progressed, we go more complicated tunes.  What happens is this:  desire plus practice=skill.  She liked playing the piano.  The more she practiced, the better she got and the more she liked it.  And the more others liked it too!  While she never progressed beyond playing to composing, she could have used the skills she possessed to express herself creatively in that way had she wanted to.

Without skills you don't have the tools to create.  Your skill set is the underpinning or foundation that frees you to create.  When the skills become practiced they become automatic and secondary,  and your creativity can be more fully expressed.

Some of you are going to take this six week sketching challenge.  What I hope to get across is the idea that consistent practice of this basic skill will give your artwork more breadth.  I can't say how it will effect you individually and that's the beauty.  Just as each of our artwork is different, so will be this learning experience.

I will try to post weekly with some photos of sketches-not just mine, but students as well.  Feel free to email me yours to share.   Happy sketching!