The First Post: An Introduction and Brief History

Growing up, I was always drawing. I remember as far back as kindergarten when I'd draw pretty ladies with puffy dresses with puffy sleeves, with puffy bows in their hair... that I had something. I had talent. Drawing was something I was good at. I remember in 2nd grade when we'd have to illustrate our own stories, my friend, and maybe even another friend, would ask me to do their crayon drawings for them. I was honored to do so. We all knew I had talent.

Although I had a talent, for the most part I haven't been "driven." Driven to create things in my spare time, to be super creative, to learn new techniques. I don't know why. Maybe it was because when I was younger I didn't win the one or two art contests I entered in, or because Highlights didn't choose the drawing I sent them to put in their magazine. But still, I kept up with my talent by almost constantly having art as an elective all the way through high school. Because all my life, ever since Kindergarten, I wanted to be an artist. Nothing else. Even when my friends in high school and at church saw my many doodles of variously dressed women and asked, "Are you going to be a fashion designer?!" the answer was, "...No." Hm...

And so, I ended up in college- declaring my major as art. And I never changed it. Once, I thought about it. I was in a graphic design class and all the Mac computer and Adobe Creative Suite commands and everything were way over my head. So I thought about majoring in Spanish and minoring in art. But... I never changed it. All that happened was that I declared my emphasis as Illustration. But I didn't go for the BFA in Illustration because I wasn't driven. A Bachelor of Fine Arts is an entire college degree (you don't have a minor) and it is focused on one kind of art (graphic design, illustration, painting, ceramics...), and you work on a massive project in your last semester or year of school. That was too much work. I didn't feel up to it. I didn't feel capable.

I went to Moorpark College for 5 semesters and BYU-Idaho for the remaining dozen or 2. It was one of my last semesters at BYU-Idaho that I decided to take a Clothing Construction- sewing- class. Basically it changed my life. I haven't wanted to stop sewing since. I took 2 more sewing classes before I graduated and managed to squeeze them all into an obscure half-minor called a "cluster." So I ended up graduating with the following degree: a Bachelor of Art in Integrated Studio Art with an emphasis in Illustration, and clusters in Painting, and Home and Family Education (that's where my sewing classes applied, along with some Spanish, French, and music classes). Sewing is where I feel driven for the first time. Even now that I graduated it wasn't enough, and so this Spring I am taking Patternmaking at Ventura College. I want to learn how to make my own designs- clothes or quilts. I want to sew them. I want to sell them. I want to use my time on sewing. It hasn't been that way with art. BUT...

I hope that's going to change. I am starting this blog in an effort to become more aware of my relationship with art and the possibilites I have in it. There is a website called Illustration Friday (that hopefully I will say more about later) and it requires that submissions be connected to a page like a blog... just like this. Yes, that is the first reason I was inspired to start this blog; I'm trying to motivate myself to make more art. And to get better. And to make money. And to not waste a great talent that I'm blessed to have. And naturally, I also want to see if I can get positive feedback and and ultimately- customers! (Not necessarily out of you, but maybe someone or an establishment you know, you know?) I don't intend for this blog to be strictly about my drawings and paintings, but exhibit my sewing or designing too, since those are another kind of artwork. I'll also probably be getting a little personal and writing about things that are art related. I hope this blog ends up being a nice place to visit!