Anyone Can Sketch!

Anyone can sketch!  If you are able to write words in a form that is legible and can be read by people with normal eyesight - then you can sketch. If you can tell that a golf ball is small and that a beach ball is bigger - then you can sketch. Learning to sketch, in a comfortable manner, is an overlooked form of relaxation and intellectual stimulation. It is also a great way to unplug for a few moments from our digitized existence by picking up a pad of paper and engaging the real world that lies around us.

John Singer Sargent was one of Americas greatest artists. Over the 40 year period of his career he thrilled the victorian world with his beautiful oil paintings of people,places and objects. Sargent had the privilege of growing up in Europe during the second half of the 19th century where he learned painting as a student of Carlos Duran - but his art education did not begin there.  During his childhood he and his family traveled all over the continent of Europe. His parents encouraged the young Sargent to record his experiences by sketching. Soon this sketching tool, which was used to memorialize the family vacations, became a drawing skill that would dazzle the art world.

Most of us do not aspire to become the next great American painter but all of us can enjoy the pleasure of sketching what we observe. Over the next several weeks my family and I are going to actively pursue the pastime of sketching and share our experiences with you. I hope our journey will provide for you the tools needed to help your own family enjoy sketching and convince you that anyone can sketch!

POSTS BEGIN ON JULY 18th!

For those of you who appreciate organized thought, here is what is coming in the week's ahead.

The Six Benefits my Family will gain on our journey into the world of sketching.

1. Learn what sketching really is

2. Establish realistic and enjoyable expectations for our sketches.

3. Experience the contemplative peace of sketching.

4. Experience the fellowship of sketching together

5. Learn to go beyond "looking" to "seeing".

6. Gain confidence in our abilities.

Scheduled Articles for the Kelley family sketch Journey!

Part 1 - Making our sketchbooks

Part 2 - Choosing our Materials

Part 3 - What is a sketch?

Part 3 - Overcoming our fears (different styles)

Part 4 - Sketching from our imagination

Part 5 - Sketching a few simple objects

Part 6 - Sketching the cats

Part 7 - Sketching the Garden

Part 8 - Sketching our Home

Part 9 - Our first sketching trip

Part 10 - Incorporating sketching into life.