Wednesday, December 31, 2014

2015: My Year to FACE IT!

My elderberry syrup failed me this holiday season, leaving me with a sinus infection over Christmas and plenty of time to rest and consider the upcoming year. 

That was my silver lining for spending over a week feeling sick and tired!

I read an essay by Julia Roberts (not that Julia Roberts) entitled, "Be the Mother of Reinvention" in the book Forty Things to Do When You Turn Forty, edited by Ronnie Sellers.  In Roberts' chapter, she suggests having an unpregnancy--nine months to give birth to a new you, and to a life that fills you with "curiosity, excitement, and energy that can only be achieved from a true sense of purpose and a giddy enthusiasm."  Just as a woman's life changes dramatically during the 40 weeks of a pregnancy, a woman's life can change in equally dramatic, though completely different ways, during the 40 weeks of an unpregnancy

I was intrigued by Roberts' nine-month model for success, transformation, and reinvention!

Right after reading the essay, I discovered a half-price opportunity to sign up for the online art course entitled Radiant: Faces, offered by Effie Wild.  It was pretty uncanny: a drawing class with nine teachers, nine styles, nine characters. 
I decided right then that in place of a Word for the Year, as I have done in the past, I would have a nine-month artistic journey to learn how to draw radiant faces.
 
2015 will be my year to FACE IT!
 
(In my head, the phrase ABOUT FACE comes to mind about equally, so that might end up being how I think about my focus.)
I have already watched a valuable lesson from Effie about using a notebook to get the most out of the online art courses that I take.  The photo above shows my chosen notebook.  It has a gorgeous aboriginal design on the cover, and was a gift from Australia brought to me by my niece-in-law.  The first several pages of the book contain images and messages from the various family members who celebrated New Year's Eve 2013 with me, when I received the book, and the rest of the book will contain my notes and sketches from the 18 lessons of Radiant: Faces
 

The following pages from my art journal have nothing to do with the class, since I haven't begun the lessons yet, but they are two little ladies I drew using ideas and images from my Drawing board on Pinterest, which has been a helpful drawing resource in these, my pre-instruction days!
I have already begun to watch Jane Davenport's workshop in the Radiant: Faces class, and am willing myself to not feel intimidated before I've even begun.  I have nine months for this journey, and can't wait to see where I am, come October!

6 comments:

Anne said...

Looks like you're off to a good start before class even begins. Thought you did a really good job on the eyes of the first woman. But I loved loved loved the posture of the second girl -- hands behind the back, legs crossed, boots -- perfect!

scrapwordsmom said...

Andria I LOVE the idea of an unpregnancy....I am going to borrow that idea!!! And looking forward to seeing your faces...i can't draw to save my life!!!

lee said...

I to love the idea of unpregnancy, I might borrow that idea, I am not doing a word either, I am doing 3 achievable goals for the year, love your face, cant wait to see what you create while doing the course

uncustomary said...

This is excellent!! So excited for you. Happy 2015!

Uncustomary Art.

Parabolic Muse said...

Such good pages and great aspirations. We can do so much more than we think we can!

Carin Winkelman said...

Better late than never: wishing you a wonderful, happy and artsy 2015! Look forward to see what radiant faces you will come up with. :-)