I haven’t been very diligent about exercising my pen and ink skills, but that doesn’t mean that I’ve given up. I recently signed up for the newsletter from the American Bird Conservancy (ABC) and got my second issue today. I began what will hopefully be a regular* practice of drawing the bird they highlight. [*”Regular” is defined in two ways: 1. wishful thinking of weekly engagement 2. practical reality of whenever the mood strikes; Note: definition 2 is more likely.] Today, ABC showcased the barn owl (the one seen in Labyrinth!). I do not see this around my home, but I have heard it in the not so far distance at least twice. 

I originally wanted to just spend 30 minutes on a pencil sketch, but I didn’t even look at the time. When I decided to bring out the pens, I decided only 15 more minutes, but it took a total of thirty or so. I am guessing this took me around one hour total, but honestly I have no idea. I don’t want to spend a lot of time working sketches because I know that if I force that, I will burn out or not make the time and it will fade out. But, if I don’t notice the time passing, that is celebration in itself! Therefore, the agreement I made to myself is a minimum of 15 minutes – a small chunk of time to hopefully keep the definition of “regular” closer to number 1. With the ABC newsletter delivered every week as a reminder, I think I can make this work (which will also mean I will be sketching things not local to my home, but every practice will get me better at live sketching!).

I wonder if this will turn into watercolor practice also. Or, maybe I will look into colored pens… I have pencils… Hmm… …