Going Overboard

I tend to throw myself wholeheartedly in to projects. I get excited, motivated, and rush in feet first to something that I deem a great idea. When trying to get pregnant the first time, I joined a message board (hi Luckies!) bought books, read Taking Charge of Your Fertility and sort of devoted myself to it like a how-to-get-pregnant bible, took vitamins and supplements and charted like - well, like a charting nut. :)

When going to art school, this meant signing up for classes without really thinking about it ahead of time and signing up for student loans, before realizing what that would mean. I jumped into my classes and really got into them, much more than I thought I would. I had never really been a drawer - I liked to color as much as the next kid, but I knew my skills in actual drawing were really very lacking. But my first course was a drawing course and by the end of 11 weeks I was drawing faces that really looked like faces, etc. I would sit down with my sketch pad every night and draw and draw and draw. I loved it. I continued on for months, well beyond the length of the traditional art classes (my degree was Graphic Design - we took a couple of drawing classes and then moved on to computer-based art for the rest of the course work. But I didn't give up my pencils for a very long while).

When I wanted to learn to sew, I collected fabric and patterns. I still haven't finished the first dress I made for The Fuss.

I really want to get back to my drawing. I'd been thinking about it for awhile, and never actually picked up the pencils and paper to do it. Then I watched the Georgia O'Keefe movie on Lifetime this weekend and I got even more inspired. And then my mom handed me my art portfolios this past weekend when we were sorting through the stuff for the garage sale.

I'm really tempted to go to the art supply store tomorrow and pick up some supplies for the big project I want to do, but I'm trying to hold back. I haven't even started sketching yet, and I don't need to spend money on anything I may or may not actually keep up with, etc. I want to do a colored drawing - a bigger than life red flower - like a gerbera daisy - to frame and hang on the wall. But it's been a REALLY long time since I played w/ colors, and I should really do some practice sketches first, right? I have paper and easels and pencils, etc. but I have no idea where my colored pencils are - my favorite color medium. So I would have to purchase some if I were going to do a color drawing.

I don't know if the temptation will be too great, or if I will be able to resist the thought of new art supplies in my quest for a new project and a new creative outlet. We shall see.