Beginning a New Life

Next week, I start a four year journey through art school. I am very excited and a tiny bit nervous. Going into a new situation is like that sometimes. This blog will be about my journey. I will be posting my progress, thoughts, triumphs, and tragedies.
So to begin...
I sometimes keep a writing journal. I tend to write in spurts, sometimes daily for a week or sometimes daily for a few months, then a break for a few months or a year. Several years ago, something started to creep into my journal writing. It expressed a desire to pursue a very deeply hidden dream to be a professional artist and to get the proper training to create the images that keep appearing in my design journals. At the time, it just did not seem remotely possible. We were settled, my husband had a long teaching career, no time, no money... the usual roadblocks that can be hard to see around. I kept writing, and designing, and creating, and the desire and idea persisted. Then, a few years ago, life suddenly shifted. Suddenly the dream became possible and we began a two year journey to leave the old life story and begin a new one. It was a challenging, and sometimes heartbreaking, two years but we made it through and suddenly I find that I am starting art school next week!
Every story has a beginning so here are two drawings that I drew and am posting as a "before art school" marker of my progress.















I have done a few portraits but drawing the human figure is my weakest point. It is also what I wish to learn to draw the most.
I will be attending the Ashland Academy of Art. It will be challenging and a lot of hard work but the rewards will be beyond satisfying.
The blog is bare-bones at the moment. I will be filling in links, interesting bits of information, and all the other goodies over the next couple of weeks.
For those old friends coming here from my weaving blog, welcome! Here I am! I made it to the beginning, again.
I hope you like the new blog!
-Renee