Happy Reminders: Accidental Retrospect

It was really no suprise when I went digging around in my books looking for something that I came across my old sketchbooks from high school and college. What's funny is that sometimes I do this very same expressive doodle in my present day sketchbooks. When I was young I wanted to be a painter. Then I refined that to wanting to be an illustrator. I idolized Arthur Rackham and Maxfield Parrish. I loved William Blake and Howard Pyle.

Ahhh Youth.

So now it is 35 years since the above drawings were made. And without seeing those... this is what I added to my Daily this morning! :) The middle right drawing I had titled 'Tribute to Women With Tortured Toes'. My feet must have hurt that day? But see the little person in today's drawing? I crack myself up! Yes. Sometimes my toes still hurt!

This discovery made me go look through the collection of art journals I've made in the last 3 years. These look an awful lot like the top group! It's not bad to still be doing the same thing 35 years later. But I'd like to think I have developed some as an artist. I am certainly more creative than I used to be... and I do think 'outside the box' more. And these doodles fill a small fraction of my journal pages. I am definitely more confident compared to 35 years ago. I have even started thinking....who cares what anyone else thinks about it. I do my art for fun...and for me, hoping it inspires others, the way other's works inspire me.

I will never be a 'fine artist' like I thought I would be in high school. I am not nearly the 'perfectionist' I used to be. Sorry Pablo, Vincent and Geogia. I won't be joining your ranks anytime soon!