31st December

Well, what can I say about the final envelope? Drawing this was tough because I was filled with a heady mix of relief, sadness, elation and anxiety that made focusing on drawing quite hard. Plus I've never found finishing things easy, so I put this one off until I couldn't avoid it any more.

At first I thought that I should end with something spectacular but in the end, something very simple seemed more apt. After all, the whole point of the Diary Project is that all our journeys with drawing are a work in progress and an endless acceptance of where we are right now.

I know that many people have been inspired by this project and to you, and everyone else, I have only five words to say:

GO DRAW. DO IT NOW!

If I can do it, so can you...

It doesn't have to be perfect, indeed, I've found during this year that the quest for perfection is the enemy of drawing. Instead, it just needs to be something that comes from you.


Posted: 11.53pm on 31.12.07
Returned: 4.1.08

30th December

I know that a lot of people work with watercolour by drawing in pen or pencil first and then filling it in with colour but I seem to prefer doing it the other way around. I like to lay down the colour first and then add detailing in pen. For this drawing, a few lines of coloured pen seemed a much more subtle and appropriate choice than the harshness of black ink.


Posted: 11.55pm on 30.12.07
Returned: 2.1.07

29th December

Oooh, look at that red!

I love this drawing; the simplicity and the colour make me very happy and I may have to do a larger version just for myself. I don't bother framing and displaying all that much of my work, although there's still a fair amount of it around the house, but sometimes I make something that I know I want to keep and this is definitely one of those. Of course, I know that I'll probably never be able to capture the same energy and feeling but I don't mind giving it a go. I never do exact copies of things but I've always worked in series so making different versions of things doesn't bother me.


Posted: 11.55pm on 29.12.07
Returned: 2.1.07

28th December

Black ink worked into a slightly wet watercolour background. I am still pleasantly surprised by the intensity of colour from this Sakura travel set of watercolours. I've avoided watercolours, particularly the pan sort, for many years because in the past I'd found them wishy-washy and hard to use but now I'm having to rethink that attitude.


Posted: 11.53pm on 28.12.07
Returned: 2.1.08

27th December

Drawn from life, this is one of the beautiful thistles that Camilla bought me for my birthday. She said that she got them because they reminded her of the Diary Project drawings, so it seemed only right for them to become a part of it.


Posted: 11.53pm on 27.12.07
Returned: 31.12.07

26th December

I had the sudden urge to draw in coloured pen. It was something I hadn't done for a while so I had to hunt the house for my set of fine-nibbed coloured pens. I swear my art materials hide themselves when I'm not looking!


Posted: 11.05pm on 26.12.07
Returned: 29.12.07

25th December

I found it very hard to draw on 'significant days' because I always wanted to do something extra special. I usually ended up having to let go of that feeling completely before I could manage to draw at all and this day was no exception.


Posted: 11.26pm on 25.12.07
Returned: 29.12.07

24th December

I've drawn a lot of these sort of 'hovering in space' objects over the course of The Diary Project. Part of me likes the abstract quality of floating objects on or slightly above the page but looking at them now, I wonder if I need to anchor my drawings more.


Posted: 9.50pm on 24.12.07
Returned: 29.12.07

Apology

Sorry for the huge delay in updating this, folks. Unfortunately my son has been quite ill since before Christmas so although I successfully completed The Diary Project, I haven't had the time or energy to write up the last 8 envelopes. I'm hoping to get it completed over the next few days though.