List my New Years Resolutions and record my progress

Update: Have since read several books, and while away on the weekend flicking through channels on the TV found a show on New Zealand Artist Colin McCahon.

Colin John McCahon (August 1, 1919, Timaru, New Zealand – May 27, 1987, Auckland) was a prominent New Zealand artist. During his life he also worked in art galleries and as a university lecturer. Some of McCahon’s best-known works are wall-sized paintings with a dark background, overlaid with religious words in stark white, and wildly varying in size, for example, Tomorrow will be the same but not as this is, 1958/59. He was also an extensive landscape painter, inspired in part by the writings of New Zealand geologist Sir Charles A. Cotton. Along with Rita Angus and Toss Woollaston he is credited with introducing modern styles to New Zealand art in the early twentieth century.

While I didn’t actually like his work, the story of how he created it was very interesting. I think this New Years Goal is going along fabulously. While we were away I also worked on my drawing lessons and got quite a bit done, I’m really happy with my prgress on this goal.

What else have I read? let me check my spread sheet!

Vermeer Erik Larsen-135 pages
Pastels Jackie Simmonds 144pages
Picture framing for the first time-Lee Bartholomew-112 pages

I love this goal~

Ok so I finished Betty Edwards book “Drawing from the right side of the brain” and yesterday I finally began the excersizes, except they were the “pre drawing excersizes” these go on to form the “before” part of the drawing course, and I hope this works, because the first one I had to do was of a person …... so I did Master 13 watching TV he’s the only one who sits still enough, and it was pretty bad! LOL so I guess in that respect I can only get better.
Now I have to draw a person withOUT looking at anyone, and then I have to draw my hand and date them and on the back critique them and say what I thought was the best and what needed more work….

That’s before I even get to the Actual first lesson LOL.. I’ll do those today I think.

Also finsihed “The Yellow house” about Van Gough and Gauguin and their 9 “turbulent” weeks in Arles. Good book, I am going to do further research into Van Gough and Gauguin, and have since started the Book on Vermeer by Erik Larsen that I borrowed from the library so I can return them.

Ok, so update on this one….
Have read “Drawing on the right side of your brain” by Betty Edwards. And will today start the excesrizes.

Took a trip to the Art Gallery last Saturday while the middle two kids ere at a football game The Bloke and Master 6 and I went for a wander through the Gallery of Victoria, only to have Master 6 tell his Grandmother “It was full of junk” GASP

Went to the library on Tuesday and borrowed two books One on Jan Ver Meer who is my favourite and a book called “The Yellow house” by Martin Gayford about Van Gough and Gauguin and their 9 turbulent weeks in Arles. So far it’s interesting and I’m understanding why they painted some of the things they did… this is what I meant by teaching myself about Art!

tonight is my date night with my Husband and I’m taking him into the State Library of Victoria to see the Illuminated Medieval collection.

Ok, so yesterday I recieved my first Art book, it’s on the artist Pieter Bruegal some also spell it with an “H” Brueghal.

Born in 1525 between Belgium and Holland.
The Book is in a series by Time/Life and called “The World of Bruegal” I’ve had a quick look through it but haven’t started reading it yet.

This morning on ebay I was lucky enough to find The World of Vermeer from the same series so I’ve quickly snapped that up because I LOOOOOOVE love Vermeer. This same seller has a few others so I’m going to go check them all out.

3.Explore Victoria, all the places I have not been to or want to revisit. I’ll make the list and work off that!Ballan- Quick facts
•Population approximately 1,730
•80 kms west of Melbourne
Marysville- Quick facts
•Population 797
•Established in 1863
Yarra Glen- Quick facts
•Population approximately 2,094
•51 kilometres north-east of Melbourne
•At the centre of the Yarra Valley wine and food region.
Red Hill and Main Ridge- Quick facts
•Population approximately 960
•73 kilometres south of Melbourne
•Wineries, orchards and galleries

Here are a few of the places on my list so far!

2.Become Financial Literate- learn as much as I can about where my money goes, and make it work harder for me, to allow me to save for traveling.Read all those financial books I’ve been buying.

For this one we finally made an appointment to see a Finacial Planner and he is putting together a profile for us and giving us some options on ways to make our money work better for us, which in time will allow us to travel to some of those faraway places that we dreamed of going to. We saw him earlier this week so we won’t hear anything more from him for about 7- 10 days.

1.Explore Art- Visit Art galleries, learn about different styles, Explore Artists, and do some art courses

Ok so I signed up for my pastels art class.
I got myself an easel so I can work from home.
Have been reading all my art books, on different mediums.
And have started exploring different artists, I just brought a book off ebay.. can’t remember which artist now though.
I have also been taking more notice of art work that I see around me and working out which styles I like, we went to one art gallery in Port Douglas.

But out of the five I made last year I kept four of them.

1. Explore Art- Visit Art galleries, learn about different styles, Explore Artists, and do some art courses.

2. Become Financial Literate- learn as much as I can about where my money goes, and make it work harder for me, to allow me to save for traveling.Read all those financial books I’ve been buying.

3. Explore Victoria, all the places I have not been to or want to revisit. I’ll make the list and work off that!

I’ll be back with updates as they happen!