Artists Work

I don’t ever remember a time that I was not drawing or painting. When I was a small child I wanted to draw things that looked “real” so I set out to do just that. Drawing didn’t come easy to me, as the piles of crumpled up papers and scraped off canvas can attest. I would get very upset when my work wasn’t perfect and could tell when something was off by a 1/4of an inch. This drive for perfection was both beneficial and problematic.

The problem I face right now is the fact that I don’t have a lot of my earlier works of art to show many of my budding artists under my tutelage. I so wish I wouldn’t have been so destructive in my quest for perfection. When I see a student who exhibits the same frustrations as I did,I so wish I could bring out those first drawings so they can see where I started. I hope they learn from my mistake and save everything. I have my students keep their work in portfolios just for this case.

Because I want my drawings to be perfect, it has made me develop a keen eye for detail and have mastered the art of observation. I don’t draw what I think is there, I draw what I see. This journey I am on to become the best artist I can be has been an amazing, rewarding experience and I love that I can share my knowledge with others through teaching.

Here is a small example of my drawings. Keep coming back to visit as I will update as I draw and paint. I hope you enjoy looking at some on my portfolio as I did creating it.

Thanks,
Melissa Jensen