Birth of an Artist - 1965

Thoughts on Blogging - Post #1 This is a test!  This is only a test!  If this had been a real Blog,  you should tune into your radio station for information about how to survive... Seriously, I have been wanting to write for some time on my ideas about art, why I do it.  How I do it given the limited time I have.  I have been drawing since I was very small... now here is a great place to begin!  My 'artist's life' story.  Then you'll know where my art days began. As a very young child, unbeknownst to me, Mom and Dad, I couldn't see a blessed thing.  I remember very little about my very early childhood, probably because I could not see it.  In first grade my teacher, Ms Riley, called my folks and told them "I think she might be pretty bright, but I think she needs glasses!"  So, off I went to the eye doctor, where I was diagnosed with severe nearsightedness... severe (think "Magoo!").  I DO remember the day they put the first pair of glasses on my nose, my world opened up.  I mean, how was I to know that everything was not supposed to be blurry? So, thanks Ms. Riley! So, here I am in second grade, gotta love those glasses!  Enter Mrs Baker (I promise not to touch on every single school year.  Its fall, and we are sent outside with our crayolas and paper to draw anything we want.  I decided to draw one single maple leaf that had fallen.  With my newfound visual skills, I can see every detail.  I capture the way the 'fingers' of the leaf curl over on itself, did a little shading... oh what a pleasure.  So I took it inside and Mrs. Baker Freaked!  (Although we did not express it quite this way in 1965.)  It made me so happy that it made HER so happy.  She actually sent me back outside ALONE (remember this was the '60's, and I was probably in view of the window) to do more!  She meant to do more  leaves, but I took it to mean 'finish this leaf', so that is what I did.  I missed MATH class!!!  Whoo hoo (still not great a math and it's probably all her fault!) Anyway, this was the beginning for me.  I decided to become a famous artist... I'd better get started!   So here is my first blog... maybe a bit self centered, but it's just to get started.  I plan on posting some websites of others of my favorite artists and I will probably be blogging on non-art topics as well.  I have lots of thoughts, especially on encouraging young artists...  More on that later.