My Muse...

I have been drawing since I was three years old...since I can remember being old enough to hold a pencil without having to use my entire hand. I started out by copying the pictures I found in coloring books, in Faerie Tales, in my Catholic children's Bible (illustrated, of course)...and with a toy that I got for Christmas when I was five that I shall forever cherish in my most personal memories.
It was a pegboard, with plastic flower/star shapes, different colors (four, I believe) and the object of the toy was to put the pieces into the peg holes to form pictures. I would pull that toy out from under my bed, every morning as I got ready for kindergarten, and before I had to leave, I would make pictures...and that toy stayed in the forefront of my mind all day, until I could come home again and continue making these pictures until dinnertime. I think I had that thing until I was in third or fourth grade...and all the while I was hoarding drawing tablets, loose pages as I could find them, and all the pencils and crayons I could lay my hands on.
My parents could not afford to buy me Art supplies as I needed them, so I would draw on the backs of envelopes, brown paper bags, loose wrapping paper, any stationery that anyone wasn't using...I even risked my father's disapproval one time when my sister Linda and I were let loose in a dime store while he went down the street to get a haircut and were told to buy ourselves something...so I chose a lovely stationery pad, 50 cents ~ I have forgotten what she got for herself ~ and when he came to get us a little later, I handed him the change from his dollar...to which he responded, 'Where is the rest of the change?' You see, in those days (late 50's) a quarter or two was alot of money...even to a grown man!
I believe I felt guilty about that for maybe as long as it took him to get us home and tell our mother how much we had spent!
But, oh the beautiful drawings that came out of that pad of paper!
As time went on, I grew more into my Art, but I had no formal training until I reached my Junior year in High School...when the Catholic school I was atttending was closing and we were transferred to the local public school district.
And what a world that opened up for me...
After graduation, I went on to the University, majoring in Fine Arts and Education...where I received my BS degree in 1972.
After that, I kept up with my drawing until I married my husband Michael in July 1977, and went on to have eight children, two more in Heaven. As can be imagined, that kept me busy for many years, but I grabbed chances to draw as time would permit ~ as they napped, went to school themselves, whenever possible...it is only now, as they are all grown, that I find I have all the time I would wish (almost, LOL) to devote to my Art.
And that is exactly what I intend to do...and I will be writing about that very journey with my Muse here in this Blog.