So says Tom Stoppard.  I think it’s only partially true.  I think that at times people have skill and choose to lay it at rest in order to have a more emotional reflection of themselves in their art.  Skill, to me, is like a stencil, a guideline at times.  There are alot of times when I’m glad I decided not to go to art school because my style wasn’t molded by those teaching me.  However, there are skills I wish I had learned from someone and that I am now looking for ways of learning it on my own. 

Anyway…. here’s an illustration I’m working on currently for myself.  Yep, that’s right.  FOR ME.  I’ll have prints made, but the original is staying put in my living room.  I really love drawing things just for no reason at all.  It’s very inspiring because I know I can make it whatever I want without worrying what someone else will think of it.  I feel those are the pieces that are the greatest… the ones without inhibition, the ones where desire crashes with imagination and creates something so uniquely defined by a person’s own perception.  This piece is the beginning of that for me.  Make of it what you wish…

So I’ve had zero time lately to do anything except work.  Work at work, work at home… just work work work.  I haven’t had any chance to get on Google Reader and read all the gazillion blogs that I’m addicted to.  I decided to pop in just now to check out one or two… well… the total number of blog entries I have unread on my reader…  342!!  I need to take a day off work just to read all the blogs I’m subscribed to.  I’m seriously so overwhelmed by it right now that I just had to close it.  It’s killing me because I want to read every single one of them at this very second!  Maybe tonight…  Anyway, expect some comments from me this week because I’m definiteliy going to catch up on my blog-reading. 

In the meantime… check out My Charlie Girl.  I’m in love with Bec’s drawings.  Not only is she a great artist, she’s such a nice person, too.  It’s too bad she lives in Australia.  Why can’t cool people like her live in Pittsburgh?

Right now, I’m absolutely obsessed with the illustrations of Yellena James.  I’m about to purchase at least one, but I can’t decide for the life of me which one I want!  They are all so beautiful.  The color composition entrances me.

I love the organic feel that her illustrations have and how each line on the page seems to be alive.  I am entirely to anxious to have one of these hanging on my wall.