Portrait drawing by Mike Pierick
Rediscovering Happiness
Good afternoon, or evening, or morning, depending on when you read this. My name is Mike, I’m 58 and I live in Wisconsin, a beautiful state, in my unbiased opinion.
The drawing I submitted is of my wife. If you knew her, you would say, yeah that kind of looks like her, I would like to leave no doubt that when you look at my drawings that you can recognize the face you’re looking at.
When I was about 12 or 13 I was in 7th grade, back then it was called junior high, now it’s middle school.
One of my favorite classes was art. I remember being very excited when I would have that particular class coming up that day. We did all types of art projects, with drawing being my personal favorite.
One day I was working on a still life drawing of some glass decanters with colored water in them, and the sun shining through. My teacher noticed what I was working on and said how impressed she was.
A few days later, she said she had inquired about an art class on my behalf and asked if I would be interested in going. I was excited that she thought that much of my drawing that she would recommend this class for me, so I said yes, I would love to go.
Keep in mind that I was 12 and in 7th grade and for a 12 year old, yes, I was pretty good.
The class she sent me to was a college level class with students that were college age. To say I was overwhelmed would be an understatement. One class assignment was to go in this old classroom that was filled with all types of junk. We were to pick an area and draw what we saw. It was way beyond what my 12 year old brain could comprehend.
So while my teacher meant well, it took all the joy out of drawing for me. I never did any drawing again….until now, these 46 years later.
I want to rediscover the happiness I had way back then.
I think the Drawing Academy will get me on that path. Learning the techniques of shading, proportion, and drawing faces and objects as they are.
I don’t really know why someone should vote for me over someone else. I don’t know that I deserve it any more than anyone else, but I sure would appreciate the help in finding the happiness I once had for drawing.
Mike that is a great drawing.
alan