Drawing by Shelly Cox-Vandermeulen

Little Dreamer

I am the little dreamer! I have been drawing and painting since childhood. I have always been pulled toward figurative subjects. In fact I got into trouble while attending school in fifth grade.

I was in English class which was boring to me at the time so I was doodling in my notebook. Just so happens that I was drawing a busty woman wearing a short skirt…(Little Abner comic style). Well my teacher did not like it one bit. She actually drug me into the principals office and called my Mother to come in right then for a conference about my artwork. Luckily my Mother stood by my side and applauded the skillful drawing! I promised to pay attention in class and keep my drawing for home. We’ll just go with from then on I did my best not to get caught again :)

I went on to attend the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale. My degree of study was for Fashion Illustration and Design. Upon graduation I took on many varying jobs with ties to art in some manner. I have been making my way as a freelance graphic artist.

I have recently taken a big scary plunge. I sunk my entire savings into building a clothing line that features my artwork and designs. I guess you could say that I am betting the farm on me. And if that was not enough I have been studying portraiture on my own. Taking workshops with top portrait painters, watching YouTube, reading books.

Now it is my goal to become a masterful portrait painter. I believe that as an artist you must have great drawing skills. I technically have never been taught to draw. How to make the correct marks that a skillful drawing contains. My art education focused on the commercial side of art. Creating story boards, writing copy…that fifth grade English came in handy there! It has only been this past year that I have begun to focus on learning to master value, composition, and good drawing.

I try to do at least one sketch a day. I look at it like a musician prating his scales. I watched some of the videos about the Drawing Academy. I feel that I could learn to become a much better artist with the skills taught from this course.

I love that I can do it from home and be able to speak with the teachers and other students is a huge bonus! I do not have many artist around me and I find that I crave artistic conversation and critique. Not to be a cliche but I am the proverbial starving artist. Yes I could save up and purchase the course, but that means I have to wait longer to begin and like most people, I hate to wait! So if people do vote for me, I will be able to shower the world with good, correctly drawn art. Who knows, maybe even become a living master one day!