Maybe rocks with penguins on it and water...

Maybe rocks with penguins on it and water...

That's the kind of guidance I get sometimes. I can't say that I'm nervous anymore hearing these general requests. But it's still quite a challenge to find something I think I can draw and then do a decent job of drawing it. As I've mentioned before, I don't really consider myself an artist. I'm simply copying a reference drawing or photo. It may sound cheesy, but I truly do believe that I can do anything well if I believe in myself. Practice helps too.

I wasn't sure this one was going to turn out well. Sometimes when I get started, its not clear how it's going to take shape or if it will ultimately look like what I set out to draw. The reference drawing was a good one so that helped me today.

"You're the best drawer in the whole world," he declared. "You know why you're the best drawer in the world? Because you tell yourself, 'Alan you can do it.'"

I can only hope that he learns to do the same for himself each and every day.

Well, you can try your best...

Well, you can try your best...

"It's the arctic. You can try and draw whatever...penguins, and polar bears and snow wolves," he told me in a very casual manner.

His goal, it would seem, is to challenge me. These drawings with multiple parts take time and today I was not in the mood for something complicated. I woke up late and knew that we'd be in a rush to get to school on time. But the fun of drawing on these sacks every morning is that Victor's random inspirations bring a creative outlet to my mornings that I've never had before in my life. And with his encouragement this morning, it was hard to say no.

What's more, it's kind of fun to make something come to life on a paper sack. Once I got started on this one I got very into it. It helps to find a good image to refer to. This one was exactly what I needed. Drawing the animals was fun as was adding his letters as floating ice pieces. I got lost in the work as he read his homework books to me with no supervision. I really like this one. It was enjoyable to make. And yes, this took a long time, much more than 10 minutes. We ended up being late to school for the first time this year.