One class down, several to go.

I've been taking an online course for Photoshop CS (it's offered free where I work--one of the perks of my new job!). I finished the first lesson. It was kind of boring, mostly just showing you where everything was on the screen, and what buttons would do what and how you can change preferences, etc. The next lesson, which I've registered for, should be more interesting; it goes into layers. I know a little about working in layers but I want to learn more.

This weekend I went with my friend on a Tour of Historic Homes in one of the bigger cities near where I live. The neatest place we visited was actually an old church, built mostly at the turn of the last century. It had some beautiful stained glass and gothic arches in the sanctuary. It made me miss a church I used to attend years ago in the same city--which is much larger and even more ornate. I love old churches like that, they inspire in me a feeling of worshipfulness and wonder. I miss that. What was interesting is that the feeling stayed with me this morning--it made me want to listen to a hymn (which I did) and read the Scriptures first thing in the morning, which is not what I usually do (I usually check out the news online first thing). As a result I have a whole different feel to the day. I'm wondering if I should try to find a church I could visit occasionally to keep that feeling in me--maybe someplace where I could just stop into the sanctuary and pray or read scripture.

It was good being with my friend, too. She and I are both creative (she works with beads and rubber stamps) and often encourage each other in our creative endeavors.

Also this weekend Bill and I met the first of I hope future Artistic Challenges we have set for each other. At least twice a month we challenge each other to illustrate a theme with a sketch or drawing. We give ourselves one week to accomplish it. We both put it off and did something at the last minute but at least we did it. The word was "cuddling," and it was cute to see how we both handled it. I might post them here. We've decided that when we explore the Challenge, I will let it challenge me to work on my anatomy, and Bill will let it challenge him to work on his creativity. That way we're not just trying to fulfill the theme, but also challenge our artistic skills in specific areas as well.

I'm working on a series of drawings with a spiritual theme that I hope soon to put up here. The first is being colored in Photoshop right now. Might take me another week to finish it. I'm not as fast as I used to be, and Photoshop slows me down more.

Anyway, I still feel like artistically, I've accomplished a lot.

Onward!

--Kathleen