I’m absolutely not in the mood to bitch about technology, education, capitalism, employment, stupid policy, any of that today. (I’m sure everyone’s relieved.) Let’s look at something reassuring.
This is a thread on conceptart.org that my boyfriend pointed out to me: it’s astounding because 1) it was started in 2002, 2) it’s still going, and 3) it’s gotten positive results.
The thread started with Jonathan Hardesty of Austin saying:
I… have decided to learn how to paint (primarily digitally). I am starting from rock bottom and I am going to paint at least one painting and do at least one sketch every day…probably two on the weekends. The order you see them in is the order that I am painting and/or sketching them…every day starting on 9/15/02. I am bearing my soul to everyone. I will post everything I do…whether it is awful or not. Most of the paintings and sketches, in the beginning, are going to look like crap but hopefully over the days/weeks/months/years they will start to get better. I have no formal art training but have signed up for classes this semester. I have a passion to paint and welcome any encouragement or critique that you want to give. Any feedback you want to give me you can leave in the threads I or just email me.
I’ve seen these threads before, and they always turn into vituperative snakepits that just abuse the initial poster’s talents. Well, not this time.
This is his first self-portrait ever, posted in 2002:
And this one’s from December, 2010.
Isn’t that an amazing difference?
Happy Friday, everyone.