Jumping Off in the Deep End

I'm taking my first online class-an artsy, painting, sketching type of class. Hmmm.  I might as well just go on and say, I can't draw convincing stick people.  Painting typically results in more paint on me than the surface for which it was intended.  That paint and paper and brushes and stuff is not my strong suit.
By now you may be asking, "Well, why did you take the class?" And that would be a reasonable sort of question.
See, just because I'm no account at it doesn't mean I don't love it.  This class was given by this place in the northeast that does these way cool workshops in all types of art that I've long pined to experience. It's kind of pricey and faraway, so I figured this was the next best thing.
Then too, I started having my class do some sketching at the end of last year,  and I noticed that my children who struggled with perspective also struggled with math, which got me thinking.  Getting me thinking will always stir up trouble of some sort.  I will have the same kidlets again this year.  I wondered if I took them a little deeper with sketching, if, you know, it might cause some neurons to fire in their brains and create some easier paths for the math to take.  Who knows?
This was like my great idea to teach them to knit, due to all the research showing connections between learning and good hand and eye coordination. See, you agree it was a good idea, except that,  I couldn't knit. So, I got a book and taught myself enough to make a scarf, and I taught it to them.  Now, seven years later, I can still only make scarves.  Thankfully Gardener E. has taken many of my students farther than I've ever gone.

So, back to this class.  We started this week, and my homework was to set up my creative space with the million dollars worth of needed tools, and to establish an inspirational board.  That pink basket is filled with 8 oz jars of the recommended paint. Not what you buy from Crayola at Michaels just let me say.

 Okay, ready.
I actually loved having the proper push for the inspirational board.  I love, love, love little bits of stuff.  Often, there isn't time for turning the stuff into something,or, more honestly, I don't have a single notion what to turn it into,  and so it gets stashed here and yon. It was neat to pluck some ephemera, as the instructor calls it, from it's hiding place and give it a spot to be admired.  I realize no one will much admire it but me, but it does make me smile.

When I finished, I doodled around in my new sketch book with my new colored pencils.  Looks just like something you'd find in a fifth graders notebook, but it was fun.

I won't mind if I'm still not great at it, as long as I can bring something new to my classroom and gramerlings.