Thirty days ago I'd never heard of Inktober. Until this year I'd not really posted much of my art in earnest but this year I wandered into Tumblr with the same attitude any thirty year old wanders into a party mostly inhabited by nineteen year olds, "What is all this? When can I go back to Netflix." But I do love the art there. And I love my own little curated feed. And that's how I came across the whole idea of "Inktober" wherein you make some art, in ink, every day.
I decided to do it. Why not? I'm between novels at the moment. I'm trying to prep for more graphic essays. I need the practice.
It occurred to me on the second day that I might want to do portraits of some of my friends and family and so I put the word out on facebook--if you're ok with me drawing you, feel free to opt in. I was floored by the support and encouragement I got. And, it ended up being a really beautiful experience. People I hadn't spoken to since high school were suddenly telling me really nice things about my work. Friends I'd lost touch with. Family I've never been close to. They came out of the woodwork to encourage me and it was, at times, overwhelming.
I spent pretty much all of October drawing with traditional media--something I'd not really done in years--and it was amazing. And, since this blog and you folks are such a big part of my life, I just wanted to tell you about it.
I loved following along with your Inktober work all month- not only the great artwork, but also reading the heartfelt and often touching descriptions. It was very clear how much many of those people mean to you (and likewise, I'm sure). I still cherish my Start Trek portrait from a few years back- and also the great Christmas compilation you did that that year!
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