Old Paths Reborn

Old Paths Reborn

This is my newest Clay drawing and the process I went through to get there. Hope you enjoy.

I have come to learn that the path to relearn art is an art in itself. Several years ago I accidentally stumbled upon a site called the OFC while looking for Clay's new CD. I had no clue at the time that the CD I was searching for would not be released until Clay's version of "soon" played out so I had years to do other things.

I stumbled across blogs and bravely dove into one and posted something like this: "Clay said draw; I can do that." I was sticking my foot in my mouth. You see my version of "soon" is just like Clay's, so xxx4clay had many years to do other things, too.

Just to add, I am slow at jokes and about a year later I said to my roommate that xxx4clay was funny and always on the smut bus. My roommate said, "Duh, what do you think the xxx stands for?" I said, "Oh I get it." It just took a year or so.

Back to the subject. Finally I tried to draw Clay. I had several miserable failures and gave up many times. But then someone spurred me more. Clay's mom Faye saw my art and suggested I do some gift cards.

So off I went and busted my rear to draw them. I made three Christmas cards that were donated, and the proceeds went to TBAF. It sort of motivated me. I hoped that if I could draw Clay, and I could also share this with the Clay Nation.

The Clay Nation is the only group of people I ever met who placed no conditions for including me into their group; and, as a result, I set my own condition and that was to give back.

I never forgot my promise to xxx4clay either. So I sat down and finally drew Clay. Ok, it was not so good. I really could sense that it was not the best. I am not competitive except with myself, so I set out to "self compete." Thanks to some advice from another Clay fan, I was told to go to Linda Huber's Site; and off I went.

I am a self-taught artist who needed a lot of help. I have never known about art supplies or proper drawing materials. I have always just used what I could find at the store. I learned much from Linda Huber's site and was able to carry that forward to my second drawing.

Here is a letter I sent to Linda thanking her for her tutorials on her site:

Hi. Linda. My name is Kathy. I am known as Aspiegirl on Clay sites. I have autism and am high functioning. Or more high functioning than when a child. I used to draw when young (around age 12 or so, not sure of exact age when I just started drawing) but stopped around 10 years ago.

I am a very visual learner and I wanted to thank you so much. I drew two Clay face sketches, and they are the only ones I have done in 10 yrs or more. I came to your site after the first one and watched your videos. I downloaded them and watched them over and over.

Autistic's learn by seeing more than hearing. I wanted to show you what I drew. The one before watching your videos and the one after. I bought a 2B mechanical pencil (after I learned what it was) and used 2B and 3B graphite, better paper, and a tissue a lot like you suggest for "smoothing out."

I used the paper pencil some but was careful because this is new to me and had some trouble with that to get it to do what I wanted it to do.

I don't do graphing. I don't know how. I just measure with a piece of paper and put little dots. Like a dot on one corner of the eye and a dot on the other to get it proportioned right. So I have these little dots all over for spacing. HEEEE!!!!

Here is the drawing I did after your advice and the one I did before. Thank you so much.

((HUGS))

Kathy/Aspiegirl

Below are the "before and after Linda Huber lesson" drawings. The first one I drew before I watched her videos, and the second one is after I watched them. Thank you, Linda; and, most of all, thank you xxx4clay for planting the seed. Thank you to Phyllis, my second mom, for bugging me every day to keep on drawing.

Clickable of my first Clay Drawing

Clickable of AIW Drawing

Kathy