Speakers: Janice Page, USA
Janice Page: Hi, I'm Janice and I'm from Seattle, Washington.
Can we see some of the art work you've done with Draw Awesome?
Janice Page: I have a couple of things that I would like to show, that I'm really pleased with. Here is one of my drawings in graphite. This was later on in the course. I'm super-pleased with how it turned out. This is one that I started over again. As I said before, I'm not afraid to start over and graphite was by far, one of the most challenging. This one did get comments online and my family did comment on this and said that they really liked it. So I was quite pleased because this is a pet portrait which I am interested in doing. I think probably where I may have learned the most, in addition to graphite, is working with watercolour and I really loved doing the figures. We just completed this not too long ago and I was very pleased with this because I was able to make these figures gradually and I'm working faster, which is what I wanted to do. Sometimes, if you work too slowly, it can be frustrating and you'll just stop. So, no-one else has seen those yet, although I did post them online and people are looking in the Legacy Group. I just think that I can't believe how far I've come in such a short time... ...and that I'm very pleased with my progress.
Before starting Draw Awesome, what was your level of art experience and what did you struggle with?
Janice Page: I've spent many years on and off because I've been working full time and having... ...getting married and having a family. So it was just from time to time that I was able to work on art, but I had an incredible interest in it and a couple of members of my family that know how to draw. And I think watching my son and it came so naturally to him, that I said, "you know, if I work real hard, maybe I can do this, but I need classes". So I was taking in-person classes and I felt that that was very intimidating. I did have a couple of pieces that turned out okay, but this kind of intense classes that we're getting right now from you Phil, has really made a big difference. I make the time to do it. I make the space to do it. I'm sitting at my drawing table right now and I think that that's what has really clicked for me and I do have more time. I'm able to spend my time more to my liking.
How do you think Draw Awesome has helped you?
Janice Page: I really like the format of this class. Yes, others have commented in the Draw Awesome Legacy Group which I really appreciated. Some of the things that they said, especially if I brought up a point and I might get a comment there. But people are looking at my work and I appreciate that. Not just there, but because my drawing table is in the family room, my family also comments and says what they like. They won't say anything at all if they don't like it or can't tell what it is! So I have really appreciated that aspect. The medium I struggled with I think, the most, was the most challenging... ...was pencil, was graphite and now I'm not afraid to start over. I'm not afraid to say, "Okay, that's gone too far for me to fix it". I'll just start over and the next time is always better. So I think just not finding a piece of white paper intimidating - a blank sheet of paper and also using all those different colours of paper. I really like that too. I LOVE new projects being released. I'm always trepidatious at first and then I'm really excited as I gather all of the tools to be able to complete the project. I really love it. I really do! I really am more than beginning to enjoy it. I think in the last couple of months just being able to come over to my drawing table for a few minutes or a half an hour... Sometimes I'm here for two hours and I don't even know where the time went! But being able to see my own progress on a project, I don't always know when to stop or when it's completed. But I feel like it's true - - you never completely finish a drawing, you just stop working on it.
Finally, what do you like most about Draw Awseome and would you recommend it to others?
Janice Page: Some of my favourite things about the Draw Awesome class is that it's an online class and you can repeat lessons if you need to, if you want to and also how encouraging Phil is because it can be intimidating and he knows that so he repeats to us that our drawing probably will not look like his. It doesn't mean it hasn't turned out and I have started over a couple of times to try and make my drawing look like his and although it gets better, it doesn't look like his! And now I realise that's okay because it looks like mine! I would absolutely recommend this class to others.
