Hello everyone! My name is Jules and I am a Graphic Designer in Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario (Canada). I just wanted to share with you fellow listserve-ians my love of art.

Many people have said things to me like ‘I wish I could draw like that’ or ‘oh I would love to paint, but I am not very good’. I want to tell you a secret. Nobody starts out very good. No one draws their first picture and busts out an epic perfect still life. I have been drawing and painting for many, many years, and have practiced with teachers, models and taken classes. Anyone who is willing to put in a little effort can learn to become an artist. Sure, some people have natural talent, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t develop your own skills the old-fashioned way – with practice. Sitting down and creating something from a blank space is a pretty amazing feeling and I encourage you all to give it a go!

Two books that I thought were awesome resources were ‘The Natural Way to Draw’ by Kimon Nicolaides and ‘Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain’ by Betty Edwards. However, don’t feel restricted by those books, go out find something cool, grab a pencil and just see what you can do.

Thanks for reading,