Last year I joined the sketchbook challenge online.  A group of artists would each take a turn to choose a theme each month and to post  about the theme on a regular basis.  I decided this would be a great way to motivate myself to draw daily and to improve my drawing skills.

I pushed myself out of my comfort zone and began to draw in my journal on a daily basis. It was an immensely enriching and rewarding experience.  I learnt so much about me as a artist and about where I was heading with my work.  I went down roads that I had never been down before and took risks with my art I had never taken before. 

While participating in this challenge I was invited by Sue Bleiweiss (who was the leader of the challenge) to submit 2 drawings into a book about this wonderful project.  This book has been published and one of my pages was selected for it.

It is a lovely book full of the useful and wonderful ideas I have come to love and expect from this group of artists.  There are so many wonderful pages to look at and lots of tidbits of information to learn and grow from. You can buy it from Amazon  http://www.amazon.com/The-Sketchbook-Challenge-Techniques-Inspiration/dp/0307796558  or at the book depository http://www.bookdepository.com/Sketchbook-Challenge-Sue-Bleiweiss/9780307796554. 

I was given the theme nature as my prompt for this page.  I chose to draw a Protea.  Such an amazing flower,  strong and structured and bright.

What an honour to have one of my peices chosen for such an amazing book.  Thankyou Sue!!