A new canvas

It is exactly midnight as I start writing this post - I should most definitely be sleeping as I have an early class tomorrow morning.  I just finished a painting, one that I am very proud of.  A picture of it will follow soon.  I am grasping new techniques quite rapidly, and each new painting gives me more confidence to continue on this painting adventure.

As I have delved into painting, I have, unfortunately, almost completely stopped sketching.  I have never really explored painting in depth and have, therefore, found it more exciting than sketching at the moment.  I still have a number of sketches I have not posted yet.  Below is one of those sketches.

I drew this while thinking of my brother.  As kids, him and I used to play badminton in the backyard for hours until it was dark and we could no longer see the birdie.  My brother and I have always been very close.  Upon graduating from high school, he became a personal trainer and went to college full-time.  He has now graduated from Rutgers University a semester early, and I couldn't be prouder.  My brother has now found himself on a very different journey compared to my own, but an exciting journey nevertheless.  I worry about him more than he knows, and hope that he continues on a path best for him.  

A long journey lies ahead for both him and I, but this period in our lives gives us an opportunity to really discover ourselves and who we really are.  I have been thinking about the past quite a bit in the last few weeks.  With the help of some pretty amazing people, I have come to terms with my past and understand that this past is not truly mine.  Today is what I have.  And then tomorrow followed by the day after that.  

I am now lucky enough to be able to document this journey daily in a journal given to me by a close friend.  This journal has become a new canvas for sharing my thoughts using words instead of sketches and paintings.

I leave you with a quote I found on a friend's blog.  It's beautiful.