I just finished my first art lesson in over 20 years – no, I didn't go back to school for my MFA – it's way better than that. My 7th grade daughter is being homeschooled this year and I've been awarded the extrem privilege of standing in as her art teacher. Here's the drill, we head out to the local beanery for a good cup of coffee and some lavender lemonade and spread out our sketch pads, pens and markers like we own the joint and then we start drawing. It's awesome. This go around we drew coffee mugs, eyeglasses, water bottles and just bout anything that wasn't nailed down.

So far the lessons are going great. We're using a text-book for general reference, and digging into the fundamental elements of art. Lesson #1 was all about lines. And even though I spend the better part of my 9-5 doing this art thing for a living, it was a lot of fun taking a step back and reading the material through fresh eyes.

Lesson #1 was all about line. Above is the blind contour drawing I did as a demo.

I think one of the neatest things about a project like this is that once you've committed time and energy to the study of something, even something you're technically familiar with, you start considering the subject matter with renewed vigor and eagerness. Reading through the material, prepping for the lesson and reliving the session during the subsequent days allowed me to experience the idea of lines all over again. I was looking for examples of line in the designs I was working on for clients, in logos I saw in passing, in TV commercials. I was acutely aware of  lines because I had been studying lines. It wasn't long before I was actively seeking new ways to explore line in my work. Viola, fresh perspective. Gotta love it when that happens.

This weeks lessons' coming up fast. I can't wait to see what we're going to discover this go round. Maybe this weeks lesson will be about shape or texture. Ain't learnin' awesome?