Today I’m wishing that my black notebooks — full of penciled words, notes to self, lists, names of books, phone numbers for contractors, half-baked ideas, found language, beginnings, and occasionally the pressed leaf of a plant I come across and want to remember — contained one thing as lovely as this:
“Autumn” by Mattias Adolfsson, http://mattiasa.blogspot.com
See more entrancing notebook images from various artists at the Moleskine Project. You might find yourself wishing my wish: to draw, and to do it well.
leaf stitch word 
This drawing is really lovely. I have the same wish every so often…mostly as I’m struggling to make a birthday card for someone, or placecards for Thanksgiving. The thing I really like though, is that sense of calm that comes over me as I’m drawing. The kind of purposeful calm that accompanies really focused, attention on something…(things like chopping, cooking, kneading dough…deliver the same feeling.) This makes me want to sign up for a drawing class…
Marcia, it sounds to me as if you *are* an amateur illustrator. When I draw, usually at the kids’ behest or because I’m trying to explain something 3D to a person and a diagram is better than words, I feel only my lack. I’ve never gotten into that sense of calm you describe, which I do often feel when writing or knitting or digging (or peeling vegetables). You surprised me, in a good way.
One of my favorite things is drawing with what look like ordinary colored pencils, except when the drawing (part one) is completed, I use a thin, damp watercolor brush to retrace so the drawing blossoms into watercolor. (Have you ever seen these? They’re so cool!) I love them and use them to make cards and silly little things. That combination of drawing and painting is what produces that calm, focused feeling.
M., the photographs on The Aperitif always delight me. Could I put in a request for you to post one of your drawings? You’ve piqued my curiosity.