Why? Why not?

Frank and I have been talking about art since the day we met in 1984. We both had just been reading Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain by Betty Edwards. It's an amazing book that quickly shows how to "see" as an artist. Seeing for the artist is about shapes in two dimensions. It doesn't matter if it's a hand or foot, dog or cat. What the artist needs to see are shapes that can be translated through drawing or painting to some flat media. In her book, Betty Edwards offers exercises to practice this way of seeing. She turns famous portraits upside down and asks the reader to draw only the shapes. This upside down technique quickly activates the "right brain" to see in two dimensions and for me, it was a life changer. My art fear began to fade away. Frank was already a professional sculptor, working in three dimensions with oxy-acetylene torch and metal rods. He was showing his sculptures in Carmel and Monterey galleries. He had years of visual art experience, while I had been on the traveling troubadour track. I wanted to add painting into my life. So when Frank opened up his easel, squeezed out some paint and handed me a brush, I was thrilled! Learning by doing with the encouragement of real artist--that's the way!