My goals focus on my family, friends and art. One art goal as mentioned previously, is to learn to draw better. By that I mean not only with a pencil but with a brush. In essence drawing for me means "seeing" better, the relationships between shapes and values, coordinating the eye to hand or maybe I should say brain to hand. Thinking and planning more not only prior to a painting or drawing but before each brushstroke or mark. Appreciating the look of a stroke or mark for its unique appearance and knowing whether that mark works.

You know the old saying, "slow down and smell the roses"? Well that is another of my goals when it comes to art. When I paint or draw I always have the feeling I must rush, when actually the only time table is of my own making.
You can see the rushed, unplanned look of this sketch I did from Hogarth's book. The only part I halfway like is the right foot. The benefit of this drawing though is teaching me what doesn't work and that I must break the bad habit of marking before actually knowing which mark to make, the size of the mark or which direction the mark should go. Plus, overmarking is a bad habit I have.
I'm saving the sketches done during 2009 to see if I can see improvement at the end of the year.
What goals or plans do you have for yourself in 2009? Whatever they are, I hope you find as much true joy as I do when I'm painting and that they come to fruition.