Practice makes Progress

I’ve always hated the phrase practice makes perfect.

It’s completely untrue and sets unfair expectations.

You’ll never be perfect, I’ll never be perfect, the world will never be perfect.

The other day one of my students messed up the saying and instead said, ‘Practice makes better!’

And I love it.

Now, this one is true.

I teach art to little kids, and almost every day one of them asks why they can’t draw like I can. I constantly remind them that I’ve been drawing for 30 years, and I’ve practiced almost every day.

Other than art prodigies and naturally talented geniuses, there’s no artist on the planet who hasn’t practiced endlessly to get where they are now.

The only way to learn is by doing. The only way to get better is to practice. That’s why they call it an artistic practice, because you truly never stop learning.

I’ve been practicing painting feathers for about six months. It’s kind of crazy how such a simple shape can be so difficult to execute with paint.

Feathers are my go-to warm up for every painting. They take hardly any time, but they use so many techniques that it’s a great way to get my hands and mind ready to work.

I love to stick these little practices into boxes of outgoing chicken mugs. It gives me a change to share my own artistic practice with fellow chicken lovers.