I Just Want To Start, A Flame In Your Heart

   

Process Pic #3 with adjusted shading. Will add a few highlights and send him off to be colored

 

 

Process Pic #2 with dark shadows

Process Pic #1 - Line drawing

Hullo folks, a happy 2016 to you! I hope you have had the chance to say a satisfactory goodbye to 2015 and wave 2016 in with as much gusto as a hitchhiker might hail down a passing vehicle.

Despite trying to give my new year a proactive start, I haven't had an ideal beginning. I fell ill the day before NY's Eve and have continued to merrily nourish whatever flu virus has decided to take up residence in my body. As a result, crankiness has pursued and will power has pretty much sunk to a level where it could be vacuumed off the floor. But as the wise Sam Harris suggests in his 9 minute mindfulness meditation, "Begin again in this moment." And that, dear person, is the mantra of my 2016. I am bound to fail multiple times at the various ambitious goals I have set myself but I will consider it a win if I can bounce back every time with the attitude to begin again in the moment.

Continuing with the Avatar theme that I started during the holidays, I am doing a light and shadow study with my favorite fire-bender, Zuko (he actually shares the spot with Iroh). Zuko is representative of the internal battle that our intentions have with our inherent natures and tendencies. He is representative of the mental strife that we experience as multiple internal voices pipe up with their opinions of the right thing to do. Most importantly, he is representative of the victory of our true selves over the other strong, beguiling voices. Zigzagging along life's surprises, his struggles lead him eventually to a place where he needs to let go of a sense of self that once defined him and begin again in the moment as a new person.

So my dear reader, if you will do one thing today, show your self some compassion and let yourself begin again in this moment - for it is the only way to move ahead with a clear mind and a strengthened resolve.

Thanks for stopping by! Wave me a hello in the comments.