Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Drawing Art: Moved by War

Ever been jealous of those artists who always walk away with all the blue ribbons and lucrative commissions? What formulas would take your work from blah to brilliant?

Just three words: Methods, Materials and Muse.

We all have creative ideas, but getting them on paper is another story. Click here to sign up for my FREE webinar, November 10, at 1:00 EST, where I’ll reveal Masters’ Methods and Materials from numerous Home Study Courses for drawing that have transformed absolute amateurs into amazing artists. (Can’t attend live? Sign up for a link to the replay.) Bonus: All of my online drawing courses are included in a Black Friday SALE during the webinar.

How to draw cats, by Sandra Angelo | ArtistsNetwork.com

Sandra Angelo explains Masters’ Methods, Materials & Ways to Access Your Muse

My History in Africa and How I Connected With Rescued Animals in Afghanistan

A vulnerable 12-year-old, at a remote boarding school in the deep jungles of Africa, my life was in eminent danger. Rebel Congolese soldiers had slaughtered my neighbor in front of his horrified 18-year-old son, and nearby missionary villages had been ransacked in murderous rampages. Word came over the shortwave radio. We were next.

In the dead of night, the US dispatched UN mercenary soldiers to sneak us through inky black jungles, to the safety of Rift Valley Academy, a boarding school in Kenya. That dangerous journey etched my heart with a deep admiration for courageous soldiers, and many years later, the following story awakened that muse.

War and Peace: Using Art to Make a Difference for Rescued Animals

In desolate deserts of war-torn Afghanistan, inhumane locals use stray dogs for sport. The dogs are beaten until they fight and pit them against each another, slashing off ears and tails, so the dogs have nothing to grasp, and the brutal fight is prolonged.

A Royal Marine, Pen Farthing stumbled onto a savage fight on his first day in Nowzad, Afghanistan. Demanding an instant halt to the brutality, Pen chased off local tyrants and the dogs scattered. Little did Pen know, this one act of kindness would revolutionize his world.

The next day, Pen was rumbling around in a sweltering shed when he spotted a quivering, injured dog cowering in the corner. With gentle persuasion and a lot of food rations, Pen slowly won the dog’s trust and dubbed his new friend Nowzad.

In charge of morale for beleaguered troops, Pen bolstered soldiers through grueling days, where they watched in horror as their buddies suffered. Being at the top, there was no one to comfort Pen, except his new chum Nowzad, so when it was time for Pen to ship out, there was no way he could leave his buddy behind. But military rules disallow pets in the first place, and they certainly weren’t going to permit Pen to take the dog home. How to draw dogs, with Sandra Angelo | ArtistsNetwork.com

Bolstered by loyalty, Pen cleverly navigated massive red tape, and after gargantuan efforts, finally got his dog to safety in the UK. Realizing that other soldiers were facing the same dilemma, Pen founded an animal shelter in Afghanistan (Nowzad.com) where soldiers can leave pets they’ve rescued, until funds are raised to fly them to safety. So far 700+ cats and dogs have been reunited with soldiers in countries all over the world, winning Pen CNN’s Hero of the Year.

When I stumbled onto the stories of the Nowzad animal shelter, my childhood loyalty to soldiers was awakened and my muse was compelled to help. Using drawing methods I’ll share in the upcoming webinar November 10, I depicted a soldier on black, to represent war’s darkness. Then I colored the puppy, to illuminate the peace a puppy brings. Eager to draw more, I fired off an email to the Nowzad shelter asking if I could write two graphite and colored pencil lesson books that teach how to draw dogs and cats and the soldiers who love them. I wanted to raise funds for these soldiers and repay the kindness I experienced in Africa.

My apprentices caught wind of the project and contributed drawings from touching photos of soldiers and the beloved pets that helped them survive.

If you’d like to take a quantum leap like my apprentices, from boring, blah art, to brilliant masterpieces click here to sign up for my FREE webinar: What Masters Do that Amateurs Don’t, on November 10. Who knows . . . Maybe at the next art show, your drawing will be the star of the show.

The post Drawing Art: Moved by War appeared first on Artist's Network.

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