I began to teach myself how to draw in my mid-thirties.

A book published in 1989, Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain, by Betty Edwards, was a great inspiration.

Betty had a warmth about her that she so beautifully portrayed in her writing. She described techniques with her drawings and presented quotes from other artists in such an organized way that I could open her book up almost anywhere and learn.

My favorite part was when she talked about how helpful it is if one can feel the object, and who could feel it better than the maker?

With a drawing pad and a handful of #2s, I spent twenty minutes each day sketching bevels and bevel glass windows. I dated the page after every day.

After about four weeks, I could translate my ideas onto paper, the final skill I needed to feel comfortable calling myself an artist/craftsman.