January 2008 Goals Review

It's the end of January, are you 1/12th of the way on your goals for 2008?

My January To-Do List and Analysis:

Composition research (book reviews, info gathering)
I did two book reviews, 60 Minutes to Better Painting and Painting With Your Artist's Brain. And I read some great posts (see the list at the bottom of post). We've got another month for this project, so let's hope I can get in another two reviews and some other research. This item gets an in-progress check.

Anatomy of the head (daily sketching, sketching from memory)
Yes, albeit not daily sketching since the first half of the month. I did try and do a few heads from memory the other night, one a memory of a drawing I had studied, the other just an imaginary head. Neither were spectacular, but they were better than what I could have done at the end of December. So, this gets a check.

Mendelowitz drawing exercises
I did one exercise and read a bit more in the book. Then I stopped reading to do an exercise, the book still awaits. Didn't really progress here.

3 starts
I managed one, two, and three starts. That third one I never posted, it's the orange blob at the bottom of the pegboard - a close-up on clementines and grapefruit in a bowl. I'll give a check on this.

1 planned, executed, finished piece
The idea behind this goal was to end up with 12 nice pieces to shape into a calendar at the end of the year. If, I end up being happy with the piece you see in progress above, we'll call this my one piece. I also did a portrait, but I don't want to count that towards the calendar. Jury is still out on whether I get a check here.

Update website
I did add a few images. Once the piece above is done I'll update again with that and another. Pending a check-off.

Honestly, I'm a little surprised at this. I panicked at the beginning of the month that I had tried to get in too much. So, I've done better than I thought I would. Also, I'm surprised that the research and drawing exercises are what fell to the bottom of the pile. It's been a busy "life happens" sort of a month for me though so that may account for my unusual choices.

Thanks everybody for indulging me on this review - this sort of exercise really keeps me pressing on and not giving in to discouragement!

Has it been a good month for you? Are you heading the way you want to, even if it wasn't what you had in mind a month ago?