Holiday Drawing Three(2003)

In 2003 I started to learn about going on location. It was December and my mentor would send me out to different locations once a week around NYC. I remember one week I was sick and he refused to let me go out and draw. (haha I tried to hide my cold with no such luck!) He said to me, "Next week you can go, next week because once you get sick that's it!" My whining and begging did not change his mind! It was on Wednesday mornings he would send me out to St. Patrick's Cathedral, or Rockefeller Center. I remember being excited to get the assignments. This was at a time I did not consume any coffee so I was running on natural excitement at 9 in the morning. I remember sitting in front of Radio City Music Hall drawing in the freezing cold that day. I was still very clumsy on location and my hands were freezing, and my face was getting frostbit. I was absolutely determined to get the job done. After drawing until about 2pm I went back to him that afternoon with my drawings. He was very excited and gave me the next assignment. Even if they weren't the greatest drawings he knew you made your best effort and he knew it was the best you could do at that time. When I found these drawings a few weeks ago I still felt his excitement in them. It made me remember a lot of things that he had taught me about drawing. He knew I had tried my best and whenever I draw around Rockefeller Center or St. Patrick's I get that same feeling I felt 6 years ago. It was a very special time. -Danielle