It's been a while. Towards the end of last year I became unwell. Life got busy, and this community grew quieter than I intended. Over the last few months I've been reflecting on what Art With Courage is really about. I've realised it's not simply about learning to draw or paint. It's about attention. It's about showing up. It's about finding the courage to begin again, even after we've lost momentum. The little daisy painting below is Painting #4 of a new 1000 Paintings Project I've started. Not because I need 1000 paintings, but because I want to keep practising the habit of noticing, creating and paying attention. Many of the opportunities I've been fortunate to receive over the years, including exhibiting with the RSA, SSA and VAS, have grown from small daily acts of showing up just like this. I'd like this community to be a place where we can encourage one another, share progress, build creative habits and enjoy the journey together. Over the coming weeks I'll be sharing: 🎨 Drawing and painting exercises 👁️ Attention-building practices ✏️ Habit hacks that help overcome resistance 🌼 Lessons from the 1000 Paintings Project 🤝 Encouragement, feedback and accountability If you're here, I'd love to hear from you. Say hello and where you are in your journey just now, what are you working on or struggling with, any wins, and if you're new tell us who you are, where you're from, and one creative thing you'd like to make, learn or finish this year. And if you're feeling brave, post a blind contour drawing below. The community is free now, and open to anyone who wants in. You can also follow the 1000 Paintings Project day to day on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/p/DYo-uBjKVYV/ It's good to be back. Sarmed.

When I was learning to draw, one of the biggest shifts for me was discovering the Bargue method. It is a classical way of training where you copy carefully from plates, not to make a finished piece but to sharpen your eye so you can see more clearly. Van Gogh and Picasso both trained this way, and we know how radically their work evolved into Post Impressionism, abstraction, and Cubism. There must be something powerful about copying and learning to see so deeply. I have travelled that path myself, from realism into abstraction, and the foundation has never left me. This article explains the method really well:👉 Chasing Likeness – Using the Bargue Method ⏱️ About a 7 minute read. So grab your fav brew. I would love to know what you think. Did anything in it surprise you? Do you agree that copying can be a powerful way to train the eye? Please share your thoughts here in the comments. I would love to hear your take.