Sandra Busby

Sandra Busby

by Sandra Busby
(East Sussex, England)

Hi, I'm Sandra

It was early spring 2008, when I went on a trip to Scotland with my family and a couple of our friends that triggered my interest in Art. One of the friends who came along is very artistic. We were best friends when we were little and our favorite pastime back then was drawing. We would do it all day when we could!

But once I became a teenager I forgot all about drawing and life sailed me in other directions. The last time I had picked up a pencil was when I was about 13 years old – and believe me – I wasn’t particularly good! I am 37 years old now!

During our trip to Scotland, my friend carried her Sketchbook everywhere! I so wanted her to draw something but she was never in the right frame of mind. She let me look through it though and I thought that if I was her, I would be drawing everything in sight!

It sparked such an intense interest inside that I can’t describe, and I knew that the first thing I would do on my return home was to buy a Sketchbook. It was weeks before I drew anything because I was scared of ‘spoiling’ the pages! But eventually I had a go. I realised that although I wasn’t particularly good, I loved doing it anyway and was determined to learn more.

It was soon after that I stumbled across this site and I found it really inspiring, and so wonderful that you could get feedback from other people too.

It’s interesting looking back on the drawings that I put on the site when I first started. I can see an improvement and I can see my mistakes, which proves that it pays to practice! Of course there are other sites, but none as personal as this one and that’s why I love it.

Since then, I have read lots of Art books, watched lots of art programs and visited several galleries and exhibitions. I have practiced when I could and even attempted a few paintings – though I haven’t put them on the site as it’s really for drawings - and although there have been plenty of disasters there have been a few successes too, which gave me that sense of achievement. It felt so good! I have found so much pleasure in this hobby and I want to get better at it.

Now my children are older and I am lucky enough to have the backing of my family, and the encouragement from my friends, I have recently enrolled in an Open College of Arts course in the hope that one day I may get a degree – I am scared that I may never be good enough, but I intend to try the hardest I can.

At the moment I am nowhere near that level, but If I ever do manage to achieve this, my dream would be to teach and inspire other Adults to introduce Art into there lives, and to hopefully have the skill and confidence to exhibit a little of my own.

***Note from Kerry:
Hello Sandra, I am so pleased to meet you, at last! You are so pretty! I love your drawings and I'm very happy you love this site, thank you for your kind words.
I hope you achieve your dream, I think everyone needs drawing in their lives!

Here are some of Sandra's submissions, they are not in any order except "My First Still Life" is a good example of the exercises Sandra practiced to achieve the standard that she has now.

My First Still Life by Sandra Busby (East Sussex, England)

Vegetables In Charcoal

Island Dive School

Bird On A Wire

Update March 2010:
Sandra now has a blog called Sandraws and you can find it here:

Sketch Mad

I wish you all the very best with your new blog, Sandra. I'll be visiting often and peeking at your latest sketches!

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Sandra Busby

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Nov 21, 2008

Similar Story
by: Richard

Your story is so similar to mine. I have always had an interest in art, but I was afflicted with the "no talent syndrome". My wife and daughter are excellent artists and I have admired their "talent". I live in California and on a trip to Monterey, my wife and daughter were sketching some of the beautiful seascapes. I thought I would give it a try. I asked for a sheet of paper and a pencil. The result was much better than I hoped for. This was in my late forties. I am now 61. I did more sketching and thoroughly enjoyed it. My daughter suggested that I get a sketch book. I resisted because I did not think I was "good" enough for a sketch book. I finally got one and then after a long internal struggle I "initiated" it. It was now mine! I have since taken classes at our local junior college. I have taken: drawing, fundamental design, watercolor, color theory and oil painting. I have people tell me that they "have no art talent". I try to explain that it is not so much a matter of talent as it is learning a skill and practice. Keep up your artistic endeavors. This will be a very enjoyable endeavor when I retire.