On Julie Davidson’s wonderful blog “Seven Imps,” she asks Maira Kalman about her work methods. Kalman responds: “There is a lot of hope involved. And hoping for the best.”
And in the part I like best, she says simply: “You just do your work. I can’t emphasize that enough. Just sitting there and doing it – persevering. Being patient – and seeing the long view. To let the work happen and to find the unexpected. To allow mistakes to be part of it. To not get it right, but just to get it.”
“Just get it,” just start, begin.
her spirits rose... 
I so miss having a cat to draw. I always subscribed to the notion “When in doubt, draw a cat.” Their shapes and lines are sometimes all one needs for an elegant drawing or painting, and these studies prove just that. Oh – Wolsey. What a specimen. His fur DOES look (as you said) like orange sherbet – or like one of those old 50/50 ice cream bars with orange on the outside and vanilla showing when you bite into it. And Frances is such a dramatic contrast to the other two. Love seeing this process.
Oh yes, those bars – yes, if Frances is an Oreo cookie, Wolsey is one of those bars with soft fluffy white part along with the orange!
I feel like the quote, “To allow mistakes to be part of it. To not get it right, but just to get it” was meant for me today. Thank you Katy—your cats are great!
You are welcome Michelle and thank you for your message – Kalman does speak right to us when we dither! I will continue to post here all my ways of stalling and work product – thank you for looking and commenting!
I have a cousin who told me that she only dared to become an artist when she learned that erasing or painting over was allowed.
And now I bet she knows a ton of tricks that go even beyond erasing and painting over!
This would be wonderful advice for students at any level – just keep working.