I've gotten halfway up the page on this phase of the drawing I'm working on. I'm going to keep going up a little past that and then flip it over and start the other side. This side had a lot more on it already and more complicated patterning, but once I get what's already laid out filled in more I'm going to try to view the piece on the wall if I can, so that I can figure out what needs to be added to aid the composition. I've already tacked on some small areas of shading in places. I'm taking much more time and care with this versus the one I did in college that was similar. This one promises to be far more nuanced and interesting, and I think if I do a series like I plan to that it will be very successful. There was another drawing I did all in curved lines that almost swirled under your eye, and I want to take the most well done areas of that and sketch them out into my pad and try to translate them into a drawing with only the swirls, subtracting the rope ball that was present in the first one. That was there because it was part of an assignment, but there's something in the way it almost moves of its own volition that makes me really want to experiment more with that technique.

I'm working all this week, but I've been putting in a couple of hours when I get home each night. It doesn't leave time for anything else, really, but that's okay. I feel like I'm really getting something accomplished, and it's fun to see the drawing take shape the more work I put in. I ordered a few different types of pen from Amazon, which will arrive in about two days. I discovered there are all different point thicknesses, and I'm looking forward to experimenting with them to see what kind of different effects I can achieve with each thickness.

I'm getting way more than I thought I would on my tax return this year, which is exciting. It will all go towards debt, but by the end of next month I should have only one card left, and at that point I'm going to start saving up for a security deposit and begin my search for a new place. I'm being careful with my money and it's been paying off. Even when I don't make that much when Besim is slow or I miss a day with Jim for whatever reason I'm still making progress. I'm hoping for a new car by the end of the summer, but we'll see. I don't want to count my chickens yet.

I haven't gotten to exercise the past several days because I've gotten home late from work, and I just don't have the motivation to get up early to do it yet. All in all, though, I feel pretty good about myself lately.