Back to the beginning

I was looking through my sketch book the other day and it made me realise that whilst I have fallen in love with painting, I had forgotten and discarded my first love; charcoal. 

So today I decided to pick up my charcoal (first time in over a year) and see what would happen... 

Honestly it wasn't pretty. I'm so rusty, I'd forgotten all technique and of course me being me I decided to try a sketch of a sleeping baby first up. None of this easing myself back in to it.... Needless to say the sleeping baby didn't quite work out and as you can see below I abandoned it half way through.

I decided then after that fail that I would try something a little easier, and because I have a love of dream catchers at the moment, that became my inspiration. It worked out ok for a fun sketch... But gee I guess it is true, if you don't practice to keep your skills polished you really do have to start from the beginning again....