It was difficult to capture the bird's pose - the bird has such an alert, energetic presence. My rendering slopes down too much at the tail. It's dismaying to see the differences between the photo and the drawing but feel as though I have limited ability to bridge the gap. I do enjoy finding the lights and darks in an image and taking note of textures.
I love to observe and study plant, animal, and mineral forms. I'm curious about what I see and also love to look for patterns over time and from season to season. Sketching what I observe seems a natural extension of something I enjoy.
I like the idea of using a journal to capture and remember special moments, or to answer a question. It also makes sense to me that something you've observed closely enough to sketch is something you'll remember, something that becomes a part of you.