signing artwork

in class yesterday, i was pretty much done with my piece and spent the majority of the time drawing, while the teacher went around and talked individually with every student about their painting. the critique was supposed to be yesterday, but by the time we only had a half hour left of class, he called everyone over to the table and told us that we were all just having too much fun painting our pieces to have the critique that day. so on tuesday, we're having a big breakfast, along with the critique. it sounds pretty lovely.

anyway, at some point during the class, he came over to me and started talking to me about signing your piece.  he took my sketchbook and demonstrated how picasso sometimes signed his name boldly, as if it was an important element of the work. he showed me what his own signature looks like, after telling me that he only recently began signing his work. i told him that i never really signed my work before, but only recently became curious about it.  i've always been hesitant about it, because signing your work is sort of a mark of pride, and i haven't reached the point of such confidence in my pieces. but after my teacher gave me a little lesson on it, i was ready to try.

since he had told me there was so much space in my painting, and that it was sort of a bold piece, he said a bold, big signature would really work. so i practiced some signatures in my sketchbook, before deciding on just my initials (MEC), underlined, with the year under that. when he came back to check it out, he laughed delightedly.

i didn't take a picture of it yet, but i did start another small sketch of the same jar of flowers:

next week, we will start a painting of figures!