Heat thief

Tripod, the cat who thinks he's a dog, is a thief of warm spots. If I get up from where I'm sitting he whips in there faster than light to suck the heat from the spot and completely resists moving. I gave into his theft - enabler, yes, I know - and sketched his blissful heatsucking slumbers. He has that broad face and solid build of a tom cat and constantly reminds me of Garfield.

This sketch was done in a hardcover sketchbook 7 x 10, mechanical pencil. Unfortunately when I scanned it, the sketch on the next page showed through a little as a shadow in the background.

I'm calling the Pacific Arch finished and still haven't got a good image of it. There's a distinct lack of sunshine here lately which makes it near impossible to get a clear image. I'll keep trying however.

I'll work on finding the right sea arch for its Atlantic companion piece. There are a number of arches around the island and I hope to visit a few once the snow recedes. Meanwhile I'll do some practice with pastels and try to come up to speed with them once again.

Art supplies

I'm nearing completion on the Pacific arch - I think. Getting a good photograph of it is another thing. This image isn't quite there, but heading in the right direction. I'll keep playing with camera settings and my graphics program in the hopes that I can turn out the right image.

I've done a little shopping online to find some decent (I hope) pastel paper and some more pastels to build my collection. I haven't used pastels for quite some time, but I've found that I quite enjoy the process again and working on a larger scale. I was becoming confined to the space of a smaller sketchbook or Moleskine and hadn't broken out of that mold for awhile. It feels good to stretch again.

In my quest for paper and trying to avoid duty payments and large shipping costs, I browsed a few stores in Canada and came across some unique paper made in Montreal on the shores of the Lachine canal - Le Papeterie Saint-Armand. The Saint-Armand paper mill was established by David Carruthers in 1979. They manufacture the Saint-Armand handmade papers, the machine-made Canal papers, and the sanded paper Sabretooth for artists. It is the Sabretooth paper that I bought in sheets of 22 x 30 and an assortment of Canal paper also. Canal paper is machine-made paper from pulped T-shirt cuttings, linen, flax straw, blue denim, sisal and coffee bags. The Saint-Armand handmade papers are made one sheet at a time following traditional methods They have 4 deckled edges. There is no grain direction.

I ordered some new pastels and bought some locally too - Nupastels - as I couldn't wait. When I get something in my head, I want immediate gratification. The full set of pastels that I ordered will turn up in a week or two along with the paper. I have to temper my purchases - good sets of pastels are pricy and I'm going with a middle of the road price and adding as and when I can with other brands and types.

There have been a few alterations in my studio space. A new floor and rearrangement of the space with a computer in that room now and the printer. Also, the cupboard has been refitted with broad shelves to hold my large sheets of paper and drawings flat, so no more covering every available flat table with huge sheets of paper. Yeah, yeah, the guardian bears had to go somewhere ok? They're not doing any harm... All I need to add is some decent lighting and I'll be all set.

Dungeons

This is a sketch of the Dungeons in Bonavista. It is a twin sea arch but this time on the Atlantic Ocean, not the Pacific. Its interesting to see the different rock formations and colours that make up the structure and how they vary from coast to coast. I've been experimenting with other sea arches to see which images I like and what I want to draw as a companion piece to the Pacific sea arch.

I've added more colour and time to my Pacific sea arch but just haven't got a good enough photo of it yet as it always seems dark when I ready to take an image. Tomorrow, I promise myself I will take some photos in good light. For now, here is the best approximation that I can come to for colour in the pastel drawing, but it truly doesn't do it justice. The angle, focus, colours, lighting is all wrong. Sigh.

I lazily watched tv after the news tonight and saw Living Newfoundland and Labrador. Hosted by Krysta Rudofsky, this daily half-hour program is a local guide to better living in Newfoundland and Labrador. It was set at Clovelly Riding Stables in Logy Bay which is where one of my horses was sold - Lady. And sure enough, Lady made a prime appearance. True to form, ears back, being the sullen princess, later surrounded by 3 foot high princesses hugging her and grooming her. I'm sure she's in her element, as she always adored small children but was very wary of adults.

Virginia Woolf:

The beauty of the world has two edges, one of laughter, one of anguish, cutting the heart asunder.

Sleep

Sleeping becomes a preoccupation when you have a small baby, whether you are the mother, father or aunt. My children now know that if you fall asleep - or even if you don't - you're fair game to be in a sketch.

Here are some of my sneak drawings on unconscious people. Done in my Moleskine sketchbook with mechanical pencil.

Pastel update

I've been plugging away at the pastel drawing of the stone arch and its taking shape. Its been many many many years since I've worked in pastel so its a bit of a journey of discovery as I remember what pastels can achieve and how they are applied. The drawing is done on mi-tientes paper with a combination of pastels - most of which are so old that I don't even know the brand name anymore. I think a birthday treat of a new box of pastels is on my cards...

Then getting a photograph of progress is the other challenge. I tried these photos in early morning light with additional overhead lighting but they're still not good. I will have to set up a good lighting corner just to photograph artwork especially during the winter months. Neither of these photos show the true colours of the pastels, which becomes a bit frustrating to say the least!

Just as I was browsing websites on pastel artists, I discovered that Dianna Ponting will be holding an online pastel class in WetCanvas beginning on March 5th. I love it when the right thing happens at the right time. Dianna is a self taught artist who has worked her way up through the ranks to become the first artist in Canada to be recognized with the distinction of both Premier Pastellist of Canada and Master Pastellist Artist of Canada along with the designation of Senior Member of the Federation of Canadian Artists and a signature member of the Pastel Society of America. I would love to take one of her workshops in person, but for now I will make time to participate in this one and see how much I've forgotten about pastel and what new tips I can pick up.

Delays

My travels seemed filled with delays from the start this time. I guess that's one of the challenges of travelling in Canada in winter. Or one of the challenges of flying Air Canada...

My original flight was cancelled due to weather - anticipated weather that didn't happen. Delayed again the next day then rescheduled with a 4.5 hour wait in Montreal to change flights. Eating Montreal smoked meat sandwiches and browsing overly expensive bag shops as well as sketching made use of the waiting time.

It seems that others were equally bored and the conversations that were overheard or taken part in confirmed the joy of travelling and the confidence in Canada's national airline.

The sketches were done with mechanical pencil in my Moleskine.

Snow

There has been far too much snow this month with storm after storm appearing, dumping endless amounts of the white stuff so that it feels like driving and walking in tunnels. These photos give you an idea of just how much has mounted. This is the back of the house and the snow is nearly up to the dining room and kitchen windows which are normally about 7 feet above ground level.

The snow is over the top of the fence and half way up the arbour so unless you have snowshoes it would be impossible to walk in it.

I bought some large (22 x 30)sheets of Mi-Tientes and chose a dark blue to make a start on the stone arch last night. The photo taken this morning wasn't in the best quality light. I've done another 40 minutes work on the drawing tonight but can't seem to get going on it. I've forgotten just how dusty and messy pastel can be. The initial colour study for this piece was done with pastel pencils and now with the main piece I'm using an ancient set of pastels - I'm not even sure of the brand anymore - which have a different range of colours than the pencils so there's a bit of experimenting going on here to get the right values and tones.

More updates will come as the layers go on.

Newness

This is the first of a series of sketches of my new grand daughter, who is now 4 weeks old. This line drawing is done in my Moleskine of my daughter holding her.

I bought some different colours of Mi-Tientes paper today but haven't had time to make a start on the new image yet. I want to do a large scale charcoal drawing on plain paper as well as a colour one in pastel. I have the need to work in a large scale as I am confining myself to small spaces lately and its becoming stifling.

Choices

I came across Stoddard's essay Have as few Regrets as Possible; an excerpt from Alexandra Stoddard's book You Are Your Choices on the blog Paris Parfait. You can read the full exerpt there.

"What are you making of yourself when those around you are lazy and indifferent? What are you doing with your life? It's never too late to choose to change yourself. Do not give up or run away from the opportunity to grow. That is the ultimate tragedy. There's no place to go and hide in life. Your job, your duty, your responsibility is to make the most you can of you." "... Don't regret that you were unable to shape up others; only regret when you don't live up to your own vast potential for good."

"Don't be afraid to do what only you can do. Rather than having chest pains trying to do work you no longer are capable of or enjoy, it may be better to cut your losses. You will feel great joy and satisfaction doing something you know you love to do. What would you choose to do if you knew you couldn't fail? Do that very thing, because it is there where you'll develop your potential."

Today I spent time developing a small study in pastel for a larger drawing that I will create. Its the start of a study of rock formations near the ocean. This one was inspired by the smooth sandy stone arch found on Laguna Beach. It will end up being about 22 x 30 and likely will continue as a pastel as its a medium that I haven't used a lot but once using it, love the feel. I need to find a suitable pastel paper locally that will fit the bill for this. I know I can likely only find Mi-Tientes in the larger size so it will likely be that.

There are a number of naturally created arches in sea rock in Newfoundland and across Canada. I will take time to explore some of these and see how they compare to their Pacific cousins.

Waterscapes

While I was in California last week, I was able to meet an online artist friend, Robin. Doing so was a unique, wonderful experience and I am so pleased that she was able to free up some time to share with me. Robin took me to Laguna Beach where we wandered on the soft, cool sand and marvelled at the colours and shapes of the sea and the rocks around us before exploring the shops and galleries in town then having lunch.

I still can't afford that $56,000 sculpture no matter how much I love it...

Some of the images that I took on the beach will translate into paintings and drawings so easily. I only wish I could magically return to capture the changing colours in the water and the landscape. I will have to rely on my memory and the photos to recreate the colours that appeared there. It will be interesting to do a similar study of the Atlantic ocean. The colours in the Atlantic seem cooler - greys, navy, blue, green, reflecting a rocky coastline, where the Pacific seems to reflect the sandy lighter bottom and pale sky. I will have to choose my subject carefully to find a similar scene for comparison painting. It should be an interesting exercise. This is a photo of the coast in Pouch Cove, about 7km north east where I used to live overlooking the sea.


But right now I will have to make do with snow scenes as I doubt I can get near a beach or waterfront as there's so much snow down and more forecast for tonight and tomorrow. Another month of winter then spring should try to make push forward. Heat is in the future, I just can't see it quite yet.

London Fog

No, not the thick, low cloud that envelopes the inner reaches of Westminster but a old drink with a new twist. I discovered London Fog in Calgary at Primal Grounds, a lovely little coffee shop with fabulous food as well as coffees and teas. They give you one of those old fashioned child's wooden blocks as your table number. (Recipe and directions found on Wikipedia.org)

Recipe

• 16 oz of milk. (2% or whole)
• 1 shot of vanilla syrup per 16 oz of milk
• 1 bag of Earl Grey Tea

How To Make

Step 1: Brew a small amount of Earl Grey tea. (Add about 1/2 cup of boiling water to your mug with the tea bag in it.) You are making Earl Grey tea concentrate. Let steep for 2-4 minutes to achieve optimum flavour.

Step 2: Heat up Milk. Preferably you have access to a steamer, or you might be able to ask your local barista for help.

Step 3: Add the vanilla syrup. (adjust according to taste)

The sketch was done in watercolour pencil and graphite in my Moleskine sketchbook. Purists should avert their eyes from the feeble attempt at the ellipse of the plate. Its hard to draw and eat...

Travels

I'm experiencing the sensory shock that only southern California can produce. Noise, people, traffic, heat, landscape. I went from -21C in Calgary to about +20C. There is greenery and flowering plants everywhere and I have to pinch myself to believe that its February.

I wrote this paragraph a few days ago while in Laguna Beach. I was, and still am, suffering from flu, but that's diminishing. However, my thoughts and memories of my short time in southern California haven't. I only wish I had more time to spend there.

I arrived home today after many many delays in flights and am so tired I don't know which way is up anymore. Delays were weather related - i.e. a pretty hefty blizzard that shut down the city for two days. Of course, that would be the day that I was booked to return home. Sigh.

So now I'm back to a touch of reality - a lot of reality. I have to go back to work tomorrow. I haven't accomplished virtually any drawing while away, but some planning. I still have a cough like a harbour seal and barely know what time zone I'm in

But right now I'll relive a little heat and put myself in a pleasant place before reality hits too hard.

Absence

My absence for the past week has been justified. I have been away exploring a new relationship for the past week.

It is with my new grand daughter who today is 11 days old. She squeaks and cries and coos and gurgles and gazes at me with unfocused navy blue eyes while I imagine her smiles at this age not to be of gas, but pleasure.

I will have little time for the blog til my return on February 20th, but will try to fit some posts in when I can. I have created sketches along the way and will expand them more and will try to upload them where possible.

Delays

The airline has just called me to say that tomorrow morning's flight has been cancelled due to 'impending weather'. Yes it snowed a little, but its now turned to rain and should be warmer still by morning. So now I have to wait til Sunday morning - a 6am flight which means I will need to be at the airport by 4am as there will be a lot of people if flights have been cancelled. Which means I will have to get up at 3am. Travel is bad enough at the best of times. It is more so when delays happen. At least I can relax a little now and stop running around quite so frantically trying to get last minute things done.

I need to be a bird and be independently able to travel at will. This little cockatiel was a little watercolour that started as a sketch. Of course on the wrong type of paper to accept water so it buckled and never regained shape, but I still rather like its form and soft colours. Years ago I used to breed these birds along with several other kinds. They were quite beautiful and good natured. I had considered starting again with some new birds, but just haven't gotten around to it.

Hood ornaments

When the Muscovy ducks were young they were light enough to fly,, especially the females, and they tended to be attracted to cars. That wasn't a good thing. Muscovy ducks have substantial claws and are fairly large birds, so they can scratch a car. As soon as someone would drive up for eggs, the 'girls' would make a beeline for their car and hop up there to see if there were any interesting bugs to eat. Most people would laugh at them but a few were car proud enough to get annoyed so the ducks were banished from getting onto cars. But often when my back was turned, they tested my patience again. Like here.

Learning

I discovered several things this week that don't please me. The latest involved the drawing that I uploaded last night in the previous post. It being pastel and prone to shedding its pigment everywhere, I decided I would give it a quick spray of fixative to ensure that it stayed put.

I don't know if it was the paper or the type of pastel but I sprayed it and the colour faded and darkened to a mere shadow of itself! So I've spent some of tonight reapplying pastel to the paper. It doesn't look quite the same however and I wish I had known that fixative would have this effect. I guess because the surface is so rough there was probably little chance of the pastel coming off too much, but old habits die hard. I've learned a lesson.

The other learning experience is that of understanding people. Or not understanding them. There are reasonable people in the world and then there are unreasonable who you cannot get through to no matter how hard you try. I come across both in work and in my personal life and neither cease to amaze and both can make me soar or sink.

I think its why I prefer animals in many cases. This photo was taken on Inishmore, the largest of the Aran Islands which are off the west coast of Ireland and was taken in about 1975. I stayed on the island for about 3 days. The donkey was friendly and reasonable.

Oranges and Mangoes

I received a piece of colorfix paper in this intense deep blue and I wondered for a few days what to draw on it. The paper has this fine sandpaper-like texture that I can't resist running my fingers over. I cut the paper into quarters and one quarter into further quarters to experiment on.

The paper was originally produced for pastel but I've also seen it used with coloured pencil. I tried both. The coloured pencil experiments were ok, but I didn't do more than play really. Then the pastels and pastel pencils came out. This image was in the weekend drawing event at WetCanvas and the colours were perfect - blue being a complementary colour for orange and it jsut seems to flow from there.

The paper has an amazing feel when drawing. I love the texture and sound it makes when pastel is drawn across it. It also gives that orange peel texture for the fruit as well as being able to blend it to a smoother skin for the mangoes on the right.

Now I just need to track down a package of colorfix and stockpile it as I can't find it anywhere in Canada.

At last

After keeping me waiting for awhile, my first grand daughter has finally arrived.

Kiora Elizabeth
8lb 6.3 oz
3:06pm Saturday, January 27, 2007
Foothills Hospital, Calgary, Alberta

Welcome to the world.

When a child is born, so are grandmothers. ~Judith Levy

Masks

I drew this image in my Moleskine very early this morning. The image is a bit unsettling to me, but I'm not sure why. The metallic sheen of the face and the half real/half unreal reed mask probably does it along with the intense gaze from that one dark eye.

Masks aren't often seen in North America except at Halloween or cultural festivals and are more comonplace in some other other countries. They do transform a person and provide mystery.

The image made me think of how many invisible masks that we wear in real life to mask our emotions without realizing it.

Blockages

Tonight Blogger won't cooperate. Each time I try to post an image, it makes my whole browser shut down. It may be Blogger, it may be my computer, it may be the snowstorm raging outside and interfering with electricity. So I'll stick with words and leave images to your imagination as I don't want to lose this post for a third time.

Each day I drive to and from work, a journey of about 20-30 minutes depending on traffic. I rather enjoy that time to myself, cocooned in my car. It gives me time to think, to listen to music or to prepare for or unwind from the day. It also gives me time to consider what I will write in my blog. Some days I am bursting with ideas and am anxious to put words to computer. Other days, I draw a blank. Friends tell me to write anyway, to post images, to let my mind spill onto paper.

I can see how a writer's block is the same as an artist's block. During those times I must satisfy myself with snippets of nothing. I draw tiny vignettes that may be no more than 2 inches high on scraps of paper or sketch obscure objects, anything to keep my mind moving in the general direction. It may not have immediate effect but it eventually works and something flows, either words or images.

Tonight I'm not uninspired, but rather spoiled for choice and lazy. I know what I want to draw, but am too lazy to go through the necessary steps to make it happen. So I'm instead drawing an eye in pastel pencil on colorfix paper- one inch square. Its a test to see what detail I can fit into a tiny space. Quite a lot in fact!

Finished

I've completed the drawing of the Westie and it wasn't as stressful as I'd anticipated. There's always room for improvement and I can see some areas that I'd rework, but just doing it was a good experience as I'd avoided long haired dogs wherever possible in the past.

Now the next challenge, a long haired black dog!

A friend who I met through an art forum sent me a piece of Colorfix paper that arrived today. I have wanted to try this paper which has a very fine sanded texture that works with pastels and coloured pencil. I can't wait to try it but deciding just what to draw on it is the next decision. Should I use the whole paper about 9 x 12 it looks or should I cut it into smaller pieces and experiment. I think the latter may be a good idea. I'll see what I can come up with over the next few days.

Another winter storm is due tomorrow afternoon. Not large amounts of snow but very high winds - 100- 120kpm - which makes that wonderful horizontal snow that whips into you and around you, making visibility virtually nil. I've driven in many blizzards before, not because I enjoy driving in blizzards but its usually a necessity. Blizzards don't often cooperate and start overnight, making it a simple decision at 6:30am to look out the window, go 'nawwwwwww' and head back to bed. Blizzards usually start after you've gotten to work and then you have to fight your way home at some point when everything shuts down through snow clogged city streets, sliding sideways, white knuckled at the wheel vowing to move somewhere south as soon as the airport is open again. How many days of winter are left now??

Snow day

This is my driveway after a winter storm. Its been plowed and another light layer of snow on top of the stuff piled up there.

A severe winter storm shut down most of the city today. High winds and heavy snow put about 20 cm of snow down then turned to rain late in the afternoon. There haven't been many snow days in the last few years. Perhaps another effect of global warming. We get snow but not in the same quantities as we once did.

A snow day is a bonus holiday in the middle of the week and even though I know nothing is operating, I still feel somewhat guilty about not being at work. But I got over it. I cleaned and did laundry and drew.

I also started cataloguing photos that I have on various computers in the house. They build up quickly and take up substantial space on the hard drive. Today I catalogued and put on cd 2300 photos and drawings. That was just my laptop. I then started on the desktop computer. That one is scary.

What did we all do before computers? Where did we file all those photos or are they like the ones I have from my mother's house, in folders and boxes, rarely in any order and people racking their brains to find out who the guy in the back was?

Then comes music. I have a lot on my computer that I load on to mp3 players or listen to on headphones. Music is another space eater but using my cds in the sound system at home seems a rarity lately. Actually I prefer headphones. The sound level is more intense and I can hear more with them than when I am surrounded by music in a room.

Art stamps

In March 2007, Canada Post will issue two new stamps showing the art of Mary Pratt. Jelly Shelf, shown here is one of my favourites of hers. I love how the light shines through the glass and is reflected on the shelf. I visited Mary's exhibition Simple Bliss at the Rooms before Christmas and saw this image there. Her ability to create works of art from everyday things is amazing. From cakes under glass to basting a roasting turkey, the reality and colour of each piece is exquisite.

The second stamp will be both local and international and will feature an iceberg. I listened to an interview with Mary Pratt on CBC this morning talking about these paintings being turned into stamps and how the paintings were produced. She is so down to earth about it all and gives the impression that it isn't a big deal, in fact, quite the opposite. Its refreshing to find an artist whose career is established, accepting that art is art, and not a pretentious object to be revered, analyzed and solemnized.

More white

Its amazing what a snowstorm does for creativity. I spent more time yesterday working on the white dog, refining hair and trying to achieve that hairy, yet soft and appealing look. I can see that this drawing is going to take some time to get it where I want it to be. I'm a little worried about it becoming too dark, after all, it is a white dog. The animal has that 'I've done something wrong and I'm in big trouble' look on its face.

I used to have a West Highland Terrier many years ago. She was so full of energy it took all mine to keep up with her and keep her out of trouble. She was fearless, attacking any other dog that moved, true terrier style. I remember prising her jaws off the neck of a large German Shepard who she took a dislike to while I let her run off her energy in the corn field near my house. The GS dog was pretty unperturbed by this little hairy creature attached to its throat. Luckily no one got hurt - especially me.

In that field there was a badger sett still being used by a family of badgers. Badgers are fairly large animals and low slung with fierce jaws and claws. The sett was deep in the ground and had been there for many many years. Misty would occasionally head for the set when I let her off the lead and I remember lying flat on my stomach, arm down the badger hole dragging this dog, who was muttering under her breath out into the air again so I could clip her on. I lived in fear that my arm would become badger food one day and I so hated it if she tried to go down into the sett, so she was usually kept on her lead in that field.

Testing

I'm testing myself with a new dog portrait today.

Its a West Highland Terrier and they are so very hairy to draw. I've been inspired by Mike Sibley's book Drawing from Line to Life which I just received and want to make myself tackle more complex pieces. I've always shied away from long haired dogs and have found that it's a perceived notion of difficulty for the most part. Once I break the piece down into manageable sections, it doesn't become quite so horrific. So I'm drawing hair. White hair. I do like to test myself, don't I?

Meanwhile outside, another mini storm is hitting with horizontal snow falling. (Does it actually fall if its horizontal? More like pile up in a corner. ) Wind and snow go together here it seems. I rarely see it snow where the flakes fall straight down. We don't have fairytale snow here very often.

So I'm going to sit by the fire and draw white hair, drink coffee, eat cinnamon rolls while a home grown chicken roasts for supper. Winter demands comfort in whatever form it comes.

Waiting

I wandered into the All Media Event in WetCanvas today and found a group of images from Bejing, China which were there for individuals to draw. This gentleman looked so elegant that I had to draw him. It was done in a Strathmore sketchbook 9 x 12 with graphite and pastel pencil and took about an hour to complete.

The man is from one of the minority groups in China. His photo was taken in Xian, a southeastern city in China. He is Chinese but from a group that practices the Muslim tradition.

I have been so busy lately that I haven't had a lot of time to draw anything, so I'm taking this weekend to indulge myself and make sure I get back to speed on some projects. I'm also waiting for news on the impending birth of a new grandchild, sometime soon I hope! Each phone call makes me jump and want to see who it is. It will arrive when it is ready I'm sure. I just hope I am too!

Illustrated journals

There is something curious and fascinating about drawings enclosed with text. Its like a peek into someone's private life and I guess it is in many ways. Illustrated journals have always been around for a long time but are more in the forefront now since the reintroduction of Moleskine sketchbooks. Danny Gregory's lavish books and website feed ideas and generate more interest in creative journaling. Aleta Karstad has created some simply exquisite naturalist journals.

I want to challenge myself to create an illustrated journal for a month to start with and see if I can keep up the momentum. It will include aspects of life in writing and drawing. Nothing will be torn out or censored. Nothing will be erased or corrected. It will be truly illustrated life.

What if?

What if it truly doesn't matter what you do but how you do whatever you do?

How would this change what you choose to do with your life?

What if you could be more present and openhearted with each person you met if you were working as a cashier in a corner store, or as a parking lot attendant, than you could if you were doing a job you think is more important?

How would this change how you want to spend your precious time on this earth?

What if your contribution to the world and the fulfillment of your own happiness is not dependent upon discovering a better method of prayer or technique of meditation, not dependent upon reading the right book or attending the right seminar, but upon really seeing and deeply appreciating yourself and the world as they are right now?

How would this affect your search for spiritual development?

What if there is no need to change, no need to try to transform yourself into someone who is more compassionate, more present, more loving or wise?

How would this affect all the places in your life where you are endlessly trying to be better?

What if the task is simply to unfold, to become who you already are in your essential nature - gentle, compassionate, and capable of living fully and passionately present?

How would this affect how you feel when you wake up in the morning?

What if who you essentially are right now is all that you are ever going to be?

How would this affect how you feel about your future?

What if the essence of who you are and always have been is enough?

How would this affect how you see and feel about your past?

What if the question is not why am I so infrequently the person I really want to be, but why do I so infrequently want to be the person I really am?

How would this change what you think you have to learn?

What if becoming who and what we truly are happens not through striving and trying but by recognizing and receiving the people and places and practices that offer us the warmth of encouragement we need to unfold?

How would this shape the choices you make about how to spend today?

What if you knew that the impulse to move in a way that creates beauty in the world will arise from deep within and guide you every time you simply pay attention and wait?

How would this shape your stillness, your movement, your willingness to follow this impulse, to just let go and dance?

Source: Sense of Self

Drawing opportunities

I will be flying to Calgary in a couple of weeks to spend time with my daughters and a new baby that I'm expecting to make an appearance into the world any day now. That in itself is a drawing extravaganza. A new environment, people, some of them new and a city to explore too. I really do hope to spend some time drawing. I say that when I go away and end up getting caught up in schedules and work and seeing new places and drawing goes out the window a bit.

I do need some quiet time to be able to draw well. Yes I can do it on a crowded plane or airport, but there I can be more or less anonymous, interrupted occasionally by someone passing by who stops to see what I'm doing. But when with many other people around its difficult to get that time alone to draw.

I'm also planning a short side trip to Southern California to see some friends, find a few art supplies that I can't get in Canada and to fit in some drawing too. I haven't been in the US for many years and can't say I relish the thought of the travelling part of it. I'm not a great traveller. I do it, but can't say I truly enjoy it and delays and plane changes seem inevitable with rerouting and flight amalgamations happening constantly.

But the change of scene will be wonderful and hopefully a few days to relax before heading back to Calgary for the weekend, then home again. I will be travelling light, leaving room for goodies... So now I'm searching out good art supply stores, drawing and art opportunities in the Irvine/Anaheim/Laguna Beach area. Suggestions are more than welcome.

Winter's summer

Its bitterly cold today - at least to me. -15C with a wind chill of -27. Even with the fire blazing, I'm still chillly and have to keep getting cups of coffee to warm me. The snow that is down is blowing around and it looks distinctly winter like out there.

So I'm immersing myself in summer again. This time in the form of a shrimp shell. Not particularly a souvenir of summer but the colours are warm and soft and summer like. This was done in Derwent Graphitint pencils and Faber Castell water colour pencils, both dry on a small sketchbook.


I'm also rearranging my medicinal herbs. I keep a variety of herbs that I have grown, harvested and dried, rather like an emergency natural first aid kit that treats everything from coughs and colds to digestive disorders and aches and pains. A number of years ago I took a Chartered Herbalist course that I found very interesting and firmly believe that a large number of ills that are present these days can be treated effectively and much more cheaply by herbs than the current concoctions of over the counter drugs.

I make tinctures and salves, hand creams and teas. Its another part of the creative cycle as well as art in its own right. There is something satisfying about being able to produce and use something beneficial that once was no more than a tiny seed in my hand.

The photo above is of sweet cicely. This herb has a lovely aniseed like smell and sweet taste. Unfortunately, in the right environment it becomes a bit invasive. But it is a beautiful plant with soft leaves and that wonderful scent. The seed heads can be used fresh in salads or dried and ground like nutmeg. The leaves and seeds also make good wood polish. Its quite hardy. It has to be to grow here! But the seeds do need to overwinter out doors or in the cold of a fridge or freezer for them to successfully germinate in the spring.

Savage Creek

And so, as one smart bear once said..."If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day, so I never have to live without you." - Winnie the Pooh.

This small cove exists in Outer Cove, about a 10 minute drive from my house. I drew this from life in the pouring rain, ducking into the car for shelter when it became too harsh to bear. Sea, rocks and sparse vegetation clinging to existence always interest me. Its the harshness of the landscape or the ancient feel which calls me. Savage Creek is a good name for it, even if the creek running to the sea wasn't too wild on this day and was spotted with wild ducks enjoying the rain.

Experimentation

Quite my accident I think I found a source of mylar or something similar. I was in a hardware store and walked down an aisle that had all the stuff for making scrapbooks - I am in the process of making a little book for the newest addition to be in the family. Among the hundreds of squares of fancy paper a translucent series of sheets caught my eye. I bought 4 or 5 sheets from white and neutral to pastel pink and blue, with the thought of using them as an overlay for some of the book.

When I got them home I looked at them more closely and thought that the surface might be good for coloured pencil so last night I tried it using a reference picture of me and it seems to work more or less as I've heard it described for Mylar. I can't get mylar locally - well I did get something that I believe was it but it is stiffer and used more for quilting templates. But this is finer and probably more a cross between parchment and rougher wax paper.

The scanned result doesn't do it justice as it looks much better in real life and changes again with a different coloured sheet behind it as a ground. This version has a plain white sheet behind it. The sketch took about 40 minutes using Prismacolor pencils. If it is mylar or similar, I rather like it and now that I have found a source, I can experiment without worrying where the next sheet will come from.

Head in the clouds

I've been playing with clouds and skies in a landscape class by Diane Wright. Landscapes have always been something I've tackled reluctantly but like most things, once you break it down into smaller, more manageable sections, it become doable.

This working drawing was done on Strathmore Windpower Drawing paper that, at least for this technique, didn't please me much. There was too much tooth on the paper to allow me to blend smoothly. As a result the sky and clouds have a grainy look that I'm not happy with.

I'm having a problem getting a reasonable image of this drawing as well, either with the scanner or through a digital photo. Seems the lack of light is against me day or night lately. I was even at the point of considering buying a new camera to see if that helps with the problem, then sanity returned, albeit briefly.

I'll let my head stay in the clouds a few days longer. Its often a nicer place to be than reality.

Random acts of kindness

I'm always amazed when someone goes out of their way to do something nice for me. We have become so desensitized to other people these days, we try to shut ourselves off from the world and concentrate on ourselves.

I talked about Colorfix paper in a thread in an art forum and a friend who I have met through that forum is sending me a piece to try. I can't access this paper in Canada (that I know of) so would have to mailorder from the USA. But before investing dollars in the paper, I'd like to try a piece first. This random act of kindness is truly appreciated. She didn't have to go out of her way to do this for a virtual stranger, but she did and I will wait for it to arrive impatiently and plan what I will draw on it with coloured pencil.

Today is my youngest daughter's birthday. This sketch was done when she was about two from a tiny reference image. It was an image that was taken at a preschool group that she attended. They had a photographer, perhaps the school photographer on loan, and young madam obviously did NOT want to participate. This expression was the result. It speaks volumes.

Winter

I truly dislike winter.

I hate being cold. I hate low light levels. I hate snow. I hate seeming to live in constant artificial light both at work and at home. I dislike driving in snow and ice and having to scrape it off my car, both in the morning and sometimes when I come out from work again in the evening. I dislike wearing heavy winter coats and scarves and mittens and boots.

So I've immersed myself in summer, at least visually. This road goes off into the woods from the bottom of my driveway. It is a rough road leading far into the country, branching off to Three Island Pond, Moon Pond and Half Moon Pond as well as some country cabins. Its a walkable road, if you wear boots for wet spots, and driving is only for all terrain vehicles or snowmobiles in winter. But each summer as I come home, I face this view as the last thing I see before I turn into my driveway. It always pleases me. And on days like the one this image was taken, heat and the smell of kicked up dust as I walk invites me to go further.

Technology

I've just finished booking a flight online. Its one of those experiences that makes me almost hold my breath until its completed. I never quite trust the electronic powers that make these things happen. I feel almost giddy with relief when they work and I get the result that I want.

Of course all that are available now are electronic tickets, though I do suppose they must have some of those multilayer, red-inked, smeary hard copy tickets left collecting dust in some drawer somewhere for those individuals who have not yet joined the world of the internet. I wonder how many departments you have to shuffle through to actually find someone who remembers how to process a real ticket? Its something I can tell my soon to be born grandchild. I remember when you used to get real ticket to get on the plane - along with pleasant attendants and food and drink for free.

Here is another sketch of Tripod, the cat who thinks he's a dog. His character is unique and I do wish I knew his background and why he talks so much. I think he has a story to tell. Coloured pencil in my Moleskine sketchbook.

Seeing

"These drawings were done for one reason only. To see before I die..."
Frederick Franck

If there is one thing that I could provide people from an artistic perspective, it would be the ability to see. Really see.

Many people start a drawing with an idea in their head that goes back to childhood, based on known shape, size and colour. The object that is in front of them is immaterial in how it presents itself. It can be foreshortened, the lighting can change its colour or set shadows, but the individual will see the object in their mind's eye in a particular way.

I wish I could explain what it is like to see. From my perspective it can be almost distracting as I see shapes and colours in everything around me. I am hosting a drawing class and trying to ensure that people really see what is before them and how to translate that onto paper. Proportion and measure, light and shade become keys to a secret world that few others can see into. Its like those moments as a child when you look into a Viewmaster and see the 3D scenes but can't describe them to others. You know the objects or people or views, but they are seen through new eyes.

It isn't until you draw an object or person that you really see them. You know intimately the details and shapes and colours. Showing how to see, really see what is before you is a wonderful ability and when I see the light bulb of recognition and knowledge come on, it fills me with pleasure. For the person who realizes what they can do and for me to have been a part of that process.

This drawing is one of those teaching tools, a quick sketch from class to guide people into how to line up major reference points for measurement.

Bears

"His fur is badly worn, there is a big bald spot on the back of his head, and his joints are very weak. Should I?...turning to go, I see how disappointed the bear is. 'Please,' he says, 'I won't be any trouble.'"
Jama Kim Rattingan