Another countdown

#Six: Visit cemetries

I have visited a cemetery twice with Steve and enjoyed it. It's one of his favourite places, but I didn't think I'd like to be there as much as I did. One can either have a philosophical discussion or merely just take in the ambience.This one, although just off a very busy road in London, was peaceful, quiet, wild flowers all abuzz with bees, rustling of leaves, and the many gravestones, although old and almost unreadable, felt comforting. (I drew this last Summer while I was there). Will go again soon.

#Seven: Relish my 'joie de vivre'

I do have an incredible joy of life, and try to relish it as often as I can.

#Eight: Brag more about my granddog

This I do very very often.

#Nine: Go dancing

We had a few dances at Mark and Carla's boat party but I was so ill I couldn't enjoy it much. Maybe we will try an afternoon 'tea dance' as they have in London for the oap's (old age pensioners). I should fit in well there as I am one of them now!

#Ten: Fight the bulge

I fought the bulge, won and then lost again!

Towards the end of 2006 I was told by the doctor to lose about 12 pounds for my cholesterol. So I joined Weight Watchers (on line) and lost 9 of those, feeling great and looking good.I have put them all on again these past 6 months, so will endeavour to re-join WW and get rid of them (for my health's sake, not because I want to).

#Eleven: Do more drawing/painting

Thanks to the wonder of blogland, I have done this thoroughly and will continue to do so. I just need to pluck up the courage to go to some more art courses (the last one with the 'Weasel' was a fiasco and hurt my confidence a lot). But I have so much to learn.

#Twelve: Fall in love again

We have become so bogged down in our daily lives that we hardly even notice each other anymore. I realised this had happened a lot to us recently. We were in a rut and knew it. I began to get that familiar old feeling of being 'closed in'. But, somehow the magic of that day on the beach watching our son getting married seemed to make us both realise how much we had drifted apart, and now we are definitely back on track, 'seeing' each other again. Hope it lasts.(Of course, 2 hours on a nudist beach helped a lot too!)

Tangent: Thanx Scott

A few weeks ago Scott (another new blogging friend) asked people to send him pictures of their hands, as this is what he draws, in an innovative and very interesting way.

You know me, always up for something new, so I sent him this picture. I am crocheting a handbag with recycled plastic bags, as an example to show my knitting group at school.

I love my crocheting and make baby blankets for a charity called Cuddles (for stillborn and premature babies).
This is a picture of my latest batch waiting to be sent. I usually do 6 0r 7 at a time in one parcel.

Scott has drawn my hands for IF: Blanket.

Scott is a very interested in all wildlife, and loves whales. He is training to be a volunteer on whale trips. Isn't that exciting? Please check out his fabulous photos on his site.

Thanx so much Scott, this is a terrific drawing, and I really like it.

This is turning into a fun 'arty' 60th weekend for me!!!

Tangent: Backwards

Life is a tightrope.

Precarious balance.

Nothing is certain.

All can be lost.

Are you going forwards or backwards in your life?

Today I am going backwards.

IF: Backwards

Tangent: Pencil cactus

Last week while sitting in the back bedroom -which has become my 'studio' - and 'beavering' away at some pencil sketches, I looked up and saw Senita, serene and statuesque, looking down on me in a somewhat haughty manner, as if to say 'what about me?'
So, I found another piece of paper and sketched her. She is tall, dignified and proud, and I hope this sketch shows some of her qualities.
She has become very much part of that room where all my art 'thingies' lie strewn about, and I enjoy greeting her every day when I go in there to potter around.

Happy Cactus Monday!

Tangent: Practise again

I tried to copy this interesting man from the 'Please Draw Me' site.

He has a 'Charlton Heston' look about him (for those of you old enough to know who CH is.)

Fifty-five: Practise, practise, practise

I have spent the last eight hours trying to draw and paint these people on the site I've joined, where you put up your own picture, which others draw, and you try to draw them too. I must say in my defense that I'd never done a portrait before two weeks ago!

I am determined to get them to look like themselves eventually, so for now it's apologies all round and practise, practise, practise.

Tangent: Draw your teacher

I was so thrilled when Lynn decided to draw me, so I asked my class of 5/6 year olds to draw me today, and these are some of the (best) results.

One even drew Snuffles (I took her to school last year to do a lesson on 'caring for your pets').

All quite different, yet all seem to capture my large earrings, prominent glasses, short hair and (hopefully) joie de vivre!

Thanx Lynn, I love the picture!

Fifty-two: Laugh at myself

It is very important to be able to laugh at oneself!
I do it frequently!

I've just been invited by Kim to join his new blog 'Please Draw Me'.

You post a photo of yourself on it, then other people draw you and you draw them....
I'm always ready to try something new, so I did.

This is the first drawing done of me...it's a total giggle. a whizz. an all round hoot.....

Thanx Joe I love it, am off to draw some of the others.

Why don't you all join us?

Tangent: Burlesque club #2

My Burlesque club experience evoked some interesting comments.

Ellis suggested that I draw this.

Your wish is my command oh master!

What a giggle I had doing it, mixture of paints and soft pastels and just messing around....

Forty-Three: Experiment with collage

Yesterday afternoon just before Neil mowed the lawn taking all the leaves with it, I scurried round collecting some.

As you can see, I hastily laid some newspaper on the carpet, and proceeded to 'play' with paint and leaves and stuff.

Snuffles was extremely interested in the whole process and wondered why she wasn't allowed to join in.

I didn't actually stick the leaves down, merely laid them around, then took a photograph.
I quite like this effect.



Then I painted it, using only kitchen towel, sponge and aluminium foil, scrunched up, to daub the leaves, with a roughly sloshed tree trunk.

Of course, I like the more precise one above, but I suppose you, my critics, will prefer the lower one, which looks like no glasses and using my left foot!

Mmmm, I wait with bated breath....

Tangent: No glasses, left hand

Ellis suggested that I tried to paint this again, without my specs and using my left hand. I also tried Teri's 'spongey' method of doing leaves.
All in all, messier, umm...too similar...umm...don't like it....umm....not much else to say.
Except - maybe next time I'll paint it with my eyes closed!

Tangent: NO art class

I woke up feeling 'under the weather' on Saturday, so decided NOT to put myself through another 'weasel' session.
Instead I painted this, and rather liked the result.
It is the house across the road, viewed from an upstairs bedroom.
I tried doing the autumn leaves with a scrunched up piece of roller towel (kitchen paper) and it worked.
I also tried doing the walls using a toothbrush to get a 'speckled' effect, which wasn't too good, so I slopped white acrylic over it.
I played around with the windows,as they were completely flat and uninteresting at first.
It was a very satisfying exercise.
Certainly more satisfying than any art lesson I've attended in the past weeks.
Please give me some comments on how I could've improved it.

Tangent: The Weasel

This is the nickname I've given the teacher at my 10 week art course.
In fact this picture makes him look quite hip and 'together', but this is not how he comes across at all.
He is shaky, sweaty, dandruffy and nasty! he doesn't inspire me at all.

Never mind, 3 down, only 7 to go!

Tangent: Extremes #2

Lynn said she'd like to see this in colour.
Here it is.

Of course the 'weasel' would say 'Bold, too bold!'

I wonder which one is better!

Tangent: Extremes (IF)

Having just posted an item about Johari's Window, and thought about the adjectives that desciribe me, I looked back at an old drawing I had done ages ago, and decided to post it for 'extremes' as it shows some of the extremes in my personality over the past 60 odd years!
Luckily I didn't reflect on Nohari's Window!
IF: Extreme

Tangent: Lesson #3

Am feeling a lot more positive after today's lesson.

I now know that my style is 'bold' and it probably won't change.

I'm actually okay with this.

The 'weasel' was nicer today to all of us, but that's because he wants us to fill in an evaluation form next week about him and the course.

Prick!!

Tangent: Getting better

Had another go,
copied four nude men from the my Library book,
this one seems the best.
He's rather 'yummy'.

Forty: Sort out my cholesterol

I got a book out of the Library today about drawing nudes. This was after a very unsuccessful art lesson, where we had to draw some vases, plants and an ugly shop mannequin all intertwined, and I could'nt do it.
Any of it.
What a frustrating 2 hours that was.
So, I've spent the evening trying to draw nudes and this one is the best so far.
It got me thinking about my cholesterol (which was coming down nicely and has now flown right up again). HDL's and LDL's have obsessed me for the past year and I decided that- before I hit 60 - I will somehow manage to get this bloody 'number' down to a 'normal' level, or die trying!!!!

Not funny FY!!

Tangent: Pandora's Box (IF)

'Finally she could stand it no longer. One day when everyone was out she crept up to the box, took the huge key, fitted it carefully into the lock and turned it. She lifted the lid to peep in but before she realised it the room was filled with terrible things: disease, despair, malice, greed, old age, death, hatred, violence, cruelty and war. She slammed the lid down and turned the key again...keeping only the spirit of hope inside. '

Are

YOU

sure

you

want

to

open

your

box?

IF: Open

Tangent: Practise

He said,' go home and practise'.

So I did.

Charcoal and chalk.

It felt good.