Surviving the Pandemic

Just before the quarantine I finished the painting my son has been waiting for since the end of the sailing season last year.  He picked it up and two days later we are in for the duration.  Here's the one I finished....

It actually only took two days once I finally settled on the view I wanted, should have done thumbnails.  Oh well, I have several papers ready to use for collage.

Now that we are in for the duration I've managed to get more clutter cleared.  That is a constant task.  And I'm getting back to some art that hasn't been happening.  I'm also catching up on reading and working on my memoir.  

I hesitate to call it a memoir because it's more stories about the people I grew up with than it is about me.  I'm writing it for the next generation because there are so many interesting stories that I remember and I regret that I didn't record my dad telling his stories.  The next generation may not be interested but just in case, I want them to know their family.  

Still Working On The Quick Ones

And I've only missed a couple days this month.  Hopefully I will get one done every day in March.

I'm almost at the end of this sketch book and that's another thing I am happy to say because usually when I get near the end I'm anxious to start a new one so I leave the end pages empty.  And isn't that wasteful!?  And I am anxious to get into one that will take color better so I'm especially pleased with myself.

Here are a few more of the February sketches.... all the black and white parts done in under 10 minutes, adding the color took more time.  My goal is to get the initial sketch down in under 10 minutes, take a photo for color and add that later.

Of course if I'm with friends who also paint I can take more time which is what I do when I paint with my "Tuesday Painters" buddies.  I still try to work fast but not as fast as the morning sketches.  Here are a couple of my Tuesday pieces....

More Quick Ones and a Tuesday Painters piece

First a thought....


I've continued doing my quick ones, usually in the morning and trying to do them in under 10 minutes.  Some turn out quite nice, some not so much but the goal is to improve.  I believe I can do it which is why the above quote seemed appropriate.

Here are a few of the morning sketches done this month...

and one of my Tuesday Painters pieces

Sketching and Stitching

 This one was the start of a daily quick sketch practice.  My first few were things on my table in the morning.

Then, anticipating some travel with friends I decided I needed to practice capturing scenes quickly.  I got out some photos from previous travels and set a stopwatch working toward 5 or 6 minutes.  Still working toward consistently getting it and having fun trying.

Vivien was on our anniversary and the sketch is the view as we arrived there that morning.  We did a Viking Cruise which I highly recommend.

I also managed to stick to stitching on a patch in the evening while my spouse and I watched a movie on TV.  Netflex and Prime have good selections.

All this and I managed to clear a lot more clutter from my studio.

So Far, A Good Start

But then it's only been a week.  Well, really a week and a half and I did do one art journal page last week.

And this week got two new grunge journals ready to go.

I did get images of all of the Tuesday Painters' work this week.  

Elaine worked on the gnomes she started last week

 Mary did her tea mug

 I did Connie's hat

 and Beth worked on her gnomes from last week

And Connie watched but she does draw sometimes.

I'm still working on this week's stitched piece and will post it next week. Cleared more clutter from the studio and almost have all of Christmas put away.  It's been a good week.

A New Year and New Practices

Evenings we have been watching movies and I can't just sit and watch.  So getting ready for 2020 I cut 6 inch squares from old jeans and backed them with a stabilizer.  My plan is to stitch on one a week.  This is the start of this weeks.

A new practice with my Tuesday Painters group will be to photograph everyone's work. I'll have to put a reminder on my phone because I usually don't scan or photograph mine until a day or two later.  Here are the two I did at the end of December.

And finally... an Art Journal.  I have long been intrigued with the idea and have looked at many but so far hadn't found zeroed in on just what mine would be.  Finally I decided to ignore what everyone else is doing, just start and see where it goes.  Here's January 1, the quote seemed appropriate for a start.  I haven't done today's yet.

And, as always.... clearing clutter.  Resolve this year to actually purge and clear and keep it clear.  We'll see how that goes.

A Sad Day

I'm feeling so many emotions today that make it hard to write.... yet I need to.  I don't have a painting to go with it... except maybe these two....

The house he grew up in was the same one I grew up in... and today the new owners tore it down.

He was an only so it was easy for him to keep it and raise us there.  But there were three of us, his children and only one still lived there.  Only one could have saved it, but she chose not to try.  And she blames the other two of us for selling it.  Today I'm not liking her very much but I'm sure I will get past it.