Like Passing Notes in High School

 

While waiting for the clothes dryer to beep, I practiced using my stylus on the iPad.  I sat on my Hans Wegner chair at the dining table and drew my Siesta chair from the 70s (an agility test in my living room).  My iPad beeped--there was an email from my brother about a "Modernism" auction in Charlottesville VA on Saturday.  Perfect timing.  This was my response, the modern method of passing notes.  Love it.  I know, I know--I'm having too much fun.

   

Hitting the Bottle after Taxes



Bottle, iPad painting using SketchbookX

This bottle was excavated from my back yard; I've always loved the colors which can only been seen from a certain angle.  It's sitting on my kitchen desk/bar--a Danish piece bought in the early seventies (saw it on HGTV once and it was called "vintage").  The grain of the walnut is beautiful--I see cathedrals in it.  This painting was done with my fingers in the free version of Sketchbook and still needs a bit of work; I now have a stylus, like this app, and will upgrade to the Sketchbook Pro.

 

I am still enjoying my iPad.  My friend, whose enthusiam for his iPhone convinced me to order an iPad, passed away Sunday; he had helped me with setup, and his name was the first contact on my iPad.  He was in ICU for about a week.  Since he had his iPhone, I emailed a simple drawing to him each night (some are below).  He was a joy to know--an actor, a painter, a sculptor, a musician, a singer, a world-traveler.  He leaves a hole in many lives.

 

A hell of a couple of weeks--death and taxes--and the bottle is empty.    

 

 

 

 

iPad Screenshot

iPad Sunrise, in progress

Okay, I'm addicted to my iPad.  I looked at the inktense drawing I made last week (still unfinished) and painted this in SketchBookX, a free app I downloaded this morning.  This is what I worked on during Art at the Y today--I demo'd and said, "No clean up and no odor."  Neither this painting nor my inktense drawing looks like the actual photograph.  SketchBookX is a bit like the Corel Paint programs I've played with for years.  I didn't use layers here and I've never used them in Corel--not that I don't like them, I don't know what the heck they are.  LifeArtist has been working with the iPad for a while--she gives me tips.

This is my first ever screenshot--can't believe it worked.  It took many steps to get this painting posted.  I emailed the screenshot to my verizon account on our HP computer.  It was HUGE and a PNG; I opened it in Corel, made it smaller, converted it to a JPEG, and saved it to Picasa; from there I posted to my blog.  Whew!

I promise not to post every day!  These iPad works really save on storage and framing costs. 

                                                                             

First iPad Scketch



Elder, iPadding

I ordered my first app--it took a while to find it on my iPad.  Who knew it was hiding on another screen other than home.  I spent two days reading about drawing/painting apps; most had comments about problems running on the New iPad.  I'll be patient, but I just had to try one so I ordered Sketchpad for 99 cents.  With a slider I can "size" my finger, then pick colors from the wheel--that's about it--no blending, no eraser, no zoom, but there is an "undo" button.  This was fun, took about 30 minutes; I've always wanted to be loose with my drawing--this is definitely loose.   

Tied Up



Tied Up, Ink, 4x3

I've been tied up with things other than art and blogging for a while--back problems, a bit of yard work, made some business cards for a friend, got a hair cut, attended an art show opening, etc., etc.  Tomorrow I will begin gathering papers for taxes.  I will also make time to visit blogs and leave comments.

Sunrise, inktense drawing on w/c paper, 6x6

I did manage to work on this drawing at the Y on Thursday.  I had nothing in mind so my friend Terry Smith Denton offered her photos.  She evidently walks very early--like at dawn--and her farm abuts Corp property and the lake.  This was just a portion of one photo.  I haven't finished my trees and I'm not sure it looks like a lake.  The lake (known by two names--Bugg's Island Lake and Kerr Lake) looks quiet but a 143-pound catfish was caught last year.

The above photos were taken with my New iPad (hard to believe), a belated birthday gift from my husband.  He inadvertently ordered two and I convinced him we needed both--one for him; one for me.  They were delivered by UPS on Friday so I've spent the weekend setting up two iPads. Apple was helpful each time I screwed up.  I've read the manual and know how to use the keyboard now and I've played with the camera and made videos of my dog Willie.  My husband has watched a movie on his--he was aiming for DaVinci Code but accidentally rented The Descendants--for a month. I haven't bought any art apps yet but I've looked.  Any recommendations?

Here are a couple of self-portraits using the iPad.        

iPad Photo Booth--Thermal photo

iPad Photo Booth--Mirror photo (my favorite) 

The Fortune Teller



Sister SoLean, w/c on arches, 14x10

I went to Sister SoLean
Who sat against the wall 

Her table was tilted
Her hand covered the ball 

And I saw what she saw
Lillies--yellow and bold 

"The future's iffy" she said
"You've reached the age OLD" 

I put down my dollar
and jumped out of her trailor

Then went to the Pub
and danced with a sailor.

Today I am 70.  I thought I'd be depressed.  I'm not--I am just as semi-sane as I was yesterday; nothing changed.  I will admit to eating just Mrs. Smith's Blackberry Cobbler for dinner.

I've been playing with this watercolor for some time because I couldn't spend quality time in my workshop.  I was undecided--paint the faded Good Will photo of a tiny lady or paint my photo of a yellow lily on a blue bowl.  I chose both and tried everything you shouldn't try with watercolor.  Then I needed a story.

My husband's having out-patient back surgery on Monday so I may be "on-call" for a while. 



On My Easel

Title not yet chosen, 20x16 cradled panel

I've been working on this oil painting for a couple of weeks; I'm as slow as molasses in February.   Mostly, I sit in my comfortable chair and wonder what to do next--and I've eaten all the snacks that were stashed in the workshop.

Of course, there will be a logical (to me) explanation of this when I post the finished painting. 

Bugged



Bugged, watercolor on Arches, 13x14

Five years ago I dreamed I was at a party; a huge bug was attached to my back, and no one noticed.  I thought the dream was odd; I sketched it while half-asleep.

I found the sketch tucked in a drawer and began the painting three weeks ago in a playful mood.  I thought I'd try a bit of everything with watercolor--masking with torn painters' tape, washes, scrubbing, glazes, muddy colors.  As the painting progressed, however, I realized the subject wasn't really funny--that I was painting my life.  I'm always bugged by something but I smile or joke my way through--so how would anyone know I'm upset?

Art--cheaper than psychiatry.  Now I'm really bugged.

The woman looks a bit like Miss Kitty from Gunsmoke or Margaret Thatcher and has quite a long arm reaching for that wine.  I don't think wine will debug me--don't like the taste or the headache.  I'll just have to keep painting; it usually helps.

He Walked



He Walked, watercolor on arches, 10x12

I picked him up about ten miles outside town.  It was shortly after the 9/11 attack and I had been listening to CNN coverage on my car radio.  I said, "It was terrible what happened in New York."  He said, "I didn't do it." 

He didn't want me to drive him home so he got out of my car at the traffic light in town and began walking west--he had seven miles to go.  Maybe he got another ride; maybe not.

I miss seeing him on the road.  I imagine he still walks but no longer needs his cane and his back is straight.

(My mother taught me that whatever one does on New Year's Day, one does for the rest of the year so I began this painting at 10 p.m. on January 1.)

Awards and a Visit with Rembrandt

I received a comment from SamArtDog.  She said "Your blog is a treasure so I am passing along an award to you, The Liebster Blog Award."  Your words, Sam, are all the award I need.    I am honored, especially since your blog is one that I treasure. Sam has a mix of wonderful pastels, acrylics, the first iPhone paintings I ever saw, and photographs of a part of America I've never visited.  I suspect that Sam has picked up a bit of "Southern" along the way--I think she likes my stories.  Thank you, Sam.

Earlier, in November, Donna Iona Drozda named me as one of her 7 links.  That was an honor, too--Donna's blog has wonderful paintings of women and beautiful wildlife; she encourages honoring the earth and following the cycles of the moon.  I am usually slightly out of step but Donna and I read some of the same books back in the 70s so I feel part of the group.  I failed to follow through on that award, too. Thank you, Donna.

And there were some earlier awards I didn't pick up.  

Maybe I am just too content arting around here in southern Virginia and blogging about it.  The best part of blogging is what I've learned from other bloggers.   I considered adding a "No awards please" to the sidebar but it seemed a bit pretentious, especially since I hadn't received any at that time. 

Yesterday, I arted around by visiting the Rembrandt exhibit in Raleigh.  I think he may be a relative.

Rembrandt's self-portrait at age 65



My self-portrait at around 65 (white conte on black paper)

Notice the resemblence?  His portrait of his red-haired sister reminded me of myself as a child, too. 

Tonight, I've spent several hours sitting in front of the webcam, wearing a black fur hat (with the name James Hunter sewn inside), shining a flashlight on my face, trying to look like Rembrandt.  I thought it would work but the flashlight washes out my wrinkles!  Maybe I need a mustache.

I'm keeping the hat on for taking the trash to the curb.  I haven't received my down coat yet--I guess the Eddie Bauer people are hung over from the holidays.  AND I paid for shipping--should have waited; they were offering free shipping today.