Patron Saint of Lost Keys and Small Things.
Reminded me of this poem by Elizabeth Bishop.
One Art
The art of losing isn’t hard to master;
so many things seem filled with the intent
to be lost that their loss is no disaster.
Lose something every day. Accept the fluster
of lost door keys, the hour badly spent.
The art of losing isn’t hard to master.
Then practice losing farther, losing faster:
places, and names, and where it was you meant
to travel. None of these will bring disaster.
I lost my mother’s watch. And look! my last, or
next-to-last, of three loved houses went.
The art of losing isn’t hard to master.
I lost two cities, lovely ones. And, vaster,
some realms I owned, two rivers, a continent.
I miss them, but it wasn’t a disaster.
—Even losing you (the joking voice, a gesture
I love) I shan’t have lied. It’s evident
the art of losing’s not too hard to master
though it may look like (Write it!) like disaster.
P. G. Wodehouse (1881–1975)
Once, when he was beginning a Wooster-Jeeves novel, he experimented with using a Dictaphone. After he had dictated the equivalent of a page, he played it back to check it over. What he heard sounded so terribly unfunny that he immediately turned off the machine and went back to his pad and pencil.
After this, according to the biographer Robert McCrum, “he might snooze a bit in his armchair, have a bath, and do some more work, before the evening cocktail (sherry for her, a lethal martini for him) at six, which they took in the sun parlour, overlooking the garden.
- From Daily Rituals: How Artists Work by Mason Currey
“He had just about enough intelligence to open his mouth when he wanted to eat, but certainly no more.”
― P.G. Wodehouse
#dailyrituals #inktober #PGWodehouse @masoncurrey
George Balanchine (1904–1983)
Balanchine liked to do his own laundry. “When I’m ironing, that’s when I do most of my work,” he once said. The choreographer rose early, before 6:00 A.M., made a pot of tea, and read a little or played a hand of Russian solitaire while he gathered his thoughts. Then he did his ironing for the day (he did his own washing too, in a portable machine in his Manhattan apartment) and, between 7:30 and 8:00, phoned his longtime assistant for a rundown of the day’s schedule.
- From Daily Rituals: How Artists Work by Mason Currey
“I like to do things certain ways and I disagree with everybody but I don't even want to argue.”
― George Balanchine
#dailyrituals #inktober #balanchine @masoncurrey
Ugh, it's been a long time since I've painted the good old Jiao... Come on, admit it, who didn't do their homework and made the teacher angry??>:( Oh yeah... An experimental palette! I don't even know if I like it or not
#14 Inktober 2023 Prompt number 26 "Remove" - I drew this picture during the #inktober event for an individual's artspace on magma.com (the word prompt to draw was "remove" for day 26). I came up with the idea to draw an RPG warrior battling a giant mosquito during his adventure. He is using OFF brand mosquito repellent spray to remove the enemy from this path (but he took damage and later is removing a Band-Aid from his arm). Drawn directly on magma.com live using an iPad pro (no pressure sensitivity and no Ai).
I have been teaching myself stippling. This is a work in progress on a birch tree bark. I've always admired birches and have strong childhood connections with them. I am a keeper of some very fond memories of our summer house and three beautiful big birch trees in the yard. I could sit under them for hours: watching the delicate leaves dance in the summer breeze; watching them turn golden during autumn; feeling my way around on their uneven bark full of valleys and crevices.
The implementation of the project for the Akademos kindergarten in Poznań has ended. The idea behind the project was to create a jungle staircase in which children will be able to cover something new every day while walking down the corridor. Many animals, reptiles, and insects are hidden in the thicket of plants. So that the number of details and small elements does not overwhelm the space, we used a black and white combination with small colorful accents, which are also to stimulate the imagination of children. Realistically painted birds are an additional decorative element, which can be a background for photo sessions.
From the cycle: How Painting Is Made :).
The concept changes over time. I "dress up" my Cuban girl sleeveless shirt several times. if you need a logo designer. tell me in a comment
Many beginnings.
Beginning 8.
Lola stared in astonishment as the water spout grew and grew and grew.
* Starting is easy, it's the middle that is often a muddle. And I won't even mention the endings. Here are some beginnings for children stories that flitter through my head.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CO2nszuBn2Z/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Many beginnings.
Beginning 3.
The mouse was going on an adventure. But he just couldn't decide what to take with him. He wanted his favorite shoes and second favorite shoes. His tennis racket and the cactus he was given for his birthday. And so he put his house on the wheels and went on an adventure in his rolly polly house.
* Starting is easy, it's the middle that is often a muddle. And I won't even mention the endings. Here are some beginnings for children stories that flitter through my head.
https://www.instagram.com/p/COktNgnhex4/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
It’s easier to remain silent for someone
whose words only ever got twisted.
(spoke in other forms though)
Running from what?
Nothing. And everything.
Until they fell off the edge - or flew-
and plunged into an epiphany where words can’t
even translate,
can’t touch you.
“Don’t you come looking for me”
on the wind.
I actually wanted to draw this on Paper but I eventually gave up and drew it digitally (I will be doing the next drawing prompts on paper to be skilled at drawing traditionally) Its a fish burger monster with tartar sauce and olive eyes.
(I had gotten some new fine-point pens last week, and I figured this was a good way to test them out.) Two very different things have been on my mind lately, maybe there's a connection? I think it's interesting how it's taken me 4 years to figure something out, become comfortable enough to open up to others about it, and then embrace it. Yet it's like living a double life, being authentic to some and keeping secrets from others. On the other hand, to the person receiving this drawing, I know I can't do anything to change the situation even though I wish I could. All I can say is I'm forever grateful for all you do, and I truly hope you decide to take advantage of all the opportunities coming your way.
April has truly started off on a high note: 3 days of warm weather (a rare occurrence in an early Chicago spring), I finally did double-backs to the floor at gymnastics, found out I won a few art contests, and I got my first COVID vaccine! It's nice to have things starting to work out, even if it is just temporarily.
I first bought some cheap soft pastels back in 2018 and did a couple of sketches. I bought a nice set of Rembrandt pastels a few months later — didn't use them. I bought some pastel pads, none if which seemed right. September 2020, I bought a couple more sets of bargain pastels and tried a couple of pieces — no good, still couldn't bring myself to use them. Jess bought me pastel pencils for Christmas — I was too scared to use them. I even bought a pad of Pastelmat which is supposed to be THE paper to use for pastel paintings in January. I was too scared to use that as well!
FINALLY, after a few unsuccessful attempts at working with watercolour (brush issues), I cast aside my fear and thought I'd mess around with pastels. Some time later, and this was the result. I've finally broken through my pastel fear-barrier.
I've got to say, I love soft pastels and I'm excited about doing more pieces in this medium.
Pentre Ifan is a megalithic dolmen located in Pembrokeshire. I sketched at a point when I hadn't sketched for some time and felt like I should. I didn't give it the time it deserved and didn't even erase the pencil marks. Definitely one I should re-sketch at some point.
I passed this old workshop numerous times going from Carmarthen to Drefach-Felindre. Eventually I parked up and took a photo so I could sketch it. I love old buildings like this which seem to be everywhere here in Wales.
In an ambiguous relationship, people's minds are always guessing. Pull a rose petal. Yes, he likes me. Pull another petal. Oh no, he doesn't like me. Even after tearing a bunch of flowers, the answer remains unclear.
This little illustration was motivated by recent changes I have experienced at work. We've been asked not to eat lunch together- even when socially distanced, due to recent outbreak of Covid 19 in our area. This captures the feel of isolation at work for me. Hope you like it!
I'm on a quest to stay positive despite current events and crazy unrest. To this end I'm meditating and seeking out positive influences every day for a week and capturing what I find in my sketchbook.
Finally done! I worked on this for most of the evening and well into the night yesterday. I was so excited to finish it. I did stencil in the letters, but it took so long to paint them in. I bought the board a couple days ago at Hobby Lobby and finished the sign around about 10 minutes ago. Let me know what you think in the comments. (I am aware that the girls foot isn’t hanging down. I’m kinda leaning towards leaving it the way it is.)
On Tuesday evening some 1000 people gather in front of the German chancellery to demonstrate. To ‘Open the borders! Safe lives! Fight Fascism!’ were called for by ‘Seebrücke Berlin’ and others. We marched along Reichstag (seat of german parliament), offices of members of parliament, Russian embassy to Friedrichstr, where a final rally was hold (this is where the sketch emerged). Seebrücke appealed to the parliament to allow at least these refugees in most urgent need to come from the inadequate camps on the greece islands to their german member municipalities, that have space and are willing to host them. German parliament yesterday refused to do so, presumably due to their fear of further rise of right wing parties. This influence was another topic, that was adressed by the demonstration, that marched against any influence of right wing and fascist parties in Europe and for an international spirit of humanity.
I tried drawing an architectural thing. I'm not good at it, but hey, gotta learn eventually! (I guess. Come to think of it, most people NEVER pick up this skill and turn out mostly OK.)
i feel to much focus is put on faces being to aesthetically perfect, or perfection in the media approach to what thats perceived to be. i enjoyed drawing a more imperfect edge to it and the use of the light beams was a cool thing to draw. the meaning was a look at self -adulation and the clamour for attention through various social platforms, being valentines day as well i feel to many people fall into that trap what promotes nothing more than a money making event. this helped form the title of "seduce her" using a medusa as a subject matter.
A Brief Pause at the Edge of Becoming
It seems I am always seeking a place to sit—
not just to rest the body,
but to settle the soul.
Yet even in stillness, Gary Brecka’s words whisper:
“The quickest way to old age
is the aggressive pursuit of comfort.”
So I do not stay long.
I walked until I found a picnic table
beneath a canopy of bare-limbed trees,
branches like open hands waiting for green.
The blue spruces nearby—
stoic, unchanged, whispering that some things endure.
I sketched.
Not perfectly. Not for anyone’s praise.
Just a mark to say: I was here.
Alive in this in-between.
Waiting. Listening.
Not for leaves—
but for something truer than comfort.
Thank you for joining me in this small noticing.
A moment borrowed from the rush.
A table. A tree. A thought.
A gift.
