Saturday's Workshop

I did some shopping today. First at the dollar store and then at Michaels Craft Store. I will be going to a watercolor workshop on Saturday for 6 1/2 hours. I hope to make it thru the whole time, but it will depend on how my leg holds out. I had to get the supplies for the class. I couldn't find a couple of the items. I have no idea what a Robert Simmons Goliath #36, 789 series brush is. I didn't find it.

It has been some time since I oil painted. I think most tubes of paint at that time were $3-$7. Not too many were more than that. I have bought only little kits of paint since that time. I have one for watercolor, water based oils, and acrylics. But I had no idea how much paint prices had gone up. And for watercolor, at Michaels, they only had the little sample sized tubes. Those were about $4. I used to get those for about a dollar. And I thought painting was expensive back then (late 70s and 80s).

It's just like clothing patterns. I used to buy any pattern that I really liked. A lot of time I never used them. By the time I looked them over again, I didn't like them any longer. Or I made (or started) an outfit and didn't like the pattern. Money for the pattern and material down the drain. Now for the price of the material and pattern, it is cheaper to buy clothes already made.

I remember when patterns were only a few dollars. We thought it was awful that Vogue patterns were so much more (about $10). Now the other patterns are that much or more. We didn't buy many Vogue patterns back then. It was just McCalls or Simplicity.

When I made my clothes back then, it was so that I could have more clothes. They were cheaper to make. I worked at a bank and many of the young girls would buy a new outfit almost every Friday to wear.

Now I make my tops because I can't find ones that fit right. Sleeves are too short, the bottom is too short, and they are tight across the hip and bust. Do the designers really think they want to see bodies like mine in short shirts with excess stomach showing underneath? Hardly likely. And I would rather be covered. I don't want to scare myself every time I walk past the mirror.

But as art came into my life, my other interests went out the door. I have little time for crochet, knitting, sewing, or reading. When I am not doing art, I am usually on the computer researching art or looking at art. As my hands have a lot of arthritis, the crafts became painful to do. I am so lucky that it isn't causing a problem yet with my art.

I am anxiously awaiting the workshop. It is being held by one of my plein air buddies at the Art Association that we belong to.

Random Acts of Kindness

I was browsing Anita Davies' blog and found a post that I thought was a good idea. It is doing three random acts of kindness, that will be passed on by my 3 recipients to three more each. Here is what was on Anita's blog:

I have pledged to take part in a Pay It Forward Exchange. It is based on the concept from the movie "Pay it Forward" where three acts of kindness are carried out without expecting anything in return. Each recipient from those acts of kindness must then select three different people who they, in turn, do an act of kindness for and the process repeats over and over sending one huge wash of kindness around the world.

Interested?

Here is how it works: Send me an email with your snail mail address, typing Pay It Forward in the subject line. My email is g.jeanne@gmail.com.

*Please remember that you must be prepared to send three acts of kindness on to other people when you do this.

I promise to create a small gift for the first three people who email me requesting to join in on the Pay It Forward exchange.

I will anounce my three people on my blog. The 3 people must then post on their own blogs promising 3 different people an act of kindness gift. (You must have your own blog to be able to participate).

Please allow 4-6 weeks for me to make and send my gifts to you.

Gifts can be anything that is handmade or painted/drawn by your own hand.

Thanks, Jeanne

Thursday

I did some shopping for groceries today. Now my ankle and knee are sore. But I have to have groceries to maintain my girly figure (maybe two girls). The store is too large but has nice prices. And I needed quite a few things. This was my first trip to this store since my surgery. Hopefully I won't have to go again very soon.

I haven't done any art today. I plan to take my stuff with me to bed and sit and work on a couple postcards for the exchange. That is if sleep doesn't take over.

More from The Cottages

Scavenger Hunt #75

Can you believe we are on #75? Amazing. I missed most of the ones during my surgery and for about a month after. I used to finish them all, but lately I have only finished one. That felt good. Here is my #1 something yellow and Challenge #1 something in the primary colors. I have decided to take my time this hunt and not rush thru. I like the way this one came out. This is done with watercolor using a waterbrush and my Koi Watercolor Pocket Field Sketch Box.

Sorry for being absent

It wasn't planned. My absence I mean. I have had some computer problems. My computer has too much on it and is getting really slow.

I have been doing some artwork tho. I did one at my plein air outing on Wednesday. We went to a place called The Cottages. It is some small cottage-style houses that have been converted to little shops for food and boutiques. The one I drew was a day spa.

The cottages were built around 1950 and have a quaint look that you don't find in today's buildings. They aren't perfect but do have some nice details. The back of one with an upstairs has a wrought-iron staircase with blue doors top and bottom. Very cute. Very complicated with the staircase.

Here is the one I did for my outing and a photo of the blue doors. I took the photo of the spa place from a little bit different angle than my drawing but it gives you the general idea of what it looked like.

More postcards

More from the postcard exchange

Wetcanvas Problems Today

I guess Wetcanvas is doing maintenance today. I haven't been able to get online at all today. It's not just me as JoanT hasn't been able to get online today either. And she is hosting the scavenger hunt which ends tomorrow. Must have been frustrating to her as she has to use a computer at the library.

I surfed most of the day looking for free art lessons. I found a couple that look promising.

I mailed two more of my postcards for the trade project today. One to Canada and one to the US. I have only 8 more to do. But I have an Easter card to do before long. The 20th we will get the name of our recipient. I haven't even started thinking or planning what I will do for that one.

Then I will start my Masters art trade cards. Those we have a year to finish, so I hope another trade will start before that one has to be finished. I have two of those cards finished.

Here is one of the drawings I did for the postcard exchange. Some of my cards were graphite drawings and the rest have been colored pencil.

Internet trouble.

I haven't been able to get online all day. I called my server, and he said he has had calls all day. For some reason each persons computer could not read either their name or passworld when they went to sign on. We had to reinput them. I also am having trouble with Outlook Express which is the program I use for my email. As soon as I sign on to Outlook, my computer knocks me off the internet. Always something. You just get one thing figured out and something else happens. I think there are little computer bugs in each computer that sit up all night figuring something new to cause you grief.
I did another self portrait but was not happy with it. I decided not to post it and have to look at it over and over.
I went out with my plein air group today for the first time since October. We went to the Bakersfield Museum of Art. We have been there a few times. I took pictures of the trees outside the main grounds. There were no flowers blooms so no new pictures inside the grounds. It was also so cold I couldn't sit and draw. I did one really quick sketch, and then moved out into the sunlight. I wore two pairs of pants, two tops, two pairs of socks, and a sweatshirt and gloves. Still cold. But at least I made it to one outing. Now maybe it will get easier to attend. It is still so much walking so it will depend on where they go each week. And how far I have to carry supplies and a chair.

Self Portrait Day 20

Here is my latest. I did it tonight. I'm pretty happy with this one. Finally, hubby said it looks just like me. I agree that it looks like me except for two things. I smile more than these show, and I don't wear glasses except when I read or am on the computer.

Back to Self Portraits

I finished another self portrait today. I didn't want to sketch my hair so decided to work on it after my shower with my hair in a towel. I like this one ok. Better than the last one.

No progress

I haven't done any more self portraits. Hopefully tomorrow. I did work on two postcards. I didn't really like either. This one is growing on me a little. I don't like the different colors on the rocks. Not sure it will get traded or not.