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Metaxa is a type of Greek alcohol which is a blend of brandy and wine. According to their website, it has quite the history behind it. According to my family members, it is actually quite yucky and they don’t really recommend trying it.
I am beginning to settle down into a routine again, however, which is just what I need this time of year. This past summer has been too hectic for me, with a lot of fun things but also many distractions. I am looking forward to getting some serious artwork done in the next few months.
It was difficult to scan because it took up the whole 9 x 12 page. You can click on it to enlarge.
I went to Northampton on Sunday and made the top drawing of the garden while sitting outside the back entrance to Thorne’s Market. I wish I had done more actual sketching but I got really into this. By the time I spent an hour and a half on it, I wasn’t in the mood for more and I just wanted to do some shopping. Some people came up to me while I was drawing this, including a crowd of children who sort of gasped and then started watching. They were all standing around and one of the older girls said “That is really good.” and then started yelling at the younger kids for blocking my view. It cracked me up. There was also this Asian man who looked over my shoulder when I was just beginning and then he came by again after some time and said “Your composition has changed!” He said this like it was a big surprise, but I just told him that I wasn’t done yet. I didn’t do the watercolor until I was at home because I didn’t feel like lugging around more stuff with me. I have never painted while out and about and I definitely want to try it sometime this summer. I think that I would definitely have to plan it out though, to make sure that I have all necessary items with me but not too much stuff to be bulky. On Monday I went to the mall and drew the bottom sketch at Starbucks. No one was sitting there long enough for me to make a good sketch, but I got a couple of people down pretty quickly. I also did some more shopping and got some new tops that are pretty extravagent for my tastes, as well as a lime green patent leather purse which holds my moleskine perfectly. The purse is on my “things to sketch list” so you can be expecting a drawing of it within the next couple of weeks. I must have been in an adventurous mood that day. Then I came home completely exhausted and made my new header image. I had one of my first wonderful weekends in a long time and the extra day was so nice. I am now working on a pretty detailed pen and ink drawing of a woodland scene which I must finish this weekend for a looming deadline on Monday morning. If I don’t have it all done by my regular Saturday post, I will show you a WIP photo at least.
At the Radio Station, ballpoint and tombow marker, 4/10/09
Coffee, ballpoint and tombow marker, 4/10/09
This is one of my favorite Scripture passages relating to Easter and what it means for us today: When you were baptized, you were buried together with him. You were raised to life together with him by believing in God’s power. God raised Jesus from the dead. At one time you were dead in your sins. Your sinful nature was not circumcised. But God gave you new life together with Christ. He forgave us all of our sins. He wiped out the written Law with its rules. The Law was against us. It opposed us. He took it away and nailed it to the cross. He took away the weapons of the powers and authorities. He made a public show of them. He won the battle over them by dying on the cross.
Sketching at the Jiffy Lube, ballpoint and tombow N95 in Moleskine, 3/28/09
I had to get my oil changed and it is usually the busiest on Saturday mornings because that it when a lot of people have spare time to take care of mundane things (like oil changes). They told me it was going to be a bit of a wait, but I was okay with that because I had my moleskine with me. I drew the shoes of the other customers and it was an interesting people watching/sketching experience. No one noticed or blinked an eye at the fact that I was shamelessly drawing them. I think it was because I was looking down, instead of at their faces! The first one was a girl who was wearing flip flops. I still think it is too cold out for flip flops so this choice of footwear would not have been my first choice. She was driving a Honda Accord. The second person was a man with very grungy shoes. The shoes would have been very interesting to draw, but the guy himself used a lot of profanity and he kept fidgeting and stomping his feet. He was driving an Acura and (sorry to generalize about people, but) I have had some bad experiences with aggressive Acura drivers in the past! The next person was a woman wearing pink and grey Adidas sandals with socks. I am not the most fashionable person out there, but she needed a fashion intervention. I was then about to move onto the next shoe (of an Indian man wearing nice brown suede sneakers) but then they were finished with my car. I thought to myself that I wished that they had taken a little longer with my car because I wanted to finish my page!
Cool, colored pencil and marker in moleskine, February 2009
Recent conversations have made me consider all the things I have given up and am now going to get back. Generally, I make lists and check things off as I accomplish them. Sometimes when I need a pick me up, I write lists of things that I have already accomplished. -I took the weekend off from art so I could shop and socialize (Saturday and Sunday!).
-Yesterday I watched TV for the first time in months and I drank 2 whole bottles of beer.
-I have begun to go to the gym again to maintain my (nice) body.
-I have been doing actual visual journaling in my sketchbooks.
-I am becoming more okay with “wasting” time.
Today must not be a souvenir of yesterday, and so the struggle is everlasting. Who am I today? What do I see today? How shall I use what I know, and how shall I avoid being victim of what I know? Life is not repetition. -Robert Henri
Bread Assortment, Tombow Pens in sketchbook, January 2009
Pottery on Marble Pedestal, Tombow Pens in sketchbook, January 2009 Markers are a fast way to get some really bright colors in your sketchbook and the permanence of them is also an exciting challenge. These are some recent sketches done with my Tombow dual brush pens. I really love the range of colors that these markers come in. I bought the entire set over 5 years ago, and they are just starting to get worn and frayed tips. I usually use the brush tip, although there is also a fine line tip on the other side. There is a colorless blender available, but I find that the best way to work is to test the colors you are going to use on a seperate piece of paper to avoid mishaps caused by choosing the wrong color. These are available in open stock, as well as sets of various colors so you can replace individual markers as they get worn. If you are looking for a good brand of watersoluble markers, I would consider these.
Gift Bag, graphite in 9 x 12 sketchbook, 12/26/2008 12/25 sketchbook (Christmas breakfast), graphite and pitt pens in 9 x 12 sketchbook, 12/25/2008 With these two drawings, I finished my sketchbook. I can’t help but feeling excited about it because this sketchbook has been dragging on since 2006. Granted, I wasn’t doing much drawing at all during 2007 as I had that hand issue. I have completed half the pages since August because I have been drawing so much! I know that if I continue at the same rate that I have been for the last few months, I will finish my future sketchbooks a lot faster. I also don’t draw on both sides of the page because I don’t want to have a problem with graphite or colored pencil rubbing onto another drawing, or ink bleeding through the page. If someone decides to disassemble my sketchbooks in the future to frame the pages, I don’t want another drawing to be on the other side. I want my sketchbooks to remain in one piece though, much to the chagrin of my family members who want me to rip out a page and give it to them. This weekend I plan to do some more sketching and work on writing my 2009 art goals. I am glad that Christmas is over because now I have some time to do some artwork for me, without all the pressure to get things done for other people. |
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Copyright ©2012 Carolyn A Pappas - All Rights Reserved |
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