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Last week was the largest lottery drawing EVER in the history of lottery drawings. A $1.5 Billion dollar jackpot had everyone fantasizing about what they would do with that kind of insane money. Myself included.
ME: One day I will win the lottery…..
The Husband: You already won it 27 years ago.
We laughed and laughed. Yes I did, my dear. Yes I did.
Still. Stoopid money like that would allow one to do so much stuff. Help charities. Travel the world. Afford tickets to the hit Broadway show Hamilton which I am currently fixated on.
I waited on the Hamilton lottery line twice to try to win $10 tix to see the show. With only about 11 pairs of tickets available and a bazillion people waiting to get them, I probably had a better chance of winning the actual powerball lottery. At which point I could have afforded to pay for real tickets to Hamilton and get to see it sometime in this lifetime. Sadly I won neither. So it’s back to whatever it is I do all day.
I’m still getting used to this new place and my re-wirement. I found a drawing/painting meetup group here and went to, so far, one meet-up. Since it’s been cold they met indoors and had a model, A clothed model. And boy was she clothed. A turtleneck sweater, a shawl over the sweater and a long skirt to her ankles. My two-minute gestural drawings looked like a potato sack with a head.
I was finally able to get the drawing above even with the handicap of having a fractured bone at the base of my right pinkie of my dominant hand. The fracture was a result of a fall while walking on an unpaved road. 4-6 weeks from now I should be splint and bandage free and able to draw with more than the first two fingers and thumb.
Once I have all 10 fingers working properly again, I’m sure it will feel like I’ve won the lottery. Woo Hoo.
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Birch Trees – approx 9×12″ on 140# Arches cold press (SOLD)
Many years ago I saw my then teacher and now friend Joan demo birch trees. I was fixated on them and while I never got a chance to paint them in a class, I never forgot them. On a recent get together I asked her to show me the demo again. Finally, I got a chance to paint birch trees. I have no idea where this fascination with birch trees comes from. It’s not like there are stands of birch trees in the middle of Manhattan. I painted this with a subtle background of blue and quin gold. The trees themselves are painted with a flat brush held flat against the paper and then dragged up the page. It was so much fun, I’m already planning another one.
More figure drawing with K this week brought us back to the Spring Street Studio. The model was a zaftig woman and was fun to draw. I got there about 5:20 for a 6:00 pm start and apologized to the owner of the studio for being so early. She looked at me quizzically and asked if I was the model. hahahahahaha. I told that to K when he showed up. He looked at me and in a droll voice said “those gym sessions are really working out for you.” Oh that K! The studio is down a flight of stairs right next to a subway. You get to hear the rumbling of the #6 train as you draw. Helps with the creativity. 🙂
Watercolor on 140 # Arches coldpress 1/4 sheet
I got to use my figures technique from the Art Students League classes by painting this man without drawing first. I first drew the shape of the man in one color similar to the technique I learned at the ASL like the ones here: https://carolking.wordpress.com/2014/05/23/fleet-week-final-figures. After the shape was right I was able to go back in and work on details.
I had to redraw his face a few times, but I must say my classes really helped improve my figure drawing. Now that’s it’s dry I’m going to go back in and darken the area behind his back to create a shadow.
Clearly he’s tired and needed a rest from schlepping those bags. I, too, need a rest…from all those Facebook quizzes. Or maybe I don’t since I’m still taking them. Let’s review: My number is “7”, I’m Water, I’m a polar bear, I should live in Amsterdam, Paris, or Barcelona depending on how many times I took that particular quiz. I could go on and on. In fact, I think I will…(sorry Bill Bryson.)
Some of my favorite quizzes aren’t about one’s personality. Some of the more fun ones are “Who said that, the Pope or Lord Voldemort?” Or: “Is it cheese or a piece of IKEA furniture?”
Sigh, I would get so much more done if I wasn’t so curious about what home I should live in, what flower I am, or which Game of Thrones house I should belong to. Here’s an article from the NYPost which talks about why these quizzes are so popular. It’s interesting, but I never read anything in the Post without a grain (or whole salt shaker’s worth) of salt. http://nypost.com/2014/02/24/why-online-quizzes-are-taking-over-your-facebook-feed/
Sadly, I also know that these quizzes are data mining…trying to find out as much as possible about me so they can then sell me stuff. It’s creepy…like the way I send an email to someone and mention oh, I don’t know, my painting and suddenly my gmail sidebar is filled with ads for watercolor paint and supplies. Big brother is always watching.
I bet this guy in the painting doesn’t own a computer or is on Facebook. He’s never taken a FB quiz or sent an email. He may be smarter than all of us. Mi amigo es más inteligente que yo.
