A Conversation from Yesterday

"I have to go to California again." Mr. P told the kids.

"Ahhh, tsk......" replies 4 of 4 who is 8 years old.

"Sorry, but I have no choice, but I won't be gone long." Mr. P. says.

"Did you not do a good enough job the last time you were down there?"

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We went skiing yesterday.  I use the term we loosely though.  We did all go, but I didn't actually ski.  I was the anchor in the ski lodge sipping coffee and working on one of my paintings.  When someone wanted to come in I was there.  Just as Mr. sits in the sun in California sipping cool drinks for our benefit, I sit in the ski lodge for my family even though I'd rather be skiing like them;-)

I used to ski.  I learned when I met Mr. P.  Even after many, many years of lessons and skiiing, it scared me then and scares me even more now.  I hate the heights of the chair lifts, the bitter cold winds while swinging up above crazy daredevils down below.  I quiver at the thought of staring down a steep, steep ice laden hillside.  I think about the broken leg and surgery that 1 of 4 had to endure with just a small fall from a very slow speed a few years back.  And darn it....I had to miss it all.

Bottom Line Group~Jan 28, 2011

Graphite on paper

Today I had better luck with the short poses and not so much with the longer afternoon ones.  The room was stifling and it was making some of us sleepy!

Teddy vs Horace

It's funny how sometimes the best art days are ones in which you don't actually make art at all!

My last post was a downer.  I was ready to kill "Teddy" (the monster that drives me artistically) and try to live a normal, non-artistic life.  He must know a few monsters and pulled a few strings which in turn fed my ego enough to coax me to continue creating for a while longer.  Who controls Teddy I'd like to know.  God I suppose.

What did it take to inflate my deflated ego?  Three unrelated things happend.  One of my paintings made somebody cry.....in a good way that is (at least I think they liked it.  They either said it was beautiful or beanful.  I'm not sure which, it was hard to read the handwriting), someone took my business card from a display over many others and I was chosen as the "Featured Artist of the Month" on the Figureworks website for February.  If you want to see it, don't go there now because it's not February yet!  This is a great thrill for me as it is a large group of very talented artists, many of whom are actually professional, full-time, artists!  This all should get me through to the end of the day when "Horace" my self doubt monster gets the upper hand again and knocks me back down to the place where I belong.

It was -32 celcius (-25.6F) this am and I tried the boiling water toss and it worked!  It even came with the oh so cool sound effects.  I think the boiling water toss should be a new winter olympic event.  It's more entertaining than most.

This Week

In Progress

Coloured Pencil

In Progress

Oil

Graphite on paper

Bottom Line Group

Graphite on paper

Bottom Line Group

I was in a mood when I drew the last drawing at the lifedrawing group on Friday.  I had been thinking about what's going on in the city and having a very bad art day. 

One of the kids friends was murdered just before Christmas and had his body dumped in the street downtown in China town.  He was a good kid.  Three of the accused are now out on bail and one fled the country. 

A man has been running up behind women on the street in areas I frequent and knocking them on the head with a hammer then running away. 

 A 16 year old got pulled into an SUV and raped. 

One of our neighbours who we've gotten along very well with, has just been dragged away by the police and charged with possession of child pornography.  Mr. P. says he won't trust my internal alarms anymore.  There are others I don't trust alone with my kids, but he didn't send out any weird vibes at all.  All that being said, he has only been charged and not taken to court yet, so he's innocent until proven guilty.  Yet I'll not leave my kids alone with him.  Funny thing is, I always felt better when he would be out with his dog when the kids were playing because I had a good feeling about him.  

Anyhow, it was one of those weeks when you wonder why the hell God put you here and why you bother to stay!  What I'm supposed to contribute to society.  I suppose if nothing else then at least being a Mom should be reason enough, but our country values that job description least of all.  It's their belief that government can do even that better.  I just wish they'd stop trying to be everything and focus on capturing hammer weilding hooligans before they bop any more women on the head.

If you are ever in need of a lift or a giggle you can find it at:
Tattytiara,  Whomever the writer is seems wonderfully bizzare and you should check it out for yourself.  Go.....now.  Seriously.

The New Me

Mr. P.

I just spent the last couple of hours writing a long post on pragmatism.  I will spare you this and just say the following.....

Ultimately although I believe I am who I am, I will try to be who I could be even if I don't believe I ever can be what I should be.

S.

My Sister's Clone

My daughter "Three of Four", is a clone of my sister "Very Yucky".

When you have children you would expect some familial resemblances.  It's just suprising to me how much of a role genetics plays in the development of offspring.  Things you think couldn't possibly be explained by your genes such as how you eat a carrot.  Very Yucky eats around the core then the center.  She eats O Henry chocolate bars the same way.  When we were kids she used to rub her flattened palm on the carpet.  This used to drive me nuts like nails on a chalkboard.  Three of Four also finds these things entertaining as well.  What's that you say?  She probably learned them from Very Yucky?  No, not possible.  She only sees her every few years and has never watched her preforming any of these entertaining past times and none of my other kids do these things.

It really hit home this morning when we were discussing dusting off the ice skates and making our way down to the Rideau canal for a skate.  I grew up along side the canal and lived on skates.  I'd go every day after school and spend much of my weekend on the worlds longest skateway.  Very Yucky did not.  Oh sure, she did skate occasionally, but as she grew older would turn down my invitations to join me.

This morning "Three of Four" informed me she didn't want to skate because skates hurt her ankles.  I felt like Jimmy Stewart in Vertigo.  The only difference in the phrasing of her rejection was that she said her ankles hurt her, not that she has weak ankles like Very Yucky so often said.

There are worse things than living with your sister then her clone for most of your life.  Like nursing your infant daughter and looking down into her face only to see the clone of your Father in law looking back at you.  Now that one creeped me out.

Vicki Goes Golfing and Bottom Line Group

I'm not sure where this is, but apparently Vicki likes golfing.  Who knew.

The male model brought his dog today for the afternoon session.  She was quite well behaved, but anytime anyone would go near the snack table she was there in a flash so she didn't make it into any of the drawings.  The afternoon poses were long poses.

The female model in the morning session wore goggles and a bike helmet which was quite awful to draw.  This morning session was short poses ranging from 2 minutes to the longest being 15 minutes.

Sandy,


I forgot my sunglasses and sunscreen. Had to eat lunch in the shade. The sacrifices I make for my family :=)


Love


Mr. P.
 
***************
 
Mr. P
 
I'm letting the dog sleep with his butt on your pillow.
 
S.

Dear .......

Sandi;

 Vickie and I are now walking around in summer clothing.


How did the dishwasher thing go?

Mr. P.
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Mr. P;


The dirty dishes await your return.



S.

P.S. I think the coffee machine is broken. When I got up this morning the pot was cold and empty. Also, the dog was still in the house and not out for his walk. Isn't it weird these things always happen only while you're away!


P.S.S. You suck for mentioning the warmth were I can't be!

P.S.S.S.  How do you work the coffee pot again?
 
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To answer a question posted by Sandy, Ms. Vicki is my world traveling underwear who is dusted off everytime my husband goes on a business trip that I can't go on.....which is always.  She's gone to Japan, Korea, through the States, France, England and Germany to name a few.

As for the suggestions, thanks.

Kurt, but that's my norm.

Jennifer Rose, I did think about another one in my ear.  Hmmm...... And Mr. P wouldn't notice that.  A friend gave me earrings one year and he ask her why since I didn't have my ears pierced.  Not only did I have them done, but did so since I was a teen.  No tattoos though.  I like change too much.

Tattytiara, I'm on it.

Also, I made brownies last night at 9:30 then ate them!  Isn't that wild;-)  (And yes Mr. P, I turned the stove off!)

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A quick note to my parents who got their internet and phone access 2 days earlier than expected....I was only kidding when I said I was thinking about what I could do that I wasn't allowed to when I was alone for the first time.  Really, I was thinking what else I should study and what housework needed to be done.

While The Cat's Away.....

I remember the first time I got to stay home alone when I was a kid.  I was elated.  I have to admit though, the first thing to pop into my head was, "what can I do that I'm not usually allowed to."  I can tell you this now secure in the knowledge that my parents won't have their internet up and running for a couple of more days as this is something I never made known to them.  That being said, I never did do anything I wasn't supposed to.  Lucky parents.  I was such an angelic child.

The second thing to cross my mind when I found out that Mr. P was going to California.....yes, the second as the first was, awwww!  Really?  Do you have to go?  I'm gonna miss you soooo much!  Anyhow, the second thing I said to myself was, "what can I do that I can't when he's here."

One previous time when he was on an extended journey these thoughts crossed my meager mind resulting in the purchase of two pet rats.  He was not impressed upon his return.  What did I learn from this?  Never leave evidence.  Whatever I decide to do has to be gone from the house before his return.

I have considered a number of things such as the following:

I could take up smoking or drinking while he's gone.  I don't like alcohol and cigarettes aren't appealing so that one won't make the list.

He hates wasting electricity and insists all lights be turned off except for one bleak bulb lighting whatever room we're huddled in.  I was thinking maybe I would turn on all the lights in the house and run from room to room without turning a single light off.  I may leave on the tv's and radios just for fun  (This is afterall, how I grew up!)  The only problem with this is the cost of hydro in our province is so sinfully high that it might cut into my cafe budget and I won't give up my coffee shops!  So that one's a no go too.

Hmmmm.  I know!  I won't shave my legs!  That's it!  That ones good.  Maybe I'll even be wild and leave my arm pits fuzzy too!  That's a good one.   What else, what else.....

Any suggestions keeping in mind I have 4 youngish kids in the house?  I mean, there's wild and then there's wild.

Progress On Not Kurt

It's coming along slowly.  I hate working on the pants.  I've not done denim before and don't like it.   I was working the bullfrog in pointillism today.  His head is made up of so many specks of colours on top of his eyes it's the quickest way to deal with it.  I love pointillism and would love to work a whole painting that way some day.  Jennifer Rose over at Fuzzy Dragons has some examples on her site if you go fishing through.  If you click on her link you will see todays post which features her giving CPR to a small toy cow.  I donno.  She's an artist, what can I say;-) 

Looks like yet another monster storm is heading up the Eastern coast and will pass to the south of us again.  WooHoo!!  It's also not a bad temperature here which is good since all of my mittens have been stolen by various offspring.  Today I could only find one and went for a good brisk hour long walk home from the coffee shop with one hand mitted and one in my pocket.  You getting it in your neck of the woods "Ms. Very Yucky"?

Ms. Vicki just stripped down to her skivvies  and is ready to go to California with Mr. P.  I remove all of her jewelry before she goes so they don't get misplaced on the trip.  Hopefully she'll be sporting a couple of new pins when she gets back.

2 minute sketches.....and yes that's a chain pierced through his.....junk.

5 minute sketches.

One of my favourite models was at the life drawing group today.  Unfortunately he was sitting behind me drawing and not modeling.  The guy on the wang leash is a good model, it's just I'm a little grossed out by him.  That being said, he seemed to be quite enjoying himself today as became apparent about half way through the last pose.  I drew it as it stood.  (Not pictured here.)

The afternoon model was another that I tend to have a more difficult time drawing.  She has an odd shaped head and it always throws me off.  She came to peek at my drawing as well as my friends and had a laugh at them.  I won't post the picture just for that reason.  Personally I wasn't going for funny, and neither were the others so....

Well, Mr. P. picked Ms. Vicki to go to California instead of me.  He made sure to book an appointment with a repairman when he's gone so I'd have to be here instead of there.  Big dummy.  Plus there was the whole not being able to leave little kids at home alone for a couple of days with just a bowl of food, water and kitty litter like you can a cat.  Not that I'd trade them in though.  I hate cats!

I received my copy of the OPE zine today which is nothing short of a miracle since it was just mailed out Monday, or so Kurt says if we are to believe him.  From what I know of the Canadian mail system and of the American one from what I see on Seinfeld, I'm thinking they didn't get mailed at all.  Teleportation.  That's the only plausible answer.

I've put it on my art table along side my current project for inspiration.  So far it hasn't worked.  I keep picking it up and reading "just one more page" and can't get a thing done.  If you haven't purchased a copy then it's your loss.

Mr. P. just a minute ago informed me that he may have to travel to Xxxxx California sometime in the next couple of weeks. The conversation went as follows,

"Oh, I just found out I may have to travel to California sometime in the next couple of weeks." he says calmly and casually.

"GASP!!!!  SCREAM!!!  I WANT TO GO!!!! I reply

"It's not for sure yet though." he answers peeling me off his face.

"I have to go!  It has Beach in it's name.  That has to be good.  Pick me, pick me, not Ms. Vicki this time." I request.

I googled it and indeed it looks lovely with palm trees and sun and warmth.

"Damn it! I almost forgot, we have kids."  [sigh] The people who watch the kids when we are away are themselves in someplace warm and sunny not anywhere near here.  [weeping and gnashing of teeth]

I hate Ms. Vicki.

Like an exclamation point at the end of this are my kids.  In the background as I type fighting like there's no tomorrow.  Yes, I love them.  I'm lucky to have them, but damn!  Yes Mom and Dad, I used a swear word.  Twice.

One Christmas card.....so many surprises!

I've never had a Christmas card with that word in it before.  Thanks for the laugh.  Also, it set me straight on one theory I had about you;-)

Santa Couldn't Bring What She Wanted

"Two of Four" has a dream.  She wants something that Santa couldn't bring her for Christmas.  It's not something you can buy or make, but that won't stop her from trying.  It's something many of us women would love to have but few get.  She's been working on her project since sometime this fall with little success but she hasn't given up hope.....yet.


"Billy" is 13, young, cute, and Asian.  He's friendly, smart and popular.  "Billy" is friends with "Two" and calls on her often.  At times hardly an evening goes by without a call or two from him.  Unfortunately that's not what she wants.  She doesn't want him as her boyfriend.  She wants him as her new "BFF".  Her new gay best friend.  One problem though is that  "Billy" isn't gay.


She's taken him shopping, bought him "girly" gifts and suggests wardrobe and hair fashions for him that would make him look what she considers "more gay".  She is teaching him how to speak and walk differently and the importance of watching "Steve and Chris" on the CBS for guidance.  He is a good natured fellow and he and his friends jokingly adorns wigs and make-up to please the girls....temporarily.  Yes, I say girls.  I suspect she's not the only one that wants a gay BFF.  It seems to be the dream of many.


All of that being said, I'm trying to impart on her that just because someone is gay, that doesn't mean that they would be a good BFF.  Some don't like shopping, cooking, make overs, discussing relationships or planning home decor.  In fact some aren't even pleasant!  I suppose that's why she picked Billy.  He's everything a woman would want in a gay guy BFF, except for the fact that he isn't gay.


You know, personally, I know she'll never convert him.  It just doesn't work that way.  I don't mind though.  She's not into drugs, drinking or sleezy behavior.  If trying to turn her guy friends gay (and they don't mind) keeps her out of trouble, you go girl!