Monday, April 14, 2008

An Artist Needs Her Eyes


I haven't caught up from vacation yet so nothing much to post but these 3 little things I did in my sketchbook while in Ormond Beach. I was sure I did more drawing and painting - but maybe I just worked these 3 to death!





The last little watercolor sketch is the monthly group project from the same photo we are doing at Watercolor Workshop. I only had my graphitint pencils in limited colors and a sample set of Sennelier watercolors in only 6 colors so didn't get a good mix of colors in this one, but it's just a little something and I'll redo it in a real painting later this month.





I don't know who took the photo we're using - one of our mods, Gina, chose it and I have to ask her if it's from WetCanvas or not.





So why the title about eyes? I had an emergency eye appointment today after having some strange things in my left eye while away from home. I was sure it was the start or the actual fact of a detached retina and I was horrified at the thought that I could lose the sight in my left eye - and went around with my left eye closed seeing what my world would be like = not quite right. But the doc said it was just OLD AGE EYES = vitreal degeneration where the liquid in your eye turns from a watery juicy nice moisture to something more like hair gel and you get floaters and clouds and all kinds of interesting things in your eyes when you're trying to watch t.v. or the computer screen. Nothing to do - a fact of aging. Crap! One more thing that's turning to crap on my 51-year-old body. But I can still paint so that's enough complaining, right?

4 comments:

Michelle Himes said...

Rhonda, I went through the same thing with my eyes about 2 years ago - and got the same speech from the eye doc about "when you get to a certain age.....". She also told me that the floaters that freaked me out would lighten eventually and I would become "unaware" of them. (Mine look like I'm looking through a spider web or very thin tree branches). She was somewhat right, in that they did lighten, and MOST of the time I am so used to them that I forget they are there, but they ARE still there and they can be annoying. I'm glad for both of us that it wasn't an detached retina. An artist surely does need her eyes.

Anonymous said...

For dead paintings they look pretty good to me.

RH Carpenter said...

Yes, I guess we can adjust to just about anything!
Thanks, Bill (I'm assuming it's Bill and not Lisa?), for your comments on the dead paintings. I think I worked too much on them and just wasn't satisfied with the colors - back home in the studio and I'll feel more comfortable. I'm not a plein air painter at all and admire those who can and do.

Deb Léger said...

I'm so glad that your eyes are okay and not what you thought! When I was having trouble with focusing up close (in my early 40's - don't I sound old saying that?) and my eye doctor told me it was my age, I asked "you mean this is caused by old age?" he said "no, it's not old age, it's maturity." lol. Maturity sounds so much more ..... dignified. ROTFLMAO. But I'm sooo glad your eyes are okay!!!

Love the palm tree you painted!