AS IF I DIDN’T KNOW…

 I filled in an online questionnaire and it says I am on the high end of the Senstive Person scale, based on the answers to the questions.  As if I didn’t know.  But that explains that strong smells, noises, and too many people in a group talking are just exhausting to me.  Days filled with stressful situations wipe me out (even pleasant stress like family gatherings/parties) and make me so cranky until I have time alone again.  Why I often need time in my little art room, quietly creating something.  

How about you?  Are you a sensitive person?  Or are you on the other end of the scale?

If you want, check out the questionnaire here:

You don’t have to give them your name/address or any info unless you want to sign up for their newsletter.  

JULY OVER ALONG WITH THE HEAT?

 Actually had a thunderstorm - for about 1/2 hour only - today and the temperature dropped until it was very nice for a change to sit out in the sunroom with the doors/windows open.  

Finished with beards and eyes in the online workshop - now on to wrinkles and I have a lot to learn about getting them right.

Was going to upload from photos but being told Google can’t access anything right now.  Oh, well, not that important.  

GETTING CLOSE TO THE END OF THE WORKSHOP???

 And we’re doing eyes?  I would think that would have been the start of the lessons but, hey, whatever…

Beards and Eyes

(I do like the way the pastels and the conte crayons scratch across the paper, creating the beards!)

And I have one question:  Hot enough for ya???  It’s like an oven here.

FAMILY

 My 87-year-old mother has been dealing with chronic COPD for years and it’s getting worse.  She ends up in the hospital with, what the medical folks call, COPD Exacerbation.  It means she can’t breathe due to getting a bad cold, bronchitis, or even COVID (which she has had two times).  Each time this happens, her brain is not getting enough oxygen and she gets very confused.  This is happening more often.  And her mental capacity is getting worse.  And not a single doctor (she has several) has mentioned her dementia.  But it’s obvious if you spend time with her.  

So - my sister took her to the ER and they admitted her to the hospital Sunday before the July 4th holidays.  My sister and I took shifts with her every day she was in the hospital.  We were allowed to visit from 8 am to 8 pm and we tried to split days.  But then my sister had to work each day and then damaged her back and I was trying to cover more so she could get some rest.  I took Mom back to her home July 3rd.   She has to have someone with her 24/7 for the first week (at least) in order to keep her out of a rehab facility. 

So - I was sitting with her Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and my sister will sit with her today and Friday.  On the weekend the 2 adults living with her (her grandson and his partner) can cover.  It is not easy.  It is stressful and sad and just plain hard.  It is checking her oxygen levels, making sure she eats (she was down to 88 pounds because she wouldn’t eat), takes the right meds, uses her cane when moving through the house, etc.  

So this is life right now = either being with her during the days until her grandson gets home from work or talking to doctors and nurses, planning her medicines (she cannot keep her meds straight and since most of the pills she takes are little white pills I can see why she gets confused).  She now has a nurse come in but it’s just 1 time a week.  She may need to have physical therapy to get steady again.  But no one addresses the dementia and how it’s hard to talk to her about her bills, her bank, what she is paying and why it seems she is paying a lot more each month than she should be paying.  

This is hard. 

I’ll try to look at your artwork, friends, as I get time, but may not comment for a while.

PORTRAITS AGAIN

The second baby photo was actually the first one done and I thought it looked like an alien so tried again - so the first photo with just the features.  

MORE MORE MORE

 

I CAN’T BELIEVE THIS COURSE IS STILL GOING ON!

 Still working on the Sktchy.com course with instructor, France Van Stone, doing portraits.  This was more than worth the money I spent on it and it just never ends!!

Latest ones…

STILL WORKING ON PORTRAITS - SOME WITH ADDED COLOR

 

A FEW MORE

 

FACES DONE IN JUNE - HOW CAN MAY BE OVER ALREADY?

 

MORE FACES

 France said she likes drawing men with wrinkles and beards but we finally got a female (pretty) model to use.  

I am doing one or two a day so these are all from the past few weeks…

MORE PORTRAITS IN THE DRAWING WITH FRANCE COURSE

 I will mostly do these on white sketch paper but sometimes I’ll go into my Strathmore toned (tan or grey) paper sketchbook…and mostly with graphite but sometimes I’ll want to add something else (a bit of charcoal pencil, etc.?)

SO MANY PORTRAITS - HOW ELSE CAN I GET BETTER?

After the Sketchy 30Days/30Faces Course was over, I finished those…and then began another through a Sktchy.com instructor, France Van Stone.  All portraits in graphite, Procreate drawing (which I will skip) and pen (uh, maybe?).  It was on sale for 1/2 off and I was thinking about it after seeing her on YouTube and liking her style…so here we are - I don’t know how many portraits there will be but it’s a lot!

And I swear to myself - and you - that I will not trace anything but learn to measure, check, recheck and draw without using tracing…just take it as it comes.

And, you know what?  So far, I am pleased.  The trick = slowly looking, measuring and checking the measuring over and over and not being worried about having to erase and start again… 

FACES