Author Topic: Diary > Friday 28th May  (Read 1173 times)

Offline Roobarb

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Diary > Friday 28th May
« on: Saturday 29 May 21 09:58 BST (UK) »
This was the one and only day when I copped out of art class. Despite thinking that I'd calmed down about the current project, the fact that I was lying awake thinking about it till five in the morning convinced me otherwise. I then thought how utterly ridiculous this was, the whole point of taking art classes is for enjoyment, not getting in a stew about it. I composed an email (on notebook) to my art teacher, telling her that I wouldn't be attending this week and giving her an outline of the reasons. When I finally woke very late in the morning I sent it. By that time I felt really rough and had a headache.
There's always the option to do something other than the current project but I'd got myself so upset about it that I couldn't face joining in the class. It's a three week project, I'll join in next week but will find something else to paint.

Went for a walk, it was midday and it was warm enough for just a t-shirt. Back home, a bit of lunch although I had no appetite, then cut the front lawn, dug the bulbs out of the flowerbeds and planted new plants.

My friend L phoned after class to see how she I was, the teacher had been concerned about me and asked L if it was a good idea to ring me to persuade me to join the class, L said no. She knew I would just get upset.

Later on my friend came round to sort out some things in the garage, NN was snipping things on her front garden the whole time he was here, there can't have been a twig left untouched.
Bell, Salter, Street - Devon, Middlesbrough.
Lickess- North Yorkshire, Middlesbrough.
Etherington - North Yorks and Durham.
Barker- North Yorks
Crooks- Durham
Forster- North Yorks/Durham
Newsam, Pattison, Proud - North Yorks.
Timothy, Griffiths, Jones - South Wales

Offline Ruskie

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Re: Diary > Friday 28th May
« Reply #1 on: Saturday 29 May 21 12:19 BST (UK) »
What is the current art project Roobarb?

I think things really play on one’s mind and seem a lot worse in the dead of night. Difficult to stop those thoughts though isn’t it? I think you did the right thing skipping the class this week.

If the painting isn’t going to plan and you are so fed up with it that it is causing you to dwell on it during the night, I think you are wise to scrap it and paint something else.

It sounds like you are a perfectionist and even if your work is good, you may never be fully satisfied with what you have produced. You can’t excel in all mediums and all subjects, and it’s quite usual to find some more challenging, and mess up the odd painting or two. Frustrating, annoying, but only natural.  :-*

Sounds like the downside to your weather warming up, is that NN is up to her old tricks.  ::)

I think I must have had a quiet Friday because I can’t recall what I did, though I must have done something. Watched the last couple of episodes of The Pact …. I wasn’t expecting that ending!  ;D


Offline Roobarb

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Re: Diary > Friday 28th May
« Reply #2 on: Saturday 29 May 21 12:27 BST (UK) »
It's a botanical style painting of a flower in watercolour. Of course it doesn't have to be a botanically correct painting but it does need to have the correct number of petals, the right type of stamen etc  and quite detailed. I chose a pansy because it was simple but there wasn't enough detail to make it look much. We're just at the stage where the spring bulbs have died off and the next lot of plants are in bud so there wasn't a lot of choice. Watercolour isn't really my thing but I do like to try everything, it's good to challenge yourself.

Thanks for your encouraging words Ruskie.  :)
Bell, Salter, Street - Devon, Middlesbrough.
Lickess- North Yorkshire, Middlesbrough.
Etherington - North Yorks and Durham.
Barker- North Yorks
Crooks- Durham
Forster- North Yorks/Durham
Newsam, Pattison, Proud - North Yorks.
Timothy, Griffiths, Jones - South Wales

Offline Ruskie

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Re: Diary > Friday 28th May
« Reply #3 on: Saturday 29 May 21 12:49 BST (UK) »
That does sound a difficult project a Roobarb.

Using watercolour is very difficult (very unforgiving) and I think there is definitely a different and specific skill set required to produce a decent watercolour. I also think that painting flowers can be very challenging, detail in still life is also hard, so you have a triple whammy to contend with. No wonder you were getting stressed about it.

Presumably you had to paint from life rather than a photograph?

Have you decided what you are going to paint instead of the pansy? Tell me to change the subject if your blood pressure is rising at the mere thought of it.  ;D


Offline Roobarb

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Re: Diary > Friday 28th May
« Reply #4 on: Saturday 29 May 21 13:31 BST (UK) »
Ah not at all Ruskie, I'm quite calm now!  ;D

The flower was to be photographed so that if you started painting from life you'd be able to continue when the flower started to change or die. My pansy was part of a display in a garden pot so it was always going to be from the photo. You're right about watercolour being unforgiving, most people (including me) start off with it before finding there are so much easier mediums.

My friend suggested that I might like to do this week's homework piece in class, it's safari animals in pan pastels. I didn't fancy it at first but she reminded me how pleased I was with a previous painting of a tigress in the same medium. She knows me so well.  :) So I think I'll do that.
Bell, Salter, Street - Devon, Middlesbrough.
Lickess- North Yorkshire, Middlesbrough.
Etherington - North Yorks and Durham.
Barker- North Yorks
Crooks- Durham
Forster- North Yorks/Durham
Newsam, Pattison, Proud - North Yorks.
Timothy, Griffiths, Jones - South Wales

Offline Ruskie

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Re: Diary > Friday 28th May
« Reply #5 on: Saturday 29 May 21 13:50 BST (UK) »
I didn’t think about the flower dying so of course you would need to take a photo of it. Silly me.  ::)

It’s good that you have another option you feel more comfortable with. Your teacher certainly sets some tricky projects. (I think animals are hard to draw too.)

Pleased to hear that you are feeling calm and collected now anyway.  ;D

Let us know how you get on with your pastel drawing.

Offline Roobarb

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Re: Diary > Friday 28th May
« Reply #6 on: Saturday 29 May 21 17:30 BST (UK) »
I'll do that, thanks again Ruskie.  :)
Bell, Salter, Street - Devon, Middlesbrough.
Lickess- North Yorkshire, Middlesbrough.
Etherington - North Yorks and Durham.
Barker- North Yorks
Crooks- Durham
Forster- North Yorks/Durham
Newsam, Pattison, Proud - North Yorks.
Timothy, Griffiths, Jones - South Wales

Online Caw1

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Re: Diary > Friday 28th May
« Reply #7 on: Saturday 29 May 21 22:51 BST (UK) »
Oh goodness me Roobarb and friend 😃... your art project sounds like it’s a step too far to get a sleepless night over... bit like me and those b... ... curtains... gave me a migraine... personally flowers would be a better option than animals.. but not in watercolour as Ruskie says it’s not the easiest medium to paint in... i always steered away from it... I like pastels or acrylics more room for manoeuvre.
Im sure what ever you decide to do will look beautiful... your friend L obviously knows you well! Good luck with whatever you decide to do...

Friday seems such a long time ago now.... we had our annual dentist checkups... should have been March last year.... well I’ve got to go back for two fillings and OH had the remains of a tooth extracted after his crown broke and now nothing to repair it to...
Did a few bits of needed shopping... zips for cushions using remainder of curtain fabric.... meat from the butchers... by the time we’d done all that it was lunch time...
Sat out in the garden for a while, beginning to get nice and warm...
Dinner was just something sift for OH and I had salmon with rice and courgette...
Watched final two episodes of The Pact and as Ruskie says... didn’t expect that ending!

Caroline
Guy - UK,USA
Bangerter -UK,Australia,Switzerland
Harriss - UK, Australia
Merrall - UK
Swinnock - UK
Lloyd - UK

Offline Roobarb

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Re: Diary > Friday 28th May
« Reply #8 on: Saturday 29 May 21 23:33 BST (UK) »
May I introduce my pink friend, Custard?  :)
Thanks for the good wishes Caroline.

Oh dear, two fillings, hope they're not big ones. I suppose we should expect these things after having no dentistry for so long. Hope your OH is okay now. Well I haven't watched the last few episodes of The Pact so I can only make guesses, not sure whether I can be bothered to watch another three episodes to satisfy my curiosity.
Bell, Salter, Street - Devon, Middlesbrough.
Lickess- North Yorkshire, Middlesbrough.
Etherington - North Yorks and Durham.
Barker- North Yorks
Crooks- Durham
Forster- North Yorks/Durham
Newsam, Pattison, Proud - North Yorks.
Timothy, Griffiths, Jones - South Wales