Sketching by the TV

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I’m not content to watch television, it bores me. So, I was watching it the other night, something I rarely do when I spied a small creamer in the hutch beside the TV. I pulled it out and got my sketch pad out of my purse. It started as just a wee sketch of the pitcher and its shadow, and developed into an imaginary room.

Afterward, I sketched this quick imaginary forest, which I painted at a later date when I took my nephew to a doctor appointment. I’m never without my sketch book and paint anymore thanks to an idea I got here on Flicker. I will post a link in my blog to the group.

Teaching Life Drawing, and Loving IT!

20 Minute Pose (sold)

Finally, my class has come together. It has taken me a year to get a reliable model, and interested students. I advertised it in January and February of 2010, and each class had to be canceled. I almost gave up, I was very disappointed. I’m glad I didn’t give up! I started advertising in November for the January class. Who knew it took that much lead time to get interest? For the first class I only had 2 students. It was just enough to pay the model. I didn’t mind because I would get to draw, and draw I did. Next week I am starting the second session, and I may have to open a second class. I’m so happy.

Here are some more images of my work

One Hour Pose
20 min Life drawing, Conté on BFK

5 Minute Pose
Life Drawing 5 min

20 Minute Pose
20 min Life drawing, Conté on newsprint

The following are four 30 second gestures. It is amazing what you can do in 30 seconds.
Two 30 second gestures Life drawing, 20 min Life drawing, Conté on newsprint

Two 30 second gestures Life drawing, 20 min Life drawing, Conté on newsprint

WELCOME TO AMBULATORY CARE, Windsor Regional Hospital, Windsor On. Ca.

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Scanning my sketchbook.

These were done today while waiting for Sheldon’s appointment with the skin Doc. I probably should have upped the contrast on the second one so you could see it better. They are both apr. 4×6

To people who’ve lived in Windsor for a long time, this hospital is referred to as Met Hospital or The Met.

There were two elderly couples across the room from us. Their conversations were quite interesting. The man in this sketch worked in the Gold mines. His wife was in the military, where she learned to drink beer. But, neither one drinks anymore.

The gentleman in the lower right of the first page of sketches was also a miner up in Sudbury. He talked about the number of men who would go down into the mines together and how the rapid descent made your heart jump. He and his wife reminisced about the cabin they bought and renovated as each child came along. When she first saw the cabin she exclaimed to her husband “What did you buy?!”

Their conversation reminded me of how I felt about the small house Sheldon and I bought when we were first together. We paid $12,500., and it was located in an alley that ran between Chatham St E. and University St E. Take a look at the google street view below. See that tiny house in the ally? Well that was our first home. I walked in the front door, and there was the most horrid hand painted mural of a waterfall on the living room wall. It was heated by a small gas space heater. I liked to say you had to go outside to change your mind.

If you do a 180 on the Google image below you can see how close to Detroit, Mi. we lived. That’s the Renaissance Building across the Detroit river.

Cold and Blustery Day in Kingsville

    This is just a mild spring zephyr compared to the big wind of ’67. Or was it, uh, ’76? Oh, well, no matter. Oh, I remember the big blow well. Owl, Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day, 1968.

I think this day was the day that spoke loudly to our Plein Air group. “It’s too dang cold to be doing this!” But, a beautiful blustery day it was. It was Saturday, October, 30, 2010. We arrived at 10:00 a.m. and were thankful that the washrooms at Lakeside Park in Kingsville, Ontario were still open to the public. I know that seems like a strange thing to be thankful for, but trust me as a woman washrooms are a big priority!

DSC_0144 Lakeside Park, Kingsville, On.

Margaret and I were the first to arrive. We happily waited in the warm car sipping our coffee, and munching on our sandwiches. We didn’t have to wait long for three other brave souls to arrive. I must admit that thoughts of turning back entered our minds. But, we sucked up our civilized instincts and soldiered on to fight the wind and the cold.

DSC_0185DSC_0174 A Blustery Day

We wandered around and finally found a scenic spot that was sheltered by two beautiful full spruce trees. The five of us hunkered down and got to work. The trees in this park are magnificent. My photos can not capture their rugged beauty. Next year we plan to come back in the warmer weather.

BUSY Busy busy Summer!

I can’t believe it’s September!  I must ask forgiveness of everyone who’s stopped by in the last two months.  So I will post just a sample of what I’ve been up to this summer.  Last summer a friend of mine and I started the Windsor & Essex County Plein Air Society.  We made a pledge to ourselves that we would get out and paint every week.  We’ve succeeded!  I took to Facebook with our group and started to invite people, and there are now 9 of us who get together every week!

OH!!  I also designed a logo, watermark for all my work.  I was looking at the wordpress logo,and suddenly I realized that subconsciously I chose my blog name with all words starting with P for a reason.  DUH… the simplicity of the WordPress logo inspired me.  What would PPP  look like in a circle.  I like it, I hope you do too.  I’m thinking of getting a sign for my van window.

Sheldon MacDonald Winner of the Windsor Chartwell Senior Star Competition

It is such a rare event that I get a photograph of my husband when he is NOT making an unintentional silly face, that even though this photo is a tad out of focus I have to put it up for Sunday Stills. You see I could not be more proud of him. He’s been competing in the Chartwell Senior Star contest for four years now. The first year he came in 2nd. This year he WON! Now all I can say is that you have to be 65+ to enter the contest. If I told you his age he would not be very pleased. Let’s just say he’s in better shape then many 1/2 his age.

We’ve had such a busy month. Sheldon was in two singing contests. The Windsor Bluesfest Idol, and the Chartwell Senior Stars. The Bluesfest he and his daughter made it to the 2nd round. We are very proud of them both.

But we are very excited about the Senior Star contest. Now that he has won the regional contest, Chartwell will send a video of him singing to Toronto to be judged with contestants from all across Canada. From those they will choose ten to go to the finals in Toronto. We hope he makes it to the finals. There are some very nice prizes. 1st prize is $5000.!! Last year the Prime Minister of Canada was in the audience! So wish him luck.

Here’s a video of him singing in the Windsor Bluesfest.

Bluesfest video’s

To the contestants of the Bluesfest. Please send an email to me with the following information.

Which venue you sang at. The Vic, or the Tecumseh Road house. Your name, contestant number, and the titles of your songs. Due to the length of time it takes to upload a video to you tube it maybe some time before I can upload all the video’s. I am going to make a master DVD of all the contestants that I have recorded. I will make this available for a small fee to cover my costs.

Phenomenal performances everyone!

Incredible Eyes – Sunday Stills

This little girl had just arrived from Greece for a wedding. She knew no one, and especially not me. I asked her mother, who also didn’t speak English if I could take her photo. Her eyes are so penetrating, and beautiful. She reminds me of the famous photo of the Afghan Girl, simply stunning.
DSC_1421

Can you count the Logo’s?

The answer!

logoanswer



Anime Car, originally uploaded by photographerpainterprintmaker.

I’ve had a very busy week, and had no idea what I was going to do for the Sunday Stills logo project. I wanted it to be different, and was, may I say a bit perplexed with the assignment. I got home from our Young Feather Show around 4:30. It, took a bit to unpack the car. Finally I sit down at the computer and think… am I too late? What can I find in my archives.

Well, here is my answer to the logo dilemma. Can you count the logo’s on this truck? I don’t have a prize for the winner. But, I’d like to see how many you can come up with. I’m quite sure there maybe a few of you who might be a tad bit familiar with the theme of this vehicle. But, most likely most of you will not have a clue.

I know this is a photography challenge, forgive me as I really don’t think this is a very good photograph.

Sunday Stills can be found here.