The art of circles
I can't remember the term but it is rendering in itty bitty circles. It is popular with colored pencils (side note: graphite and colored pencils don't mix. I had to find that out by mistake) but is also used in pencil, graphite work. It is beautiful when done correctly. Both WC and Artpapa have articles on it.
While talking with Sarah on the phone before leaving the parking lot I was doodling and practicing the circles. Maybe driving and talking is dangerous, but doodling and talking can develop into mightly strange images.
I happened to draw on a page that I had written:
Layer by layer. Transparent layers showing each underlying scenes will one day - in the eternities - show a beautiful work of art. One that will explain Gods will and answers to multiple questions of why.
Here the doodles (all by itself) turned into a women with three eyes and a pair of lips on her forehead. Talk about questions of why and beauty, in my mind it seems ironic. It turned out really abstract, almost scary, but even at that I kind of like it. I may scan it. Maybe not.
Frustrated
I am getting very frustrated that I can't seem to draw what I see. Decided to go back to square one and go through my books and take the art lessons on WC. It is proving to be a great resourse.
I found the adobe files of the first lessons in the drawing lesson. And I have been drawing circles with hatching and cross hatching all evening. I can see a little improvement. Right now my favorite lead is F to do hatching. I didn't even know an F pencil existed.
Opinions differ on how to hold your pencil. But the one thing that is similiar is that you draw from the elbow and shoulder, not the wrist. That is a hard habit to break.
I other thing I have played with is negative drawing. That is a little harder. I think I will be practicing lines, negative drawing and the color wheel.
I also need to remember to loosen up and have fun.
Another problem that I have is whatever the bump on my finger is aching. Too much drawing???
Next week is going to be kind of crazy. At least I have dinners under control.
Double Helix by Nancy Werlin
I enjoy reading YA fiction. They are usually quicker reading. I have noticed a disturbing tread, but I'll discuss that later.
I finished up one last night about DNA and genetic research. I found the book interesting. I will write later about the plot, etc. At the end of the book the "hero" was speaking to a professor and she was telling about a conference she had attended about genetic research. She was excited by the fact we may learn to stop Parkinson's, Huntingtons, and other genetic time bombs. Thoughts of stopping birth defects, curing the world of all its ills.
The conference had been open to the public, a young man stood up from the audience to speak. What he said was "we don't hurt anyone, we don't kill, why do you want to kill us". The young man had Down's Syndrome.
What right do the sciences feel they have to play God? It amazes me, either scientist don't know anyone who was born with disabilities or they never looked on the positive side. I am daily amazed at the things my daughter comes up with. I would be a different person (and not in a good way maybe) if she had not been in my life. Don't get me wrong all of my children have influenced me to be better and to grow, it's just I have more of a daily contact with her. And anyone who knows her will have to admit she has something special going for her.
She isn't the only one. One night at SN the weather had turned nasty. Stuart came up to me in his wheel chair, put his arm around me, kissed me on the cheek and told me to be careful driving home because the weather was so bad. People with disabilities, on the whole, have positive, good things to give to the world if only people would let them. The world would be a colder world without these special angels the God has given us.
When ever I hear a train whistle it still reminds me of childhood memories, but now it also reminds me of time spent with Christopher.
Is it progress?
It all seems so weird driving down 8th North. First lawns were getting a very dead look about them, then plywood goes up in windows of several homes. I guess you could say houses because the “home” has gone out of them. Curiosity, but with a sense of strangeness, I found the reason.
Progress is making room for a bigger, wider, can we say better road? I think that is a matter of perspective. How have these families been displaced, were they fairly compensated, those who haven’t moved will they be subject to eminent domain and lastly how can the city, state or federal government pay for all this?
It makes me wonder if it all will be worth it. People, businesses and churches will be affected. Dairy Queen has already gone the way, as it closed its doors this week. No more late night blizzards, I guess our waistlines will be thankful. The church will lose parking spaces and Stratton’s fruit stand will not open next year. It isn’t like I ever went, but it was always there, an icon to an Orem founding family.
They have started tearing down the structures this week. They first come in and tear down the trees and foliage. Next comes the heavy equipment. I usually like to watch, like little boys at a construction zone, it holds fascination for me. It doesn’t this time. I feel sad for some reason. Maybe this doesn’t feel like progress to me and I haven’t even started to think all the impact when they start building the road.
No physicals today
Brians office called and he is sick, so we rescheduled.
Julia and I will still take a half a day and go play.
We went to Sonic. Both had Sonic Sunrise Smoothies, Julia had french toast strips and I had the sausage, egg and cheese burritos. Normal order for us. Then we went to drop books off at Provo Library. Decided to take a while and sketch a house I could see from the parking lot.
Then we went into the library. I got some more books on CD's and some books. Right now I am reading Mary, Mary by James Patterson.
After that we went home and got Robbie up so I could go to work. Glad Julia likes simple adventures.
Sometime while I was at work and she was up to her own resources, she rearranged her whole room. I mean she moved furniture, including her bed, all by herself. I like what she did, only problem is that she could have hurt her back. What a girl.
Julia
Julia just called and it reminded me that I was upset with her last night. Not really a big deal but she is infringing on my space. Normally okay but when she doesn't like what we are watching on television (yes you are correct you can't eat on our table. Always my messes), she takes her dinner into my everything room.
When I think about getting upset with her I feel really bad because it is like kicking an angel.
More on this later.
Blogs
I have discovered the fun of others blogs. I try to visit the ones that are uplifting because you can get caught in some really weird site.
I have several bookmarked and they fall under these catagories
family (emmers who post awesome photos of my grands)
and Sarah who doesn't. I don't think she totally understands what it's all about. Can't we get just a "Colton sat up today?)
Artist that I have met on the web. I am so impressed with their art and it also helps me learn
People whose writing I enjoy
Sewing blogs
Recipe blogs
Scrapbooking blogs
The last three seem a little weird at first but why don't. A blog is just a journal on line. I try to link my favorites on my Artist page, but I may link on this one also. Of course then I couldn't find anything.
I also find myself checking in and leaving comments on a couple of Emmers friends blog, but really the only ones that I actually know.
Blog at least it is getting people writing again for the great and the bad that there is.
Just discovered one of my most favorite artist has a blog, that's right my own John. Course he doesn't have anything in it yet, but hey I guess I may have inspired him to put his art on line. See blogging is addicting.
Are We all Idiots?
Last night we met and ate at the mall. While we were sitting there the fire alarm and lights started. Everyone just sat there. No one got up, including us btw. One of the booths had cooked something a little bit too much. We could of all burned up or been trampled had it been a real fire. Have we become so jaded or whatever, does it take the smell of burning and the sight of the yellow-orange flames?
The other interesting thing was the big vent fans that went on. It sounded like an airplane. We people are really something.
Morning Beauty
There is a delicate beauty at 6:00 a.m. in the morning. I hope I never am immune to it.
The morning star seems to follow me as I take Robbie to work. On the way home the sky was filled with light pink cotton candy clouds. Turning to face the canyon the clouds had taken on a red tone.
I thank God for beauty, the brief moments in the chaos this world has become.
Road Rage
I stopped at Chevron/McDonald's after taking Robbie to work. I pulled to a stop and realized I was witnessing "road rage". I have heard about it and I am sure I have seen it without knowing it. But today I was witnessing it. I was close to calling 911 because it was getting very heated.
The two were both out of their vehicles standing toe to toe. One was a head taller, but the shorter was postering with his chin in the air.
Lots of yelling. I guess one or the other pulled in front of the other. No accident happened, but there was no understanding of a bad day, or good day, fight with spouse or children, a day dream, a momentary distraction or whatever. I was afraid they were going to come to blows. I decided to eat my breakfast and call if I saw blood. Fortunately cooler heads preveiled and they both left. One was driving a company truck. Thoughts of employees actions affecting business. But since almost everyone here has their own business, who cares right?
We have all had them, the momentary distractions of life. What is that about a soft word turnth aside . . . can't remember it. I have had my share of honks because I have frustrated someone. It makes me think of the people in the lives of those fellows today. They are sure not going to be kind to others they deal with, this and maybe other days. People who were not the cause of their frustration, but it all funneling down to a lot of bad feelings today. You know the ripple effect and not in a good way.
If they had fought it would have really soured my day, but just writing this down reminds me to try to treat others more kindly. Hey a "hi" or a smile doesn't cost me too much, now does it???
Thinking about Aunt Bonnie
I just read my note about Sharon passing away. I have thought of her mom quite a bit lately.
Bonnie's has Alzheimers and is getting really bad. They have to lock her in the house because she keeps getting out. When they touch her she starts screaming abuse and throwing a tantrum.
When I think of Bonnie, I think artist. She has always amazing me with her talent. It's gone now, what a waste. She had several paintings on display at the Springville Art Center. She also had and won awards at the fair. She did one painting of someone working on a quilt. In the quilt is an impression of a grandmother quilting.
Other items:
Painting an old stove, painting art on walls (can't remember the French name that you hear now) and her watercolors. I always wanted to take lessons from her. Well that opportunity has past.
I always love Uncle Johnny and Aunt Bonnie. They were both very intelligent and artisitic. Uncle Johnny read the dictionary for fun and wrote some wonderful stories about his child hood. They bought a house that had a train car in it. Really a great house.Uncle John has passed away also. We don't know what happened to him either. The family got a plaque from the military and had it placed by his parents.
Another day . . .
Dear Diary
Okay I decided to have just one site with all my blogs.
I have my artist site
My writing site
My charity site
and my journaling site
Now I just need to use it all.
