recently

Recently a client asked me to bring her a pencil sketch with her ideas in a composition "just on a sheet of paper". I had taken her first set of ideas to the almost finished stage in paint. I tried. In the end I took her tiny little biro doodles I had done in the car while waiting for a friend. It simply didn't flow on an A4 page with a pencil.

I think I like to sketch in paint best. If I am doing a charcoal or pencil drawing that is different. I am in a different space, and I know it will take time.

But, to play with ideas, it has to be a big drawing block or a painted version for my ideas to flow. Is that something I should try to alter? I think not. It might mean that in the long run I have several half finished paintings but if the end result is better then so be it.

However, on another blog which arrives in my inbox regularly, there is this from Myrna Wacknov. It reminds me of advice I was given about 35 years ago when I had small children and no time to paint. My then tutor, Heinz Boenke, said "Sketch. Sketch every day. Sketch anything. Keep your hand in, develop your eye".

The day is racing away on me. I think I slept for most of the morning. Time for that music, and soup. Soup is soul food for the body.

And later: today our temperatures ranged from 8 degrees this morning to 29 degrees mid afternoon. It's no wonder we are all feeling sluggish, our bodies don't know what season it is. I want to hibernate, I think, and yet I am still dreaming of that day at the beach I missed out on.

Today I am grateful for answers to prayers.