Back to the Drawing Board

For several months now I have stopped my art work. I have a lot of excuses (oops, reasons, rational explanations?), but you know when you break a good habit, it’s hard to get back on track. When I stopped attending classes, I stopped producing. I probably shouldn’t have done that, but on the other hand, maybe I needed the break. I trust that when I get back from vacation in August, I’ll get back on track. The other day I did a drawing for the children during my children’s message. It was a kid’s drawing, and all upside down at that (on purpose), but it made me “homesick” to have pencils in my hand. So I picked up my colored pencils and started working on a cat portrait from my book “Realistic Pet Portraits”. 

It felt so good that on Friday the hours slipped away as I worked on the drawing. I am about half done, and on the hard part now, doing the background and the small details of the fur coloration, especially the ears, but thought I’d share my creation with you. If I get the details right and blend everything correctly, I think I will be pleased with the results. I really think the two things I love to do are pet portraits in pencil and human portraits in water colors. There are still many hours ahead on Miss Tabby, and then she will be filed away in my portfolio, but someday I would like to offer to do portraits of people’s cats, especially those who have lost their cats, so they can have a memory. But it’s funny, you also need to be either a good sketcher (which I am NOT) or a good photographer to catch just the right expression. I think I have a bigger chance of learning to be a better photographer than sketcher! I am working on that one, by practicing on Mia.

The good news on Mia is that after a thorough examination on Saturday, the ophthalmologist said she is finally well from her corneal ulcers and is off all meds. What a relief for the both of us. I am hoping she will now be willing to come back in sit in my lap again. She is very wary of me, since she knows my hands carry all the meds to torture her. It's been a long four months!

Speaking of Mia, isn’t she a cutie pie all decked out for the World Cup? For my American friends, The World Cup (soccer) is MUCH bigger than the Super Bowl. For one thing, it lasts an entire month and involves every continent in the world. For my Canadian Friends, it is much bigger than the Stanley Cup, because, well for the same reasons. Brazil goes nuts. The streets are painted in yellow and green. Horns and tee shirts and banners are everyone, ready for the opening ceremonies this week. During Brazil’s games, everything shuts down, stores, banks, business, etc. The only thing that happens is the GAME. I don’t plan on painting my face yellow and green, but I do plan on watching the games all dressed up for our team. You know, of course, that Brazil is the only team in the world who has won 5 times and is going for a 6th championship. Only Italy comes close, as a four time winner. Germany has three. In addition, Brazil is the only country to have played in EVERY world cup since 1930. So come on board and cheer with us. HEXA (six time champion) all the way.