Sketch Crawl Tomorrow

26th World Wide Sketch Crawl

Saturday Feb. 27

In Bryan, meet at 9 a.m. at the Clara Mounce Library downtown

In Calvert, meet at 9 a.m. at Mud Creek Pottery on Main St.

The above sketches are from my sketchbook, done while waiting. I have all kinds of sketches from experiences to what I observe, journal pages to gesture drawings, memories to imagination.

Different people are going to interpret what they put into their sketchbooks and journals differently.

The first sketch is one I did yesterday, while I was waiting in the Social Security Office. Light reflecting off the tin roof of this office building (which looks like a big house!) and the strong shadows from morning light, were very interesting. I also took a photo of the building, but it doesn't show the shadows as I saw them. The guard asked me what I was going to take a picture of, so I showed him my sketchbook and talked to him about drawing. I'm glad that he decided that I wasn't up to no good-just an old lady drawing!

The next picture is one that I did while I was waiting to be hooked up to a monitor and checked in at cardiac rehab. I only had time to do a gesture or stick drawing of a lady on the treadmill. They don't let you sit around there! But I had enough information to finish the drawing later and add a little bit of watercolor. No detail but I captured the pose and the moment.

I did the next drawing at supper while we waited for our food. Very strong shadows in there due to low lighting so I was more interested in that than in food. I didn't take pictures there, but maybe I should have. I thought it was kind of funny to have supper in the cotton patch! They got my order wrong, which was sort of nice. Gave me more time to draw. Had to send it back again because instead of fixing me another plate correctly, they just scraped off the wrong stuff and sent the plate back, dirty and cold. By the time I got mine, everyone else was ready to leave. So I brought my food home and ate part of it later. Wasn't too good warmed up, so it ended up going in the trash. But, I got a pretty good drawing, I think!

The last sketch is of some kind of object, hanging over the door to another part of the Longhorn Tavern, a fairly new place in downtown Bryan. They used to be out by the auction barn on north Hwy 6 going toward Hearne. But, they recently moved into the old Coca Cola bottling plant in downtown Bryan and the old building on the highway was torn down. At night, the dining room with all the old license plates, etc. and the room with big windows, was closed. The slilding doors were partially opened, and it was very dark. Some VIPs came in and the waitresses showed them into that room, which was then very light!

I thought that this object looked like it might have been one of those old railroad signal lights, of some sort.

I drew while we waited.

This place has huge amounts of food, cooked like it should be. Like we used to get in the old days! There wasn't any way that any of us could eat that much food! But we were really glad to see that.

It's very disappointing these days, to order southern fried chicken, for example, and all you get is this tiny little chicken patty, lightly fried, with hardly any batter. In this place, they have big plates or platters, filled with chicken fried steak, gravey, homestyle french fries. Glasses are big, rolls are big. Steaks are huge. You do get your money's worth!

Of course, I'm usually more interested in sketching than in eating. I always end up having to take most of my food with me.

My little sketchbooks, pencil case with pens, pencils, eraser, sharpener, water brush, little spray bottle, a set of travel watercolors, and my camera, in my purse, make me prepared for any wait time!

And they are ready to go for tomorrow.

I hope that you, too, will be going out to sketch tomorrow. People all over the world will be doing this.l You can start looking at the results on the Sketch Crawl website later tomorrow. Some countries have probably already started.

Remember, it's FREE and open to everyone! You can draw where ever you are, with a group, by yourself, someplace interesting or at home doing laundry!

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Monday at noon, the Brazos Valley Art League will meet at the Art Center in College Station. There will be an artist's demonstration of encaustic painting.

I need to update their events for March. I received the newsletter, but, for some reason, it won't open.

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23rd World Wide Sketch Crawl Beginning

Reading

Barbara

ink

Barbara sketched this woman, enjoying reading a very thick book, in the coffee shop as we started Sketch Crawl.

Computing In The Coffee Shop

Barbara

ink

Barbara sketched a man at the next table, using his lap top. She used her small travel set of watercolors, a tiny folding brush, and a film container with water to add color to her sketch.

Ladies Meeting

Barbara

ink

When we arrived at the coffee shop, a group of ladies were having a meeting under an unusual antique mirror. They kept moving, so this was particularly challenging for Barbara.

Barbara Sketching

Cecelia

ink and watercolor

Since we didn't get any photographs, I did a little drawing of Barbara, sketching, while people walked past the window. I am having trouble getting my skin tones right. The yellow is just too strong. It was nice to hear people who were walking about, and talking about shopping and making lunch plans downtown.

Ordering

Cecelia

ink and watercolors

Someone with a pony tail, hanging across their back, was ordering at the counter. I thought I would do a person, too, since Barbara was doing people. Of course, this person, too, left and I had to finish from my gesture drawing.
I really enjoyed the atmosphere at the LaSalle Hotel coffee shop, and downtown Bryan.

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23rd World Wide Sketch Crawl Morning

View From The Window

Cecelia

ink and watercolor

My view through the window of the LaSalle Hotel coffee shop window. Included is the back of the sign that hangs in the window. On the left is the Masonic Lodge and, on the right, is the restored Carnegie Library. There is a little pigeon in the round window at the top of the library. There is a garden area between the two buildings.

Masonic Lodge

Barbara

ink and watercolor

Barbara sketched her view of the Masonic Lodge through the LaSalle Hotel coffee shop window. A barber shop is on the ground floor. She used her small travel set of watercolors to add color to her work. For water, she had an empty film container with water, and a tiny folding brush.

WWoman Sitting In The Courtyard

Barbara

ink

Barbara sketched this woman, sitting in the courtyard outside the coffee shop of the LaSalle Hotel. Of course, like other subjects, she moved before Barbara was finished. Barbara enjoyed the challenge of drawing people rather than buildings, or other stationary objects, because they don't sit still and wait while they are being sketched.

Courtyard Gate

Cecelia

ink and watercolor

I don't know what happened, but this is, all of a sudden, wanting to make big spaces between lines. Sorry about that! I didn't do anything.

While Barbara was challenged by drawing moving subjects, I was looking at color, light, shadow, shapes, and that sort of thing. I liked the plantings in the little courtyard, and the iron gate beside the wide windows of the coffee shop.

These were some of our sketches for the World Wide Sketch Crawl. We failed to get any photos this time because Barbara didn't have her camera with her, and Joni didn't have batteries for her's. So, no photos to share, this time. Hopefully, our sketches will be okay to show part of our day.

Checking In

Cecelia

ink and watercolor

We left the coffee shop about noon. I had asked people to meet at the coffee shop, then, after 10 a.m., to check in at the Frame Gallery, so we would have some idea of who was sketching, and where. We seemed to be sketching alone.

We were greeted at The Frame Gallery by Sarah, the resident dog. Greta was helping customers select a frame for the portrait that she had painted of them.

We spent some time trying to decide on a place to eat. I thought of baked potatoes and atmosphere at Rudy's in College Station, so that is where we headed. Sort of. I am not a very good navigator so we got lost!

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My apologies for this double spacing. And for having to put these in several posts! But that is all I could figure out to do.

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World Wide Sketch Crawl Tomorrow

Tomorrow is the big 23rd World Wide Sketch Crawl. Go to http://www.sketchcrawl.com/ for more information.

Locally, in Bryan, meet at the LaSalle Hotel in downtown Bryan at about 8:30 a.m. Saturday morning. From there, we can decided where to work. We will probably need to find a cool spot, near restrooms, as the day warms up.

After 10:00 a.m., you can register at the Frame Gallery, 216 N. Bryan Ave. That will give us some idea of how many people are participating. Contact Greta Watkins at the Frame Gallery for more information.

If we have a group, some may choose to work together. Or people may choose to work alone. Possibly, we could meet later to share experiences and work. At the end of the day, experiences and work can be posted on the Sketch Crawl website, on individual websites, or places like Flickr, Picassa, Facebook, etc.

Just bring yourself, your materials that you want to use, and any personal items you may need. You might want to include a folding chair or stool, depending on where you want to sit. So far, I have been able to find a bench or chair to use, but I have a lawn chair in the car, in case I need a place to sit.

This is a FREE event, open to all ages, all skill levels, all media, groups, families, or individuals. You can journal, draw, sketch, paint, or even doodle. You can work all day, or for a few minutes-at home, in a group, or solo. There are no rules.

In Calvert, meet beginning about 8:30 a.m. at Mud Creek Pottery, 407 Main St. Contact Sonny Moss for more information.

People in other communties can work there, perhaps forming their own groups, or they may join in another group such as in Calvert or Bryan.

Let's Draw The Brazos Valley!

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Speaking of art, Greta Watkins is having some classes at the Frame Gallery in downtown Bryan. Tomorrow, she is hosting a workshop on linocut printmaking.

On Wednesdays, there is a group that meets there focusing on painting portraits in oils.

See her website or contact her at the Frame Gallery in Bryan for more information.

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Remember sunbathing?

I've been avoiding the sun for a long time because I get sunburned and blistered, instead of getting a nice tan. The light bothers my eyes, too. But, now, my doctor told me to to go out and get at least 15 minutes of sun a day. So, I'm going out on the deck in the mornings, sitting in the sun with my hat and sunglasses, sketching and listening to the birdies sing.

Kind of a nice place to be.

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Through The LaSalle Hotel Coffee Shop Window

Texas Reds Festival

View Through LaSalle Hotel Coffee Shop Window

8.5" x 11"

pencil

This is another sketch from the 19th World Wide Sketch Crawl last Saturday. The Texas Reds Festival was getting off to a big start when we started our crawl in downtown Bryan.

This was the view looking out the LaSalle Hotel coffee shop window, where Pat and I sat at a table cooled off a bit. This wasn't all of the festival, by any means. It was merely the view that I could see through the window beside our table. The whole downtown area was involved.

There was a long tent that started in front of us, then went down the street toward the Palace Theatre. A long, covered table held some kind of goods. I really couldn't see what it was, though. I'm not sure if it was food, drinks, or wares that vendors were selling. There were children, and one had a balloon that floated toward the top of the tent. People were strolling by, looking, while workers pulled out things from boxes under the tables, and arranged them on the table.

As we left the coffee shop, to go look for the George Bush 4141 locomotive behind the Carnegie Library, a man, pushing a stroller with a small child in it, was stooping to pick up his wine glass and the shards of glass left when it was dropped and broke on the concrete sidewalk. In my drawing, I just showed the glass, with a little wine still in it, on the sidewalk.

Now that the Texas Reds Festival is over, people are looking forward to next year. The event seemed to be a big success with lots of good food, activities and entertainment, drinks, and things to look at- and attendance was good.

And we look forward to the next Sketch Crawl. Maybe in September? The date hasn't been set, yet.

My sister and I are planning a mini-sketch crawl, on our own, in Calvert, tomorrow, for a little while.

Take a look at the Sketch Crawl site to see some of the work that has been submitted from around the world. Robin Cheers has posted some of her sketches from the beach on her blog. She was on vacation, but participated in the crawl. You can find links to the Sketch Crawl and to Robin Cheers' blog on my sidebar.

Wishing you good sketching, painting, swimming, golf, tennis, barbequeing, picnicing, or whatever makes you happy this weekend. To borrow from Marvin Zindler.

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Here's a site that some of you may enjoy. If you like to use the computer to play with color and design, take a look at http://www.colourlovers.com/.

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If you are interested in genealogy, there is a new pilot program that might be of interest to you. It is through the LDS Family Search site. You can go to their site and click on a link in the upper right hand corner that says Pilot Program, and that will lead you to a page where you can search. Or you can go to

http://pilot.familysearch.org/recordsearch/start.html#p=2;c=1320964;t=searchable;w=

Since it is a pilot program, it is not available all the time. There are times when they are working on it.

Also, all the records are not there, yet. They are asking for people who are willling to help them transcribe. That information is available on their site.

It seems to be a wonderful project! I found a lot on there, and have barely scratched the surface.

I started out looking for Texas Death Records, but, soon, found that there were other things there, including some census records, passenger lists, and a few marriage records. There are more states than Texas, too.

This is going to be such a valuable tool for those researching their family history.

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The First Year

My Assistant, Simba

Where I Like To Work

This blog is now one year old, with my first post published on June 4, 2007. One hundred and ninety five posts later, I hope that I have brought you something that you can enjoy, relate to, appreciate the art work, or even have a few laughs.

It has been nice to get the feedback and to know that someone out there is looking at and appreciating my efforts.

I have a lot of people to thank for all their help in getting me started. I won't make an Academy Awards type of speech, though. I just want to mention a few people, without whom, I would never have been able to get started.

Jeremy has to be at the top of my list of those who helped me to get started. Without his encouragement, patience, and technical expertise, I would never have been able to do anything on a computer!

Kevin is one who deserves a great big Thank You, too, for all his encouragement and the example he set for me. Kevin appeared via the internet, just when I was scared to death about getting a shot in my eye, and having that dreaded diagnosis of Macular Degeneration. He was so patient and helpful as I went through that. It always helps to know that others have encountered something and what they went through. And, about the time that I was starting my blog, Kevin started a Google group for those who wanted to discuss things about Cannon County, Tennessee. I would have never known about things like tomato gravy and chocolate gravy, otherwise! He and Virginia were a lot of help when I started my Google Group.

Virginia has also been a big factor in my starting this blog. Her encouragement, ideas, and inspiration have been so helpful to me over this past year. I wish that I were half that creative, energetic, and talented!

Nancy, Mary, and Myrna are just three of the many artists who are so inspiring and generous in sharing what they have learned.

Barbara, with her support of everything from advice to supplies, transportation, and treats, deserves a lot of recognition for her help.

Jami, with all her energy and willingness to help, and words of encouragement, is someone else who has made this blog possible.

All my readers who have offered comments, joined my group, sent e-mails, purchased my work have all made a difference in creating this blog. Without them, sometimes we have to wonder if anyone is even looking at what is written or created.

And, of course, there are those who listened intently to my "little stories" and encouraged me to write them and share them. That includes the car salesman who, although very young, seemed very interested to hear about how things were when I taught in his hometown years ago! I was just killing time, trying to think of something to talk about. I was so surprised when he actually seemed to enjoy what I was saying, and others came over to listen.

The people on various lists who have shared ideas and offered technical support have been very important in my work during the last year.

I have to say a big thank you to all those who have provided me with material, from family to old friends, and classmates, and people who lived around me. And, to those who have sent me information and pictures, and those who jogged my memory with their own stories.
It may take a village to raise a child, but it also takes a village to create a whole life-and a book or a blog.
Thank you to you all!

I thought that you might like to see where I like to work, these days. I have a corner of a room set up, with a northwest window, and lots of shade from a Crepe Myrtle and a big, old oak tree. Behind my chair, there is a long work table, more book shelves, a tv set, a couple of tables, another writing desk and, oh yes, a small bed! I can just roll out of bed and start to work, or fall into bed when I get tired. Works out very well.
If I have something very large to work on, I can use a wall, or spread out on the kitchen island, which is also a nice place to work, providing someone doesn't want to cook something!
The big plus is that it is all close to water, the bathroom, food and drink!


I hope that you will continue reading and sharing with others. And that, if you haven't already, you will subscribe to my blog to get updates as they are added. Of course, I would like you to let others know about my blog, too, and ask them to subscribe.

Thank you so much for your kind words, your support, your interest, and your purchases over the past year. I look forward to the next year! Hope that you do, too!

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Art Fest- Downtown Bryan-Friday night.

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Texas Scottish Festival

This Weekend

June 6-8

Arlington, Texas

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19th World Wide Sketch Crawl

Saturday June 21

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My First Clay Head

This is a photo of my first attempt at sculpting a life sized head from clay. I thought it came out very well, and it did win some awards when I showed it.

This was something that I just taught myself to do, and I really did enjoy it. With more study, I learned quite a bit. At the time of my first efforts, I had no access to a kiln, and didn't know such basic things as the fact that the clay needed to be hollow, dried, and fired. Instead, I used aluminum Sculpt Metal on the outside, in several layers, when the clay was thoroughly dry.

That all worked very nicely, until I was moving and the head got dropped down a flight of stairs onto a concrete sidewalk. No more sculpture. At least I had a couple of photos.

Since then, I have created more heads, and it is one of my favorite things to do. Alas, I do not have access to a kiln again, so I guess my sculpting days are ended. I do have several heads that I did, however. Sometimes, it would be nice to get my hands in some clay again. But, I don't think that I have the strength that it requires, now.

One thing that I learned is that working three dimensionally really helps to achieve that illusion when working in two dimensional techniques.

I'm having a bit of a problem again! I was trying to fill up the extra space at the end of this post, that appeared when I scrolled down to see how much space I had left! LOL! I'm still looking at it as if I'm typing on a typewriter. But, no matter how much I backspace, that empty space at the bottom just gets longer and longer, and my paragraphs are spacing too much. As I go back and backspace to pull them closer together, that bottom space gets bigger and my paragraphs space out more. There must be a logical solution to this problem! This has happened before and I finally just gave up and left the big space!

Scroll on down to see the next post about the Texas Scottish Festival! I promise, it's there, although a bit far down the page!

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More Drawings From Sketch Crawl Bryan

I've only been struggling to put these picture in one post for a week.

You can see these below as a slideshow, and I am sending them to the Sketch Crawl website, now that I finally have them posted.

Barbara's Saturday started in Calvert, waiting for the Zamycal Kolache Shop to open. She sketched the highway while she waited. Later, I did a watercolor of my cherry kolache.

She picked Ashton and me up in Bryan and drove us downtown. There we checked in with Greta Watkins at the Frame Gallery. Then we picked a spot between the old Queen and Palace theatres to work that morning. Ashton and I sat by the Palace while Barbara got a good view from the center of the street. She had her plein aire painting things with her, so she worked in oils.

I had my travel watercolors and pens, but chose to use pencil. Barbara had to leave by noon, so our time was short. Ashton was prepared, too, with his sketchbook. But he was hungry for a ham and cheese kolache from the doughnut shop and his mind was on "Star Wars" and light sabres. So, he drew a nice light sabre.

A young man with a cell phone came whizzing back and forth on his skateboard. A good subject for gesture drawings.

Traffic in and out of the barber shop was interesting, too.

Several people stopped to look at Barbara painting.

We enjoyed the peacefulness of downtown Bryan with the sound of Mourning Doves, pigeons cruising above, tiny birds playing on the sidewalk near us, and the chimes from nearby churches.

While the day started out cool and foggy, following thunderstorms on Friday night, that just added a bit of interest to our work. It wasn't long before enough sun came out to create stronger shadows among the buildings.

I intended to work on a scene of the wide street, but, with limited time, I sketched parts of the buildings that are well known here. The Howell building, the LaSalle and Charles Hotels, an old bank building with a flag on top, the Queen, and the barbershop. I added a mother and daughter from Robertson county who were also sketching, and another woman who seemed to be drawing, Barbara, Ashton, and, of course, the skateboarder.

We checked in at the Frame Gallery to share what we had done and discuss future sketch crawls. There, Ashton fell in love with the gorgeous resident dog. I think the feeling was mutual.

Back at home, I intended to do some more sketching, but I was very sleepy after the storms kept the cats and me up all night! So, I darkened some of my drawings, scanned some, then took a nice nap!

During the week, I have been trying to post my pictures on my blog in a way that will work for the sketch crawl. Hopefully, now that this seems to be working again, I can get these added today.

Now we are anxious to know when the next Sketch Crawl will be! I'll let you know when I hear something. We want to try to get the word out early for the next one so that we can have good representation from the Brazos Valley.

Bryan Street Scene

Bryan Street Scene

by

Barbara

oil

Barbara e-mailed this to me today. This is an oil painting on canvas panel that she did during our Sketch Crawl last Saturday morning in downtown Bryan. She set up between the old Queen Theatre and the barber shop and Palace Theatre across the street.

I've had several people ask me when the next one will be. The Sketch Crawl website says that they have one every two or three months. The last one was in January. So the next one might be about June. Or it could be in May. I'll let you know, or you can sign up on their website to keep up to date. We'll try to let everyone know ahead of time. Greta Watkins at the Frame Gallery in downtown Bryan has agreed to be a contact, too.

I'm going to post more of my pictures that I have added to the slideshow individually so that I can post them on the Sketch Crawl forum.

It is very interesting to look at what people from other places in the world did that day. Next time, we have to remember to take some photos! To see some from Rockport, you can look at my Guest Book. You can also see them on the Forum on the Sketch Crawl site under the 18th Sketch Crawl. Just click on where it says Results.

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Be sure to go by and see "Extracurricular" at the P. David Romei Art Center in College Station. I hope that, if you are local, you got to go by the reception for the artists this afternoon.

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Famed Texas artist, Dalhart Windberg, is showing at the Rockport Art Center. He is giving a talk on Saturday. His work is just gorgeous! And it is so interesting to hear him talk about his process.

I first met him when he was just getting started in Victoria. And was able to hear him speak at Bryan High School some years later. Some of his originals were on display and they just glowed. People were wondering, "How does he do that!?!" And we were amazed when he told some of his "secrets".

His moonlight and foggy scenes, especially, are just breathtaking.

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Bryan Sketches

18th World Wide

Sketch Crawl

Saturday March 29

Bryan, Texas

I used a #314 Draughting pencil to do this.

My sister, working in downtown Bryan on Saturday. She elected to use oils and do some plein aire painting of a street scene. She does lots of outdoor work, so she was prepared to work!

I'll add what she did when she sends me a photo. Her painting, of course, was not dry enough to scan and none of us thought about taking photos until we were back home.

I seem to still be having trouble posting images on this blog. It let me add one, then keeps telling me that I am probably not connected to the internet. I may have to add each of them in a separate post, the way it's going.

Just a Thought:

Doesn't it seem like February and March have just flown by? It seems like the first of February was just a few days past when it was the end of the month. Now, it feels the same way for March. I'm still thinking of things that I intended to do for the month, and now it's almost gone.

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If you are in this area, be sure to go over to see "Extracurricular" at the P.David Romei Art Center in College Station. This show is of work submitted by Brazos Valley Art Teachers. Among that group, there are some outstanding artists. There is a reception for them at the Art Center April 3 at 5:30 p.m.

Circle Around The Square

Circle Around The Square

A Cold Weather Story

8.5" x 11"

pencil

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It was a cold January in 1958. I was a senior in college and went home for a special weekend.

Daddy was going to buy me a new car for my graduation present. He had a nice Ford Galaxie all picked out, through one of his friends who had a car dealership.

I wanted no part of such an ordinary car. I wanted a '51 MGTD, all black. I had dated a guy who drove a car like that, except his MG was white. I thought that was the cutest little car that I ever saw and would surely attract a lot of attention. It would be so much fun to whiz along with my hair blowing and, at the same time, have everyone look to see that darling little car. Not to mention, that it was sure to attract a lot of boys who would like to take a look at the engine and take care of the car. And that would, hopefully, get me some dates- boys who would love to drive or work on my little car.

Daddy finally searched and found a used '51 MGTD and he, reluctantly, bought it for me. He was sure that I would change my mind and want that shiney, new, all black Galaxie. But I was convinced that I would only look good in an MG. Without the MG, I was sure I would be dateless and an old maid.

The MG that he found was a bit scuffed and worn, to say the least. But, I thought that I could just clean it up and it would be gorgeous!

Daddy spent the weekend showing me the things that were wrong with the car, and telling me that I should leave it at home until it was fixed. I should take his '57 Ford Ranch Wagon back to college, if I just had to have a car. He knew that I would need a car to do my student teaching in the spring, so it was time to get used to driving more and be responsible for a vehicle.

I was too excited over my first new car to leave it behind and drive a family oriented station wagon. So, off I went in my little car, on Sunday afternoon, anxious to show off my car to everyone, and to test it out on the boys that hung out near Campus Corner, the drugstore, checking out each others' sports cars.

"It's going to be alright, Baby," I told the car. "Once I get you figured out, you are going to be a dream to drive!"

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I'm sure that my parents must have cringed as I drove away in that little car. It wasn't just the size, but the condition of the car, that made it dangerous. But, in those days, there wasn't a lot in the way of safety checks. No seat belts, no car inspections. Just buy your license and your car, and that was it, as long as you could make it run, some way or other.

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My little car had a white body, black fenders, and a green interior. I was disappointed in the color, but, if that was all he could find that was running, I would have to be happy with it. I really wanted a solid black car, but this one was still cute.

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It also had some serious problems.

The brakes didn't work all of the time. The way to stop the car was to gear it down until it was almost stopped, then hit something gently.

There was no gas gage. If I wanted to know how much gas I had, I got a yardstick out of the back and stuck it into the gas tank.

The leather seats were worn, but that wasn't too bad. Just didn't look so good.

The wooden interior was sort of, well, rotten. So, when I had the cloth top up, sometimes, if I hit a bump, the top slid down the wood and collapsed all over the interior.

The previous owners had cut into the wires and changed them around. So, when a button on the dash was pulled, I never knew what might happen. Lights might come on, or it could be the windshield wipers.

At night, sometimes, if I hit a bump, the lights might go out and I had to find another bump to hit and make the lights come back on.

There wasn't an actual heater, but there was a lot of heat from the engine coming up through the floorboard. Of course, it had no radio or air conditioner. But, then, not many cars had those luxuries then. There was plenty of fresh air and I could always sing if I wanted music.

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I was as happy as I could be with my cute little car. Gearing down, and little races with other sports cars was kind of fun. I looked forward to things like road rallies and getting together with other sports car owners. And I was so proud of my graduation present.

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I pulled up in the parking lot just outside the windows of my dorm room as I returned to campus that afternoon. I honked the horn and waved at my suitemates to come look at my graduation present. I took my things up to my room, and brought my friends down for a look at my car. I was grinning from ear to ear as we decided that we just had to try it out. Never mind that it was a two-seater. We would squeeze in four girls, one way or another!

It was cold, gray, drizzling a little when we jammed ourselves in the car. We were hoping it would snow. So, it was urgent that we get down the hill to town, circle around the square a few times, and get back up the hill in case the hill got icey and we couldn't make it back. I was driving, one suitemate sat in the other seat, one straddled the middle of the two seats over the emergency brake, and another smaller friend sat on the shelf in the back over the batteries. (Yes, it had two batteries. And also dual carborators.)

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Of course, despite the weather, we had to have the top down to show off our convertable. Besides, the person in the middle would have either had to bend over or their head would have gone through the canvas, if we had the top up.

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We laughed and giggled at all the little quirks of the car and the way that we were riding. Finally, after almost 4 years there, we had "wheels"! We were almost free and almost grown, or so we thought.

We made it to the square where the courthouse was located, surrounded by stores, restaurants, and movies. There weren't many people out, but, since it was a Sunday, with students returning from the weekend, there were a few people out to eat, going in to the movies, and some students in cars. We were the only ones circling the square that cold day, though.

We were almost hysterical with laughter as we tightend our headscarves against the cold air, and sang, at the top of our lungs, such hits as "We Wear Short Shorts". Tears ran down our faces from laughing. Even the term, "circle around the square" brought hysterical laughter.

"We had better get back to the dorm. It's getting really cold and looks like it's going to rain." Someone became more serious.

One more time around the square to wave at a couple of carloads of boys, and we headed back up the hill.

We fixed the top and side curtains on the MG and went in the dorm, exhausted from laughing.

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As I looked out of my windows, admiring my little MG in the parking lot, another small car drove into the parking lot. I was stunned, and watched to see who might be driving this car. I pressed my face to the window to see the car better. It was the car I really wanted. A solid black MGTD, with a little red in the interior. I didn't care about the red, but this was as close to solid black as you could probably get. This one was shiney and like new.

My excitement for my graduation present was greatly subdued when I saw that car. The figure that came out of the car was dressed in black and had a heavy black knit scarf draped over her black hair. I really liked the girl, so I was excited that she had a great car for her graduation present. But I was kind of sick at my stomach to think of how bad my car was compared to this one that she had brought back from the big city. I still didn't want the Ford, though, or even a later model MG.

My joy was dimmed, but, I thought that mine was a fun car, and we could get out and work on it along with the guys at Campus Corner. They would probably love to work on it and improve it. If we just kept our two cars apart, maybe mine wouldn't looks so bad. I have to admit, though, that it was kind of neat to see those two square-bodied MGs parked together at our dorm. There weren't any more of those around. The boy whose car I first admired had moved on to another college or into the service the semester after I dated him. I never did know. He was cute, but his car was most attractive, I thought.

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The following day after our ride in the cold, one suitemate had to go to the clinic and was really sick after our adventure around the square. Another one had a cold. That put another damper on our fun. I sat at my desk in my room, looking down at the parking lot at the two MGs parked side by side, glistening in the rain.

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Daringly, that semester, I bleached my hair, as much as I dared , with peroxide, to look better with my car, and even used a little mascara on my eyebrows and eyelashes (but only when I was away from home). Young ladies only wore "natural" lipstick for every day, and "red" lipstick for Sunday and dress up, in those days. Any more than that, and you were looked upon as a loose woman.

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In the spring, when I went to do my student teaching, I drove my MG most of the time. I liked to cruise around in my car and find others with sports cars or who were into racing.

In the mornings, as I was going to school, I would often encounter a man who had a new MGA, a white, probably '57, model. He was the weather man on the new tv station. As we sat at red lights, there was the inevitable "Wanna drag?", and we would race our engines, then speed off. That put me in a good mood for the day.

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One day, when I drove into the teachers parking area for the afternoon session, a group of boys ran out and pushed me all the way back to the street, as I was trying to drive forward. The only reason they stopped was when the bell rang to go to class and a big, male teacher came out and made them go back in the building. I didn't want to go back to that school, or any other, anymore. I made sure that I was in the same places as the rest of the teachers, and didn't get caught by myself again.

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When I went away to teach, my dad made me take the Ranch Wagon, a dependable car and one that looked more like a teacher. He worried about hurricanes on the Gulf Coast, too, and wanted to be sure that I could get out of there, if needed. With my first check, my dad insisted that we go look at new cars. Again, he wanted me to get a Galaxie. I wanted an MG. We found a sports car business near home, and we went to look at cars. He sold my MG, so I had to get a new car. That was the only car that he ever got rid of.

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Selecting a new car is another story.

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It's hard to believe that this happened 50 years ago. I guess the cold, gray weather we are having reminded me of the day that we circled around the square in my MG the first time.

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Please look at my Guest Book at the very bottom of my page. Thank you for signing and, if you like, share a picture.

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Thank you for reading. I appreciate your interest and support.

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Vision-Cold Weather Coming

Cold Weather Coming
6" x 9.25"
watercolors

Skies to the north became gray and dark as a cold front approached. The rest of the sky was still a clear cerulean blue and the warm temperature seemed more like spring than autumn.
I shielded my eyes against the sun in the west as my sister drove down the narrow country lane. I closed my eyes frequently because the wavey lines and distortion combined with the blur from the movement of the car would almost make me seasick.
Signs were impossible to read until I was close to them. Telephone poles were wavey, and I couldn't see some things.
But, I still had to look at the scenery, when possible. I wanted to look for pictures, to memorize the things I was seeing.
The distant green trees at the edge of the fields broke the flat horizon line, just under the looming clouds. There were no colorful fall leaves here. A field showed the golden colors of dry grass, indications of how dry the ground had become, following a very wet summer. The neighboring yard, where there was a house, had lush green grass, the results of fertilizer, watering, and special care. Concrete pipes were stacked up behind the house.
"Look! All those fat, gray cows are lined up against the fence. I guess they are resting up for the bad weather that is coming later." I pointed toward the windshield.
"Isn't it odd that those cows are all about the same size, in the same position." I thought. "Not so odd, I guess. People have herds of cows that are all the same color and, if they bought them all at the same time, they could be the same size. Wonder what kind of cows those are."
My sister watched the road. We always commented on the animals and sights along the roadways. Cattle always seemed to lay down before bad weather, so this behavior wasn't something so unusual. It was just that they were all lined up against the hurricane fence, instead of being in a group out in the field, or under a tree.
"Oh! They're shrubs by the fence!" I said when we were almost beside the fence. "They aren't cows at all. And they aren't even gray. They're green!" I felt like I shrunk down in the seat a little bit. How dumb of me, to think that those objects were rounded, gray cows, their heads down and feet tucked under their fat bodies! They looked more like cartoon Hippos than cows, to me. But, my mind told me that they had to be cows out in a field.
"Just shows that I shouldn't be driving," I commented, "if I can't tell a cow from a bush!"
"How much worse is this going to get?" I thought. "It's got to get better!" Anxiety is always near.
And, at the same time, logically, I knew that it will only get worse, that there is help for some, but it is unavailable to me. And I tried to shake it off, and think that it is okay. Not nearly as bad as others have to endure. This thing, Macular Degeneration, with cataracts, has already cut into my life quite a bit. I try not to let thoughts of what is to come make their way into my thinking and feeling, but it is always there, like a dark cloud, waiting to fall on me.
I just had to laugh at the funny cows that I saw, getting ready for cold weather. At least, they were kind of fun to paint!
This small painting, "Cold Weather Coming", was painted with Winsor Newton watercolors on 140 # Arches watercolor paper
For more of my paintings and experiences with Macular Degeneration, look in my older posts. They are all prefaced with the word "Vision".
"Eye Sites" in my sidebar, are places that I have found with information on Macular Degeneration.
Contact me if you see something that you would like to purchase. Thanks for reading and sharing with others who might be interested.

Bumper Cars

Bumper Cars

9" x 12"

watercolors

Bumper Cars (Sketch)

8.5" x 11"

pencil

Payday, when I was working, meant going out to eat that next Saturday, stopping at a bookstore to buy art and writing magazines, then taking in a movie before heading to the grocery store and home. I always liked to go to someplace with good food and a lovely enviornment. China, crystal, silverware, white tablecloths, fresh flowers or candles. Of course, the kids always wanted pizza and games, so we usually looked for someplace to keep the kids occupied. They ate, headed for games, and I watched tv and used my sketchbook.
The pencil sketch above is of a very striking woman who was returning to her table after refilling her glass. I did the sketch, first, which doesn't show the dress or her surroundings. I worked to achieve a sculptural quality as I drew, something that I think was helped by doing clay sculpture of heads and figures. I also wanted to work on the effect of light and shadow on her dark skin, as well.
Later, I did the painting in watercolors, beginning with a pencil drawing of her, then adding the color of the dress, the restaurant, and the sign. There was a little girl, with blonde curls and a big red bow in her hair, playing on the floor. I indicated movement and figures having a good time in the game room, with Indigo Blue and purple in the background. Spatters of bright colors add to the festive atmosphere.
The woman didn't pose for me. She just walked across the room and I captured what I could, then remembered what I could, later.

Observation is something that artists, and writers, need to develop and continue to work on as they grow. There are exercises that one can do in order to improve that skill.
One example is to have a person walk into a room, pause, then walk back out. Then practice drawing, or writing a description, of that person.
Another thing to try is to have someone bring an object into the room. The object should be covered or wrapped so that it can't be seen. Then, have the covering removed, and give a time limit to write a description, or draw the object. When that time is up, cover the object and finish the drawing or description, without looking at it again.
I've done these exercises individually and with groups, and the results are a bit amazing, sometimes.

I hope that you enjoy these two pieces of work. As always, let me know if you see something that is of interest to you. And please share these with others. Thanks for reading. I hope that you will consider subscribing, and send some others who would like to get my blog.
Be sure to check out things on my sidebar, and also in the BlogRush section, if you see a topic of interest there. By going to those sites from my blog, it gets more exposure for my own blog.
Have a great weekend!