Dancing Spirits

Dancing Spirits

6.5" x 10"

Mixed Media

watercolors and toner

There is sad news today as we learn of the deaths of Dr. Michael DeBakey and Tony Snow. I have felt so priviledged to have been able to hear these men speak.

Dr. DeBakey

I heard Dr. DeBakey speak at a Lions Club sponsored function many years ago. At the time, I was teaching art, but my heart was really in nursing. So, I was particularly eager to hear him. Nursing had not worked out for me, but his talk brought an interest in medical illustration. I couldn't do that, either. I didn't think I was good enough at drawing realistically, for one thing. But, the main thing was that I had children to support and care for, so going back to school was not an option. It would have, most likely, paid a lot more than teaching, though.

I was upstairs in an auditorium when Dr. DeBakey spoke to the community. He brought slides with him to illustrate his fairly new, at that time, heart surgery. I was really impressed with his intelligence and humor, and his energy.

As he showed the first cut, many people felt sick or faint, and had to leave, as he drew the scalpel across skin and a trickle of blood followed.

"Ooops!" he said. That one wasn't supposed to be in there. He usually left that one out because a lot of people would faint when they saw the cut and the blood. That one was for his medical students. He said that some of them fainted, too.

Now, I'm one that has always fainted when someone just showed me a needle, so I was surprised that I wasn't among the first casualties! At least half the audience had to leave. I thought that I was doing really well.

After that first slide, I watched, fascinated, as he explained what was going on through heart surgery. It did get a little warm in there, though, when he started suturing the incision . But, he made it funny, saying that he learned to sew from his mother-"a simple over and under stitch". And that's the stitch he used in surgery. I could just picture him, as a little boy, sitting there, at his mother's feet, learning to sew.

I taught my students things like creative stitchery, and, usually, the boys caught on and did a better job than the girls. So, I was not surprised.

He told something of his schedule, saying that he got up at 4 a.m. every morning, took walks, ate little, and went to bed fairly early. I've heard a lot of people, artists, writers, etc., who say that they get up at 4 a.m. It's a quiet time, with no phones or interruptions, when they can work or just think, and enjoy the solitude.

The schedule seems to have worked for him as DeBakey died at age 99.

I thought he was a really amazing man. I might have liked to have been a student under him, or just talked to him. He certainly lived a long and productive life and has left so much to help mankind.

Tony Snow

I first noticed Tony Snow when he was a news anchor on tv. He was distinctive, with silver hair that seemed to match his last name of Snow. He had a distinctive voice, too, a little on the raspy side, I thought. But he was someone who stood out from the other newscasters.

Later, when we learned that he had colon cancer, I wanted to ask him about it, and, at the same time, felt concern for him. When he returned to broadcasting, not only was his hair white, but his skin looked very white-almost like his hair. I thought it must be from the surgery and chemo.

Soon, he was looking better, had some color, but I thought that might be makeup.

And, then, we heard that he was replacing the very bland Scott Mclellan (I probably spelled that wrong!) as White House Press Secretary. "Good for him!" I thought. "He should certainly be better with reporters than his predecesser was, since he was one of them." And, he was.

I was a little concerned that he, sometimes, seemed to be going over to the administration's side on some issues, but that was understandable since this was his job. It wasn't always comfortable from an observeror's standpoint, or, possibly, from the reporters position, either.

And, then, one day, they announced that Tony Snow was coming to the George Bush Library. I just had to have tickets to that. So, my daughter got tickets for my grandson and me to go.

I thought that I might have a bit of a problem because, by this time, my knees were bad and I was having to walk with a cane and had trouble getting up and down from chairs, or sitting too long, or walking very much gave me trouble. But the newest problem was my eye with Macular Degeneration and cataracts in both eyes. I wasn't seeing very well. But I was determined to be there, even if all I could do was listen, and if I had to ask everyone around me to help me up out of the chair!

The night of the event came and we walked across the plaza with the piece of the Berlin Wall and the sculpted horses jumping over it, to the auditorium. Protestors were off to one side of the building, with poster board signs that I couldn't read, of course.

" College kids," I thought. "They should have seen the days of the Hippies!" But I was glad that they weren't as bad as back in those days.

We entered the lobby with our tickets, and found that the main auditorium was full. We were ushered into a smaller auditorium, an annex, where there was a large screen in front of the room. We picked a spot about the middle of the auditorium, on the aisle, and sat down. An usher soon moved us and directed me to sit against the wall. I knew that I wouldn't be able to see a thing there, and what if I should have to get up and leave! I told him that I couldn't see at all out of one eye, and that I really needed to be on the aisle so I could see. And also that I had bad knees. He kind of rolled his eyes, and said I could stay there, but moved my grandson to the next row behind me, next to the wall, and filled the row beside me with a family. At least my grandson is tall and could see over people in front of him.

I talked briefly to the people sitting beside me. A family who had come from the Beaumont area, to Austin, and on to College Station, just to hear Tony Snow. As the evening progressed, I learned that people had come from all over to hear Snow. So many, in fact, that they filled the annex auditorium, and the dining hall. Certainly an overflow crowd.

I wondered about Snow's hair. He had been on tv earlier, and his hair looked gray instead of white. In fact, each time I saw him on tv, his hair was a little darker, and his skin had more color.

George H.W. Bush (Bush 41) and Snow came into the auditorium where we were and told us of the overflow crowd. They would be speaking in the other auditorium and we would watch on the big screen. However, when it was over, they would come in and answer questions.

Actually, it worked out better by seeing them on the big screen, for me, at least. I could see them so much better than the smaller figures that they really were, in front of the auditorium.

Following a very lively and interesting talk, Snow answered questions, then Bush and Snow came into our auditorium. They were on a slightly raised stage. Four Secret Service men stood in front of them. I hardly noticed the men, at first.

As the speakers answered questions, I did my usual thing in trying to see better. I leaned out into the aisle and closed my bad eye and blinked with the good eye, trying to clear up the image. Since no one was walking up the aisle, I stretched my leg into the aisle a little and leaned on my cane.

Snow talked , enthusiastically, about the wonderful job he had, and his excitement was contagious. He spoke of many things in history that he had so much knowledge of, and brought those things to life.

"His hair is brown!" I thought! "And his skin is tanned! He looks really healthy and good! Maybe he is well, now. Or could it be dye and makeup. Could be the lights. But he does look younger and like he feels good."

I suddenly looked at the Secret Service men, glaring at the audience.

"Oh, dear! I wonder if they can see me!" I told myself. "I had better stop this. No telling what they think I am up to, winking at Tony Snow and the president!" I could picture those Secret Service men, rushing up the aisle to throw me onto the floor, thinking I was up to no-telling-what!

I pulled my leg back under the chair in front of me and kept both eyes open as I looked at the speakers. "Behave yourself!" I thought. I'm sure that they couldn't see me at all, but, if they did, I'm sure they wondered why that old lady was winking at the president and Tony Snow!

After the speech, we were not allowed to leave through the front door, but were ushered out a side door. We were told that there were protestors and they wanted us to be able to get to our cars easily. I couldn't walk too fast, so I was a little concerned that I wouldn't be able to get to my car fast enough. Maybe I should stay in the building until the protestors left. My daughter was waiting to pick us up, so I was relieved to see the car nearby.

As soon as almost everyone had cleared the sidewalk, the protestors swarmed over to the sidewalk where people had been leaving. It was a funny sight. I remember young people, waving posterboards and laughing. They seemed to be having a good time. Guess they thought they would be on tv. And one person was pulling something that looked like a children's wagon, with slats on the sides, and Christmas lights on it. We thought they were harmless and must not have homework or a date that night. But I was relieved to get in the car and out of the crowded parking area.

It had been good to see that Tony Snow looked so much better in person, and to be able to hear some of his life and experiences, as well as all the history that he shared.

It was only a day or two later when we heard the announcement that Snow's cancer had returned and he was scheduled for surgery and more treatment. I was stunned. He had looked so well and full of life when he was here.

After he returned to tv, and said that he was going to be a news anchor again, his skin and hair looked gray on tv. I hoped that he would be alright. He seemed to be one person who would certainly beat the illness with all his exuberance and love for life and work. I truly thought that he would triumph and go on to live a long life.

Sadly, the news today is that he died. I had not heard that he was not doing well, so it was quite a shock.

While he did live a full life, in his short 53 years, doing so much more and having so much more knowledge than most of us are priviledged to, he had so much potential to do more.

We've lost two amazing men, but they have left us with so much.

***********

The small painting above, "Dancing Spirits", was created by first using a watercolor wash of yellow over the paper. Then I used rubber cement to mask the light design in the center. A final wash of reds and oranges was placed over the paper. After the watercolor was dry, I removed the rubber cement to leave the design with the warm background.

I thought that there must be a good use for all that used copy machine toner that everyone was throwing away, so I decided to paint with it. It didn't mix with water, at all. But I was able to mix it with acrylic gloss medium and varnish and got something that had a wonderful consistency and a rich black color to it. I mixed it in small jars, then used a straw and a popsicle stick to pick up the "paint" and drip and smear it on the paper. Since I don't like to get my hands dirty, I was very careful not to get it on me, just on the paper. And it only took a small amount to get a rich black.

Later, I was told that the toner is very toxic, could cause cancer, and to not get it on me. But, I couldn't help but wonder about the safety factor when so many teachers and office workers, were changing toner cartriges and got that powder all over themselves, the machines, and their surroundings. It was always a mess, and no telling how much of the powder we inhaled while trying to put new toner in.

So, you might not want to try this idea!

I enjoyed my idea as I thought I was recycling, for one thing, and also I liked to paint with unlikely things, like berries. I moved on to use more watercolors and acrylics and natural materials, however, and didn't continue my experiement. I only did a few paintings with the toner as my black paint.

In this painting, as the drips took shape, they seemed to be like figures in a circle. At that time, I had learned of the death of a former student, and thought of her, being brought into a circle of other spirits, with a dance of joy and sharing.

*********

Vision- September Shape

September Shape
5" x 7"
watercolors
This is a shape that I saw in the center of my vision through my "bad" eye, in September. (The "bad" one being the left eye that has wet Macular Degeneration.) A bit of the change from the solid color purple spot with a green halo that I had been seeing, to this one, in different colors and sections.
The spot reminded me of the corner of a house, with an overhang, possibly from a porch. The blue area would be sky, the purple area looks like the corner of a frame house, and the pink looks like the ceiling of a porch, reflecting the pink of a sunset. Just my thoughts. Probably you see something else. Maybe a peace sign, or something else.
The green halo was still around the spot. The light faded into brown, then black and darkness.
There is a discussion on the MD Support list on the ways that people see color. Especially when the eyes have been affected by injury or the many things that can go wrong with vision. I just recently found that list. The website is http://www.mdsupport.org/ .
Previously, I've had discussions with other artists about things like color theory and why we see things the way that we do. In my teaching career, I had a couple of students who did the most outstanding work with color. After teaching those students for a few years, I learned that they were actually color blind. One explained that he worked with shades of gray. He had no idea of the beautiful colors he was producing.
Another student did such strong, poweful work that amazed everyone. Eventually, she was found to have a medical condition and was given medicine for that. Her work changed to sweet, soft little things, the normal things that girls do, Tweety Bird, hearts, flowers, pale colors. It was such an unsettling change.
I always thought that having trouble distinguishing some colors, like black and dark blue, were just a part of aging. That went along with having arms that are too short to read! A need for glasses. But, apparently it is a bit more than that, sometimes, especially, when it expands to more colors and shapes. I guess it is a part of having AMD or related vision problems.
Fluorescent lights gave me a lot of problems at school, but I could compensate by using natural light from the windows. At home, I use incandescant lights, but have to use more on my work. I need that natural light, too. There are lamps that put out light that are similar to daylight now.
I've read that, if you want to see what part of your vision is affected by Macular Degeneration, to grip your hand into a fist. Turn the back side toward you. Extend your fist about 10 inches away from the center of your eye. Then try to read something without moving your fist. Or that could include trying to look at someone, look at a picture, watch tv, read, cook, or any of the many things we do daily. The center vision, that area where you try to focus, is lost with AMD.
More on Macular Degeneration to come as I experience these things, and learn. At least, I am getting some interesting art work out of this. Work that I would not have done had my eyes stayed healthy and in the 20/20 state that they had always been in.
Thanks for reading and passing this on to anyone who might be interested. I have some links on Eye Sites on my sidebar that might be of interest to all who have concerns about vision. If you would like to see more of my art work and experiences with Macular Degeneration, look in the archives section on my sidebar. All of those posts are prefaced with the word "Vision".

Lavender Ladies

Lavender Ladies (Detail)
10" x 14"
watercolors
Each Friday, there is a challenge issued on the "Creativity Journey" blog. (I have a link to it in the sidebar.) Last week, the assignment was to begin with a grid. Not an ordinary grid of little squares, but to look around for things that form shapes.
I thought and thought and looked and looked. Finally, I looked at the Crepe Myrtle outside my window. And there it was. A grid. In the center, the branches formed a diamond shape. Some of the outer branches curved and twisted. I used watercolor pencils on 140 # Arches watercolor paper to draw the lines of the Crepe Myrtle for my grid.
Then there was the problem of what to use the grid for. I looked and thought some more. I took my paper, watercolor pencils, brushes, travel watercolors and set up in front of the tv set in the den. I can see that one better, if I pull my chair up in front of it. I settled down for the rest of the day, I thought. There were supposed to be Tim Holt movies on and I didn't want to miss those. I thought that, maybe I could at least try some gesture drawings while the cowboys were on.
I sketched one as a gesture drawing, and the trees bending over a dry creek bed, as the cowboys rode under them, seemed like this might be a grid that I could use. The scene went by quickly and my horse, as usual, looked like a dog. Good thing that I was looking at this more as a way to show movement and placement, and not a realistic drawing of a cowboy on a horse. My trees looked good, though!
I put that one aside as I thought that the figures I actually used, should utilize the lines of the grid more. My cowboy and trees could be finished later. I would need to look at a horse longer than the quick shot of them herding cattle through the trees in the movie.
The family left, and "Ladies In Lavender" came on tv. I had been wanting to see that movie since it came out and, finally, here was my chance. I still had my watercolors set up in front of the tv, and I settled down to enjoy the show.
"I'm going to watch this movie," I told myself. "The drawing will just have to wait. But, if I do see something that I want to put in a picture, I'm ready."
I enjoyed the beach scenes, the cozy houses, the vintage clothing and settings, and, of course, Judi Dench is always good. I stuck to watching, as I had promised myself. That is , until, the young man was on the rocks by the water, playing his violin in the moonlight. I could envision the line of his arms, through his shoulders, holding up the violin, in the top part of the lines that formed the diamond shape. The tilt of his head would fit into the shape above that. The drape of his jacket and the placement of his feet would all fit into the grid. All of this would have to be in blue, with the circle of the full moon above him.
The two women would have to be dressed in purple to fit the name of the movie, and they did fit into the grid. I thought about doing the whole picture in purple, but decided that the boy just had to be painted in blue. So, maybe, I would confine the purple to the ladies.
The young Russian artist struck me with her painting, and then in the scene where she was dressed in the loose robe with all it's flowing patterns. She seemed to fit into the curve on the right, formed by twisting Crepe Myrtle limbs.
The left side needed something. The heavy-set maid in the movie was an interesting character, so I added her to the composition. The exchange between the maid and the young man was so funny, and real. She had him helping her peel "spuds" into a bucket. He was not very nice in his comments to the older woman, but she didn't even know it. He was speaking to her in Polish.
I think that this painting came out with an abstract, dreamlike quality, with a bit of cubism thrown in. It is quite colorful.
I finished "Lavender Ladies" with Winsor Newton watercolors and watercolor pencils. By the time it was dry, and scanned, it was too late to send it in for the weekly challenge.
The picture is too large for my scanner, so today I showed you two details of the painting. By looking at both of them, you can probably see most of the painting.

This week's challenge is going to be a bit more difficult. Myrna used some special pens on a special kind of paper, and a photo program to "posterize" and break up a photo into shapes. I think that I may use some block printing paper and improvise for the pens. Maybe a bamboo pen. I'm not sure that I have anything on my computer that will posterize paintings, so I'm going to just break it up into shapes myself. I can do that-I think. Now to find a photo that I want to do.

Take a look at yesterday's post, below this one. I wrote a salute to veterans. I asked, below the first picture, if the statues, especially the one in the front, look like they are wearing shorts.
Let me know what you think.
Do you know the significance of the statues? I'm not sure about them, at all. It seems like my uncle told my mother where they were, but I just don't remember, now. Since this is being viewed world wide, maybe someone knows about them. Let me know if you have information about the statues in Rome behind my uncle.

I want to recognize and honor the veterans, and those who will be veterans on this Veterans Day. Many events were yesterday, but there are still observations today. I have heard from several people who told me a bit about the veterans in their families. There are so many stories out there. I hope that everyone is writing those down, and sharing them with others.
Thank you veterans, and troops!

Let me know if you see something of interest to you or that particularly appeals to you. Thanks for sharing and for your comments. I do appreciate your support.
I hope that you are enjoying my blog.
Don't forget to check out the links in my sidebar.

If you are interested in adding Blog Rush to your blog, let me know and I'll send you an invitation. If you add the widget through me, I will get more credit and my link will appear on more blog widgets. That way, I should get more traffic to my site. It's really easy to do, and very interesting as it shows how much traffic is coming to the site, and which post is viewed most.

For those readers who are interested in my posts on Macular Degeneration, those posts can be found in the Archives. They are all prefaced with the word Vision.

Hope your Monday wasn't too Blue. Or, if it was, I hope it was a pretty color and not the way you felt!