Art Today

Well, we are almost at the end of this summer session. One more week, which is two more classes and we are through. Next Tuesday we go to the museum and discuss the picture of our choice in front of the whole group. Then we have to turn in our paper. I am about a third through with the writing. I plan to get the whole thing written tomorrow. That will leave me Saturday, Sunday and Monday to get it polished , make sure I have no spelling mistakes and make sure  all the information she asked for is included.

 On the following Thursday, the last day, we turn our portfolios in,  so, in addition to the paper, I have to work on that, too. I have to choose what I think are my ten best pictures and either mount them on pastel paper or posterboard or use a mattboard . I have three big mattboards already but I know I need to get more or get some nice poster board. There are a couple of things I have done that will look much better cut down to 8 by 10 size and I will go to the library tomorrow and use the big paper cutter that is downstairs.

 To add to the mix, we are having company this weekend. One of Fred’s daughters and her husband and children will be here on Saturday and half of Sunday. This means we have to clean up a bit round here. However, Fred made a great start whiler I was out at the drawing class this afternoon. He vacuumed the kitchen floor and gave it and and the bathroom floor an excellent mopping-and-scrubbing type cleaning! It looks really nice now. Tomorrow I will get rid of all these boxes and vacuum the middle room and the front room and dust everything. I will also clean all my art supplies off the table!

The art class today was more drawing with charcoal from the same model. We did 20 thirty-second quick drawing and then four more 30 minute drawings. I still don’t like charcoal. However, I saw what the girl next to me did with very hard charcoal and I did a picture of the model’s face and shoulders for my last drawing. I used very hard charcoal for most of it and was much more comfortable with that than I was with the softer {and messier} charcoal. Jean came and sat beside me for a few minutes and told me to be braver in darkening the dark areas! She is correct in that I am still too timid unless reminded.

I got an A plus for the three drawings of my hands and an A minus for the charcoal drawing I did at the last session. The minus was because I had not put any detail in the foot that was nearest to the front of the picture and, of course, since that was supposed to be closer than the other foot, there should have been a lot of detail. So far, every a minus I get seems to be balanced by an A plus, so, unless I totally mess up my written paper and the presentation which goes with it,  and/or my portfolio, I should finish up with an A.

Today, Jean {the instructor} asked me if I had been to the museum yet and when I said I had, asked me what picture I had chosen. When I told her, she said it was one of her favorites and that she looks forward to hearing what I have to say about it.

**GULP!!**

Until later…