This Day So Far

If you look over to the left where the bread picture used to be you will now see "Couple with a Globe" a painting by Lambert Doomer who was, for a time a pupil of Rembrandt. This is the picture I have chosen from the collection at the Fleming Museum to write about as part of my drawing class. The first question on our handout guide asks "Why did you choose this work of art? Comment on the subject matter  and any emotional or intellectual reaction you have to the painting."

I chose this picture first because I like portraits. I like looking at the faces of the people and speculating about their characters and their lives. The second thing that drew me to the picture was my interest in clothes worn in the past, especially women’s clothing. For many years I was a member of the Society for Creative Anachronism {SCA} and while I was in the SCA I made both my own costumes and those my son wore. I made a real effort to make these costumes appear as historically accurate as possible and to this end looked at many books and pictures. So, my first thought when I saw this picture was to admire her dress and wonder how difficult it might be to make! The last reason I chose this picture is because of the carnation she has tucked into the front of her dress. My father was a gardener who grew vegetables for us to eat and kept pigs for the meat, but he grew carnations solely because he loved their spicy smell. This flower always reminds me of this man  whom I still miss at times although  died over fifty years ago.

With a little polishing, this is most probably how I will begin my paper. After that I have to discuss the picture with reference to the principles and elements of design. I did a little of this while I was at the museum but those paragraphs need a lot more work.

I have also begun my self portrait. I sat on a stool in the bathroom where the light is good and there is a big mirror and looked very carefully at my face. I am reasonably satisfied with what I have done so far. I still need to get the mouth and chin correct but I am quite pleased with what I have done with the eyes. It is very interesting to look, really look at one’s own face with an eye to drawing it. I must look at my face in the mirror at least once a day but then I am looking to see if my hair is tidy, if my nose is red or if there is a piece of brocolli caught between my teeth and that is not the same as looking at oneself with an eye to making a drawing. I was originally going to make this an ink drawing but I am pleased with the effect I am getting with pencils so I will most likely continue with these. I have to have this done by 2 pm on Tuesday. I will work on it for at least two sessions {for me a session is about 30 to 45 minutes}  tomorrow and at least two onMonday if I need them.

I came in and put the ingredients for a loaf of French bread in the machine and when I have finished this update, I will make a huge salad some of which I will have with lasagna this evening. I have two movies from Netflix which I will watch tonight–well, probably not both of them…

Until later