Back On My Feet!

Doesn't it drive you to distraction when you turn into a clutz overnight?  Well, that happened three weeks ago when I tripped down the last two steps in my house and broke one of my toes in my left foot!  Now, a day or so ago, my niece has done the very same thing to the same toe on the other foot!  However, she did it during Tae Kwon Doe.  At least she wasn't being a clutz like her Aunty.

And now, I'm able to get around my place - and go some distance - without the use of the walking cane, I'm able to do some gardening and get into the painting again.  I'm absolutely stoked to work on at my easel by the back door!  However, over the last week - while I was still resting up a bit - I sorted out my paintbrushes; and tossed out three-quarters of them!  Yes, I had that many dreadfully old ones in the containers that I didn't realise they had built up.  So, into the bin they went and the small handful I had left are the ones I have to use.  There's another five or six that are in another container of medium-sized brushes and larger brushes that are contained with the paint - and within easy reach. 

So, I've bought new brushes, sorted out old ones, started painting again and have enjoyed working on my self-portrait again.  And it's always good to have new brushes to work with when you really do need them; especially detailing brushes.  Now, it won't be long until it's finished and I can work on the next painting - which is also half finished as well.  This one is one I worked on while I was sitting in the lounge one day and I got an idea for it while I had my foot up... so I sat there with some paint, water and brushes and worked on it while watching television.  After two hours I had gotten some really great work completed.  I haven't taken a recent photo of it yet, and will upload one soon.  Until my next post, keep creating!  

Out of Action

I've been out of action this week... not in any horrible way, just a broken toe has slowed me down.  So, instead of working on my portrait (which is still sitting by the back door under an old tablecloth awaiting completion; and new detailing brushes), I've been knitting up a storm in front of the television.  

I was hoping to get a few good feet going on the scarf, but I haven't.  I have got a few inches... hehe... funny how it all goes to waste when you think you're going to get something done.  But my foot is healing well.  I have been watching some shows and movies on dvd that I have forgotten about and I've been reading as well.  So I'm glad I'm catching up with a few other things that have been neglected.  I'll soon be back working on my paintings and other arty things too. So, until my next post, keep creating!

New Self-Portrait

I'm doing another self-portrait.  This one isn't like last year's where I didn't use a mirror or photograph.  This year's portrait, I got some help from an artist friend who was I modeling for to take some photos of me.  Well, he needed some for his work and so I thought to use them for mine as well.  So, what do you think of the colour so far.  I won't reveal the whole portrait until it's finished completely.

Henri Matisse Exhibition

Yesterday, I was off to the GoMA here in Brisbane to see the Matisse Exhibition of his drawings.  I caught two buses in and walked to the place in the heat of the first day of March to find that there were over 20 school groups and hundreds of people arriving for the day to do exactly what I was there for.  

After paying my way in to see his works, I walked through the door and found the walls covered with a massive collection of his drawings, etchings and engravings from his entire life which he devoted to art.  There wasn't a single day that passed where he wasn't drawing something - anything - and he mainly drew to warm up himself to get into painting.  Even though there were only a few paintings in the collection, it was the people who influenced him that astounded me.

Picasso, Van Gogh and other Masters of his time - such as Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres all influenced him in how he worked; and he took the time to try out their styles as well as work on his own style.  He tried out Picasso's cubism, Van Gogh's impressionism and landscapes and Ingres' Arabesque to see if he could do these styles.  And once he mastered them, he worked on his own skills and works; even through both WWI and WWII, he was working his craft.  Between 1927 - 1930, Matisse devoted himself exclusively to printmaking.  However, once had mastered this - and perfected the technique - he became restless; and so packed up his belongings and set sail for the USA and eventually Tahiti.

As I walked around the large rooms with all this work on the walls and inside glass-covered tables, I noticed he had used almost all the differing types of styles of art.  From pencil to charcoal, to watercolour, coloured pencil to ink, Matisse, used all of the ways to get his arts onto the page or canvas; and he was forever learning.  He even used Classical Motifs and mythological figures as inspiration for his works as well to keep his artistic juices going.

I found a lot of this work overwhelming and wished I had been there to visit as soon as the exhibit had opened last year; so I could come back and visit again today - to see it again and find something new about it again - however I didn't and now I regret that.  But as I found myself at the end of the seemingly endless rooms of Matisse' work, I found myself in a Drawing Room where there were people sitting around with clipboards sketching still life pieces and statues.  A lady at the door had handed me a pencil and invited me to draw something in the Drawing Room.  I was absolutely delight!  I thanked her and looked at the boxes of clipboards with A4 and A3 sized parchments attached to clipboards.  I pulled out an A3 sized clipboard, walked around and found a stool, pulled it around to a side view of a statue and sat, put my bag on the ground and began drawing.  I gave myself 2 minutes and drew as fast as I could.  It's a fun exercise to do this... and I came up with something that looked good too.

I was advised that there was a model coming in - fully-dressed - at around 11:30am until 1pm, however I had other plans after this place.  So, I couldn't stick around, no matter how tempting it was.  So, I handed my clipboard back, folded up my sketch, kept my pencil and went to the gift shop.  After looking around, I purchased a handful of lovely bookmarks... all Matisse ones.  It may be the cheapest way of buying souvenirs, but I'm a reader, and enjoy remembering great things like this.  Until my next post, keep creating!