Cutting back?!

20:30 Posted In Edit This 0 Comments »
Tomorrow is the 1st of December with just over 3 weeks left to get things done for the holidays. Like many people there are so many things I enjoy doing but I am finding a serious lack of time to do them. Of course a very large chunk of my available time has gone towards physical exercises, three days at the gym and one day at belly dance class. My health has to be taken care of, there is no way around that.
I have been asked to paint the cover art for a friend's upcoming album which involves a fair amount of research, planning and prep (then there is the painting to be done - that's the easy part!). I already know that I will not have both the front and the back done this month but we will see how far I get on one side.
I will happily be indulging in some baking this season - in part I have little choice because I was given one of those "friendship loaf" packages of already fermenting yeast, flour, sugar and heaven knows what else. I really *hate* letting food stuffs go to waste so the appropriate day for baking has been committed to. And why not squeeze in another recipe while I'm at it that day? (gingerbread maybe?)
Christmas cards will be my project for this week. Now here is where I really am cutting back. Due to time constraints I will not be making the cards this year. They are store bought but at least they will be sent.
Christmas presents are in the works. The boyfriend and I managed to find presents for a couple family members today so hooray - scratch a couple more off my list!
I am not sure how much will happen in the way of decorations around the house. This year I may cut back and just do a few things here and there. Since we are spending the holidays at the farm it will save cleaning up the mess that occurs when the cat decides he's bored with no one around.
Meanwhile we go to work each day and deal with the normal needs of day to day life, laundry, cooking, family, cleaning, getting some sleep to ward off getting sick - the usual that we all go through. I have cut back on some things, but I am still constantly busy. I'll just have to gauge it as I go along. If I am still enjoying myself two weeks from now then I guess I pruned just enough.

Remembering how to draw

22:12 Posted In , Edit This 0 Comments »

I am always amazed by the power of scents and sounds to evoke memories.

I have a beautiful leather sketchbook, actually it is a removable cover made of elaborately tooled leather and the sketchbook can this way be replaced when it gets filled - not that I am yet close to filling it. But for the first time in at least a year I decided to take it out and give the cover a nice polish. This was recommended by the craftsman who made it, in order to keep the leather supple and protect the finish. So I sat down with a soft cloth, appropriate polish and the book cover and started in. What really hit me was the smell. Once the polish was in the leather the aroma was not unlike crayons! As I was polishing I was seeing - in my mind - the large box of crayons my Grandmother kept for me at her apartment. I was thinking of different colours and of the waxy texture. I was reminded of the simple joys of just drawing and colouring. I used to do that on a very regular basis as a kid. As I started painting more I drew less, I am not sure why it dropped off though. In recent years it has really seemed difficult to just sit down and draw.

I am sure that I have some crayons somewhere, although truth be told I am not in a huge rush to unpack them specifically. Instead, once I finished polishing I picked up the pencil lying on the desk and made a sketch of my sleeping cat. This time it was easy. I guess I just needed an uncomplicated reminder.
PS. in case you are wondering, the spots are actually just ink that bled through from a previous page.


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