Friday 7 August 2020

Thursday 6th August - The week so far


The heatwave has begun today ...

Tuesday was pretty uneventful.

I've started a new painting project - foliage and flowers and stuff;

Saturday 1st August


I followed a tutorial for painting an Autumnal tree. The new paints are going to take a bit of getting used to.

Sunday 2nd August
 and the new sketchbook is also a challenge to use with water colour as the paper is thirsty so the paint dries quickly, and thin, so the pages buckle if I use lots of water.
Monday 3rd August
The paint works better if I thin it out; I have to be really quick if I want to add different colours and let them mix on the page
Tuesday 4th August
I gave the watercolours a rest and tried using aquarelle pencils

Wednesday 5th August
at the moment my drawing is getting scritchy and lifeless, and the colouring is not enjoyable
Thursday 6th August
so I thought - let's stop trying so hard, just went for the shapes with watercolour pencils (left hand picture) and then (right hand page) recklessly slapped paint on the page in the rough shape and colour, and 'tidied it up' with a pen when it was dry.
  Now, that seems like a plan!

On Wednesday I attended my first Massed Social Gathering since March. I spent days dithering - shall I go, should I not go? and planning - how shall I get there? what's the best route?

Oh good grief! I'm talking about meeting up with colleagues in the park for a 'socially distanced' coffee morning, bringing our own seating and drinks in flasks if you don't want to queue for a takeaway from the cafe.  

In the end I did go for about twenty minutes. I arrived late, so that everyone was already sitting and I could pick a 2m distanced place to be, and I didn't sit, partly to remain above everyone else's 'exhalations', partly so that I could move if anyone came too close. I do feel a bit of a wuss for being so careful, but I am so apprehensive of catching the virus and compromising the lung function that I have left.

I was glad to have met the gang, and especially say hi and bye to the one who is moving away, and touch base with the friends that I haven't seen in ages. I can't say it was a relaxing time - I was always staying aware of who was where, staying upwind of everyone, feeling as though everyone else might think I was being too over-cautious. They've been going up to London or visiting vineyards and exhibitions and eating out and generally doing whatever it is teachers do in the school holidays. 

Google memories keeps showing me photographs from our French trip last year;

Honfleur




Caudebec


Giverny


That was a wonderful week...



 




 

No comments:

Post a Comment