Thursday Art Walk

 

In Which My Hard Work Cannot Pay Off Yet...

I have high hopes for my current art project, but unfortunately it's not ready yet, so instead, I'm gonna have to show off an unfinished sketch of a bunny girl witch.

"Bunny"; graphite in sketchbook; 2021

This is an idea I'd like to go back to sometime when I'm a better artist, but for now I think I'll let her hang out.

The other project I'm working on is complex in theory but shouldn't be anywhere near as complicated in practice lol. I am thinking of calling it "AVM", so we'll see about that lol!

That's about all I can talk about right now, artistically, but I think it'll be really fun to show off when it's done.

See you again on Monday where I'll talk about the Mystery Project and the progress I'm making on my shawl :)

Don't forget to Enjoy Something!

Talk About Tuesday

 

In Which Today Started... Weird

I am a creature of habit. No, not like a nun. More like a flower. I bloom in my own cycle and anything that disrupts that muddies up my whole vibe. So when I tell you today was a weird-vibe day, you can rest assured I am very thrown-off.

The morning started surprisingly early because my mother took our stale bread out for the crows. They were very appreciative and sang her the song of their people. You may take this to mean that I was annoyed to be awakened by crows, but you'd be wrong. I loved it! It was so nice to hear them happily cawing and the younger ones making "feed me, ma!" noises even though I'm pretty sure some of them have already paired off with mates of their own lol!

So the morning is going well - I grab my coffee and settle into an armchair, the cat is curled up on my lap, farting into my thigh like it's a race... which yeah, not pleasant, but I was happy she was so comfortable on my lap when she's usually quite antisocial in the mornings.

Then my mom lets me know her mother's visiting, and while I love my grandma a lot, I'm less enamored of her crazy dog - the big one who we had that saga with over the late winter/early spring and the lack of kenneling.

Okay, I can deal with that. My partner left me a date bar (delicious) and I brewed a pot of lemon tea that I enjoyed with a few nice vids from the Snake Discovery Enclosure Buildoff. Dog wanted cuddles under the tree so my mom and grandma set themselves up outside, letting the cat and I just chill.

Pretty good day so far!

And then a bonus! The paper that I ordered from Dick Blick 2 days ago and shipped last night? Arrived today! It's a nice cotton rag 5"x7" block of 100 sheets! Pretty dang pleased - especially since my fineliners and gelly roll pens were supposed to arrive...

Yesterday.

And then they were supposed to get here today!

And a package did arrive for my dad from USPS, but... they didn't deliver mail yesterday, and we got no mail today, either.

I'm beginning to think they lost my freaking pens... or that I've somehow pissed off our mailman...

Regardless, today started strong, but the disappointment of realizing my stuff isn't showing up until maybe even Thursday was crushing. And also my brain has been zooming all over the place all day, which isn't fun.

It's been very hard to concentrate - hence why it's past 11PM while I'm writing this.

Anywho, the plan for this week is basically just to try and make some art at the very least! If I can do more than that it'll be a miracle, but hey, miracles do occasionally happen, right?

Right?!

Yeah, that'll about do it for me today :P

Go Enjoy Something!

FC

Talk About Tuesday

 

In Which I Swear I'm Working Hard
And Not Just Hardly Working

It's been a Summer. Quite a Summer. Some days I feel like I'm endlessly floating in a humid pool of nonsense and others I feel like I'm hurtling towards some uncomfortable future at lightspeed.

Who knew...

Cereal makes me philosophical.

Today has been another hot and humid day (80℉/26.7℃ with 51% humidity). I woke up to cicadas outside, which I only hear when it's disgusting out. We don't get the constant summer scream where I live, and I truly feel bad for anyone with sensory issues who lives with an abundance of cicadas. Yikes. Sorry bros.

I think I mentioned yesterday that I tore up the backs of my ankles walking around town in the rain (worth it - that bookstore is loaded with sweet sweet literary goodness), and as of today they're still stiff and painful. Which means my plans for a walk were once more thwarted. I can't even use the treadmill. Wah.

I can, however, do crunches and situps (though not pushups, sadly), so I did those today. I also ate a bowl of Honey Bunches of Oats for lunch, which was awesome and gave me some nice clarity and focus that lasted 3 whole hours! For reference, the focus hit I get off of coffee lasts maybe 15 minutes tops. I'm 99% sure it's psychosomatic, but that's fine because I also haven't snacked since the cereal. Win?

I'm also 99% sure that the latest birdur (murder-of-bird-by-bird) in my yard was perpetrated by a redtail hawk! I heard what sounded like a FURIOUS catbird on testosterone and went to the window and an enormous reddish brown raptor was sitting on top of a flattened pigeon under the bird feeder (RIP pigeon, sorry you got smooshed). When he saw me, we locked eyes and he SKRAAAAA'd at me one last time before taking off. For whatever reason, my phone blows at taking photos through my window (USA = window screens = focus issues galore but also less cat escapes and bug intake) so I do not have any photos worth sharing, but what an encounter!!!

Besides the big bad birdle borg not much has happened since Sunday's bookstravaganza and blisterpalooza. I almost went back to the bookstore today but needed my shower and so did not end up going. Maybe next Sunday if it's not pouring?

I'm hoping to do some sketching later today, maybe prep for another watercolor piece and test out my new erasers and pencil sharpener. Hopefully I also get to cook this week - I would like to try making bao! I'll let y'all know how it goes if I succeed. If you hear nothing, I did not succeed :P

I'm also hoping to get to work on some old crochet projects and maybe also start a gag gift for someone... we'll see if I can get that to work. I don't know if it will.

Anywho, that'll about do it for me! I'm riding that cereal high and about to go supplement it with coffee, despite the heat lol.

Go Enjoy Something!

FC

Talk About Tuesday

 

In Which I Ate A LOT of Cheese this Week and it's only Tuesday...

American Independence Day has come and gone, and it was a weird one this year. I went to a concert in the rain so I could celebrate my dad getting a tile at the veterans' monument in my town (he's not dead - the monument is for literally anyone who served or is serving in any branch of the Armed Forces...), got soaked, and then was able to meet up with my partner as a bit of a surprise.

We celebrated this surprise visit with a block of brie and some summer sausage while watching a bunch of Irish Lads talk about the Hobbit movie. And we also ordered a pizza and bread bites. Which we annihilated and washed down with Coke & Mt Dew...

Yes, I'm that gluttonous. No, I don't regret it.

Yes, I'll absolutely do it again some day.

That being said, I really should be kinder to my poor body - it puts up with rather a lot from me.

So of course Monday saw me jamming it full of too much coffee and hot chocolate.

Today, though, I made a little plate (and I mean little - they're 6" plates [approx 15.24cm]) of Cathedral City Vintage Cheddar (10/10 do recommend), some dry salami, four crackers and a cup of tropical fruit.

I have eaten that and two Strawberry Pop Tarts today. Plus 2 cups of mocha and a half liter of water. I already feel better lol!

This might sound weird, but I don't really have any major plans for this week - I've got ideas but I haven't got a clue how to get started on them, so I don't want to blather on about things right now. I have the most tentative of tentative plans for this week:

• Go shopping for snax & random stuff on Wednesday
• Maybe see if I can repot my watercolor paints
• Check prices on watercolor pencils
• Look for my set of watercolor pencils even though I know half of them are shattered inside
• Gather a bunch of reference images
• Test-Sketch some ideas out
• Try to walk a couple miles by Sunday
• Drink more water
• Eat more cheese because it's delicious
• Try to paint some more

We'll see how many of these I get done this week lol!

As for today, it's hot in my room, warm downstairs, and hot in the sun. The ambient temp is about 78℉ (25.6℃) with about 68% humidity. It's partly sunny out there, and the squirrels have been play-fighting all day. My cat has become obsessed with my tote filled with torn pants I want to make things out of. I am wearing yoga pants and a Peanut Butter Gamer t-shirt because I had no plans to leave the house today and have succeeded in those plans lol.

Is anyone else feeling the inertia this week? Is it just me? Are things you love coming harder? Or am I just overtired and under-exercised...

It's probably that last one :|

Anywho, I'm going to go try to figure out how to draw various goofy animals as Japanese warriors.

Go Enjoy Something!

FC