Stuck here more or less right now because of the shoulder, I took advantage of my little deck and pretty yard yesterday to read. It’s not a very pleasant place because of the summer traffic going down the state highway, but I put in earphones and obscured most of it. I’m reading Yellowstones Ski Pioneers: Peril and Heroism on the Winter Trail by Paul Schullery. There’s something comforting about reading books about frigid cold in the summer.
Every backyard is a little wilderness. Back in the day when I was teaching Critical Thinking Through Nature Writing I required my students to go out an observe nature for 30 minutes every week (more was better, of course) and to write a journal of their observations. I knew some of them weren’t in a position to GO anywhere and I told them their back or front yard was OK for this journal.
There were butterflies — cabbage whites, and a flickering fleet fast little black and white one I’d never seen before. I had to find out what it was — it was so pretty. When It stopped, finally, I was able to see it had a bright red head. I “googled” and learned it wasn’t a butterfly at all, but a “Police car” moth. The big reward was watching a hummingbird in the beans. With my fancy new phone I was able to photograph it even though it was 15/20 feet away. It was a rollicking good time out there in the garden.
My arm is healing well, and I have a pretty good range of motion at this point. I also decided to learn how to use pastels. Long, long ago I got a set of colored Conté Crayons for Christmas. They are beautiful and it was a wonderful gift, but I have never been a fan of, or skillful user of, dry media. I think the last thing I drew with pastels was a copper tea pot in my 9th grade art class. I was 15. 😀 It was a pretty good drawing, but stressful somehow. BUT I’m not feeling much joy from painting right now, and it’s always good to learn something new, so…
Yesterday I got the apple out of my fridge and implored it to pose for me. After some gentle persuasion and the promise that I would eat it for supper, it agreed to sit a few minutes on my drawing table. I’m no Cezanne but I think apples are wonderful subjects. They are beautiful.
When I don’t know what I’m doing, I draw or paint an apple. So, I sat down on my new drawing stool in front of my new tablet of charcoal/pastel drawing paper and went at it. After a while I realized I had forgotten a lot of stuff I once knew, but it was OK. I was still having fun. I also realized that teaching myself was going to be the slow way, so I ordered a book and some good tools for blending because using my fingers — which is OK with me — would end up putting the chalky, colored residue left on my digits where it didn’t belong. I need to get back to the mentality that 1) it doesn’t matter what I do, 2) I’ll never get it right. When I lose that it’s time to stop or try something new at which I can’t possibly succeed. Pastel drawing is definitely something at which I will not succeed. There’s freedom in failure. ❤
L
“Summer is the season of inferior sledding” - Inuit proverb 
I miss my garden. Glad you are enjoying yours. I’ll be home in a week!!!
🙂 Yay!
When I was learning crewel embroidery a million years ago, the first two pieces I embroidered were a pear and an apple. I had those things framed, and they travelled with me for the longest time. I should look and see if I still have them. I think pears and apples are the most beautiful shapes. Yours is so lovely.
Thank you. I agree. Pears and apples are beautiful and when I draw one, I feel kind of peaceful about what I’m doing. Crewel embroidery is beautiful — and, IMO, difficult. I tried. 😀
Martha, this post makes my busy Monday happy. I’m so glad I took time to see how you are doing. When I began teaching I was criticized by administration for taking my kids on nature walks–for journaling and visual art purposes. Fortunately, the principal that followed loved it. This was nearly 30 years ago and I had an art teacher that did the same thing with us in school. And pastels were so fun for me to use when I dabbled in creating visuals for my classroom. I’m so glad you were able to enjoy your place of peace. The pictures are amazing! I had never heard of the police car moth. I love your mentality–there is freedom in failure indeed. I love that. Hugs and love from me and Finn! 🤍❤🐶🤗
Hugs from me, Bear and Teddy to you two, too! ❤ ❤ ❤
Let go of our expectations and we can surprise ourselves! I like the apple by the way.
Thank you! It was very tasty, too. 😀
Now wouldn’t that be a painting or sketch an apple with a bite taken and the juice running out…
🙂
We have one apple left on our trees, the rest blew of on the wind a few weeks ago!
Oh no!!!!
😕Yes sadly
Your apple does look good enough to eat…and apparently it was! Maybe an apple a day also keeps the blues away. Or something like that. A day spent reading in the backyard sounds delightful. 🙂
I like how you get those nice curves in your apple, Martha. I think your pastel turned out well.
I’ve only done one pastel but I would like to do more. I’m a bit concerned about the dust though. Any thoughts on that?
I guess masks — I think it helps to know what they pastels are made of, too. All that said, there doesn’t seem to be much with these pastels, not like ones I used as a kid. Apples are great because they like to pose. I have bad news about Tracy the pumpkin. The plant is thriving, the little fruit fell off while I was gone. I guess it was a feud over water. BUT she keeps blooming and I’m hopeful!
Either that, or she may not have been fertilised.
I guess when I fertilized her, she was on the pill… I think that’s what happened, though. 😦
She’s in charge of her own fertility.
True… Her body, her self (huh???)