Drawing
Last night I went to a life drawing class offered by West Ox Gallery. I'm not sure how long it's been since I've done a bit of figure drawing, but I'm thinking it must be over two years. Maybe less. But the point is, it's been awhile. And success in drawing, like all other skills, comes with practice. And I'm a bit rusty. Still, it was great to get involved in a bit of the art scene in Oxfordshire.
What's really great about the class is that it's not tutored so you can go and have fun without the pressure of someone looking over your shoulder telling you how your foreshortening and proportions are all wrong. Sometimes it's just nice to draw for the sake of drawing in an environment that encourages experimentation. Plus, my friend, Martin (a fantastic fellow artist whom I met at camp several years ago and has remained a very good friend), is also a member of West Ox Gallery and goes to the class. And it's always nice to share a bit of creative time with a friend.
Painting
I've just put the final touches on another painting from The War Girls series. This one is titled Use It Up, Wear It Out, Make Do. Like the other paintings in the series, this has a bit of an implied sexuality. A bit crass, I know. But it's intentional. While I like for these works to be fun and nostalgic, there is a bit of an understated feminism that's important to note. During WWII women gained their own sort of recognition for their support of the war effort. Some women worked in factories. Some did what they could from home by scrimping and "making do", and others were entertainers. This is what I ponder: women were asked to "use it up, wear it out, make do." Is this how soldiers thought of the women who posed for their morale-lifting posters?
Cooking
On a lighter note: I made tortillas this morning in preparation of tonight's fajita fest. This is thanks to my friend, Lorna, who - among other amazing talents - is a fantastic cook and baker. Before moving to England, she gave me a cookbook of her favourite recipes, some of which are handed-down family goodies and others of which are from published cookbooks. I was flipping through it the other day for some culinary inspiration and came across her recipe for homemade tortillas which is from Flatbreads & Flavors: A Baker's Atlas by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid. I can't wait for dinner. Mmmmm....
Oh My!
For years I've been grooving on Harry Nilsson's 1970 album Nilsson Sings Newman. When I was about 24 or 25, I worked as a bartender for this great bar in Waterloo, Iowa called The Cellar Lounge. Every Wedenesday was open mic night and was my favourite night to work. And one of the regular musicians and I got to talking and I had mentioned that I had just bought this album and he was astonished. He couldn't believe that a young woman in her early twenties had even heard of the album, let alone owned it. (I felt very proud of this because it reinforced what people have said about me for years: I was born old.) He was equally surprised to discover that someone else on the planet actually owned the album. This memory always makes me smile. It's hard to name a fave track but I think it would have to be Love Story. Give it a listen.
And lastly before I end my blogging for the day: I mentioned several days ago that I have bunches of new work: pendants, earrings and crocheted necklaces. It had been living in Arteria Gallery 23 in Lancaster for a few months where it was part of the Shine exhibition. The show ended a few weeks ago and I just got the stock back. I've spent the greater part of two days photographing the work and uploading it on my site so it's available for purchase. I thought my readers might like a bit of a slideshow of the work - cuz face it, who doesn't like a bit of eye-candy? So here you go!!
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