Scenes From a Life

In case anyone was wondering if we still had one - some sketches of life around here...Not that they're great or anything, but this is all I have for show and tell right now. It's about as creative as it's gotten around here, lately.

The first sketch shows K on his first walkabout in the hospital, and then his first walkabout at home (he had a different walker in the hospital, than he has now at home).

The next one is of a carriage we spotted on one of our first walkabouts downtown. Note to any city planners out there - brick sidewalks are not especially walker-friendly...K compared it to trying to 'walk a jackhammer down the street.' So I guess we won't be visiting that street again for a bit - we'll stay on other, friendlier sidewalks for our daily walkabouts, till he graduates from the walker...

Though we haven't been walking as far or as often this week, as we did the previous one. I came down with the flu first, then K followed along. It's getting a little better. I've discovered that I don't cough as much when drawing...something to do with a change in breathing patterns? Maybe just relaxing? Anyway, hence the sketching. Since the weeks before B's wedding and K's surgery, I've been so lackadaisical in my drawing habits of late, I'd almost forgotten what trying to draw from life is like. My quantum theory of drawing from life, is that the act of observation, immediately causes a mobilization of who or whatever is the subject of the drawing, possibly even including normally inanimate objects, which will suddenly tilt to one side or fall over completely. People and animals will suddenly develop itching, twitches and a need to change position or leave the vicinity altogether - possibly to another state -- anywhere, to get away from those insistently prying, observational eyes...

So I turned my attention next, to the fish - who can't escape my prying eyes from the aquarium, and the stuffed pandas that are unaccountably accumulating in population, around here. The cats came and went, and came back, throughout...

The panda situation here, is quite puzzling. It actually started with Pete, the largest of the traveling pandas... About a year or so ago, B found him in the parking lot at work, and when no one claimed him, she buckled him into the backseat of her car, where he happily rode around for the next year. Then, as the wedding approached, and she needed room to pack and move her belongings, he came into the house, and hid at the end of the sofa for awhile, till I moved him atop the suitcase and trunk in the area I think of as the 'adventure corner,' for no good reason, other than that there's an antiquated suitcase and trunk there, by the aquarium and seashells, and somehow it gives me a disproportionate sense of order, to name parts of my home like a theme park, as though I actually intended things to be where and what they are...

Earlier today, I tried to colorize the panda page. Much to my dismay, I found that yes, colored pencils can get too old to be usable - at least Derwent watercolor pencils. I discovered that when it scumbled all to pieces across the suitcase. I tried to clean it up, but only succeeded in making it look worse. I know it's an old pencil, since it has a 'Ben Franklin' price sticker still attached, and it's been at least 15 years, since I had to drive to a Ben Franklin store to buy art supplies... 

Here I was trying to show you the actual setting of the panda page, and I couldn't figure out why the cat wouldn't stop trying to pull my hand down, everytime I tried to photograph it...Then I realized I had the journal turned to the wong side of the page...He left me alone, once I turned the sketchbook around. I wonder if he knew??? 

There's the right page...Anyway, I wanted to show you that this odd tableau does exist, outside the sketchbook ... Somehow, Pete ended up wearing my great-aunt Vi's battered, black straw hat, which actually rather suits him. About a week or so after ensconcing Pete atop the suitcase, in hopes that B would notice when visiting, and remember to take him to her new home - when I was straightening up (or what passes for it, around here), another panda turned up. A week or so later, in yet another room in the house, the third panda turned up. No one remembers seeing these other pandas before. Possibly, Pete is actually a Petra, and has been pregnant all this time? I'm not sure. I've been pondering a solution to the panda mystery all week. I put them next to Pete and the grandgirls' collection of Nancy Drew mysteries, hoping to spark a solution or at least possibly formulate a new theory on the spontaneous emergence of pandas. K says it's a hopeless cause though. It's simply panda-monium. (Or is it a panda-mic?)

Please forgive this post. We're trying to get better...

  

Comments

[miss*R]

oh this is so funny to read!! love it dear Tink xoxo (I have had the flu too..not nice,is it? at times my head didn't feel like it was my own)

[rochambeau]

Dear Tink,
Sorry you've been under the weather!!
Grateful K is up and walkabouting around. That is a good thing and great drawing.
Methinks Panda knows things!
That is sweet. She is a good assistant.

xox
Constance

[Caroline]

I do so hope you are both fully better soon - I'm glad to hear that you are well enough to draw - its wonderful to see you life through your pencil.

I've not blogged recently but I've been working on my website for HK:
http://www.magwag.plus.com/caroline/

[Pacian]

Now that's interesting. My local high street was bricked over when they pedestrianised it, and I've never noticed much difference underfoot.

Maybe there's a trick to it that your city planners don't know about.

[pam aries]

You still crack me up, gal! Pedestrianised! hee LOVE IT! It is good to see your sketches!

[somepinkflowers]

oh
yes
yes
yes

you
have all your ducks
and all your panda
in a row!

:-)

i can see that all
the way over
and down here
in florida.

{{ if only Ducati
or even Harley-Davidson made walkers!!

if only... }}

[kai]

Aloha Tink,
The panda is adorable..
PLease feel better soon sweetie.
peace, Kai

[stephanie]

Glad to hear everyone is on the mend here...I am trying to do some daily drawing...in the garden, of the bird chatter...

lots of inspiration here!

x..x
s

[artzyjudie]

As always Tinkerbell, your drawings are WONDERFUL. (I know becuz I have one to look at up close!) The detail you put in a sketchbook amazes me. It's wonderful. Why don't you submit some of them to the Crafting For Health site (link at Violette's). It certainly shows how you draw to pass the time when you're sick and how it makes you forget about feeling bad, and shows you drawing about the walkabout days. Please do! That's awesome! xoxoxoxo Stop coughing in my direction please! ;)

[gemma]

Oh my you have had much going on.I understand why you got sick. Luckily art heals! So hope you are all better!
Great sketch & story.

[Janet]

I can't believe I'm so late getting over here!! As always I love your drawings, and I do hope you're feeling better by now.

PS - you tell such great stories!

[elsa]

hi dear tinker

i love that you draw from life in more ways than one and i love your drawings too

well, i'm enchanted here as always- so please don't ask us for forgiveness
i think i speak for everyone out there when i say, it is a pleasure to come here read what is on you mind and be delighted by your art