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[amberdreams]

Haven't been around much recently - real life, huh? This was all good things though (apart from me dragging a bed onto Paul's toes and crushing them, that is). So here's everything in bite-sized chunks.

Arty Farty stuff

I started my nightschool art class last night, and apart from the fact that too many of the attendees seemed to want to talk about art instead of actually doing it, I think it's going to be fun. The chap taking the class seems nice and I liked the idea behind the course - to get us using a sketchbook. So yay, I'm being forced to put pencil, pen and paint to paper instead of wimping out in favour of the safety of digital where nobody can hear me scream see all the mistakes I make.

Here's my first night's work.


The idea was to do quick drawings of objects. He'd brought a box full of stuff so we could pick two or three to have a stab at, then we were supposed to try the full object, a close up, a combination of objects, different angles, etc. Then we analysed our approach, and in the second part we were supposed to try something different. Hence on the left I went for lines rather than shape and tone, which was what I'd done on the right for our first go.

Next week - watercolours and complexity! Meep!

London shenanigans

Last Saturday I dragged Paul to London to see Sir Patrick Stewart and Sir Ian McKellen in Pinter's No Mans Land. The weather was glorious so we had a nice wander round Trafalgar Square's Malaysian Festival before failing to meet up with my Swiss friends for tea. They were late because they were all at the Sherlocked convention over at the Excel, but they managed to get across to the theatre in time. The play was a curate's egg, good in parts, but I found it mostly boring and pretentious nonsense. Still, it was awesome to see those two giants of the theatre on stage together, and the tickets were only a tenner (flipping bargain!). I then dragged Paul to the stage door and manged to get Sir Ian's auto and a smile from the great man, plus Owen Teale and Damien Moloney, the other two cast members, who were chatty and cute respectively. Sadly Sir Patrick had to dash off, though he still came out past everyone, apologising and waving, which was sweet.

There were some groupies at the stage door who I recognised from going to see Andrew Scott and David Dawson in the Dazzle - my Austrian friend showed me the girl's instagram, it's just chockablock with selfies of her with exactly the same weird smug smile on her face with completely random famous people. I know I'm obsessed with a certain show and two tall handsome boys, but I fail to understand indiscriminate hunting of fame like that. Odd. Oh well, I suppose it's harmless!

Irish interlude

The other nice thing to happen last week was a visit from our delightful friend Paul from Cork. We've known his since 1992 when we met him in Barcelona at the Olympics, and we then became friends over the subsequent years, meeting up at the athletics events round the world. He's been having a rough time since January because his sister was diagnosed with cancer and heart problems last year, then when he had a health check up, they discovered he had similar issues with his heart. Apparently their mum died in her forties from a massive heart attack so it seems to be a genetic problem. So he had a double by-pass op early in the year and is just recovering. That made it extra lovely to see him for a couple of days.

So that's about it, apart from lunching with my cousin who's also having a rough time with her daughter's five children playing up now they are living with their uncle...a long story and not much fun, so I won't dwell. Oh and I've been moving furtniture around and clearing lots of stuff out so I can convert our spare bedroom into an art room. Dust everywhere!

Comments

[madebyme-x.livejournal.com]

It sounds like you're enjoying the challenges of the art class. And I think it's great that you're pushing yourself out of your comfort zone, and the sketches look beautiful!!! Yay for the art room!!!

[amberdreams.livejournal.com]

I don't know if the art room idea is going to work - we have SO much stuff and somehow seem to have run out of space to put it all! I got rid of two big bags of books this weekend and still my shelves are overflowing...

[be-my-precious.livejournal.com]

the art thing is very cool. i haven't done art in forever, and i find myself cringing whenever i do. maybe an art class would help...

[amberdreams.livejournal.com]

That was my thinking - this one isn't really teaching the basics but from last night I think he'll cover them anyway, and since I've not done anything since school, this is almost like starting over! You should have a look in your area to see if there's anything on. :D

[be-my-precious.livejournal.com]

i think i will! i mean, i used to do portraits and costume design, for crying out loud. but that was 11 years ago lol. now i look like a five year old has taken a pencil and scribbled on paper. lol.

[amberdreams.livejournal.com]

It's like trying to write a letter with a pen and paper after years of typing - I used to have nice handwriting, now it's rubbish, and I can't spell for toffee! LOL

[hugemind.livejournal.com]

YAY for art stuff and London shenanigans! To have both Sirs in a play is kinda awesome, and with such decent priced tickets, too! An art room seems like a great idea - a space you can enjoy and be creative in sounds wonderful. :D

[amberdreams.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure this art room idea is going to work but that room is wasted at the moment so it's worth a try! And yes, seeing both the Sirs on stage was an experience!

[dizzojay.livejournal.com]

Sounds like you've been making good use of your time :D

[amberdreams.livejournal.com]

Ha ha kinda...

[sillie]

Ooh, so many fun things! :D

[amberdreams.livejournal.com]

Indeed!

[galwithglasses.livejournal.com]

Sir Ian and Sir Patrick! It always amazes me that you can get tickets to see great actors like this on the stage over there and afford the tickets. I admire both of them a lot. The art class looks like a lot of fun. Looking forward to seeing how it all goes from here.

[amberdreams.livejournal.com]

IKR? I was shocked we could get tickets for only ten quid! I mean usually London theatre tickets are minimum £40, unless you go to the Globe and stand for a fiver.

[dear-tiger.livejournal.com]

Oh how cool! Cool things are happening. I'm curious: does it not get boring to draw these objects? I understand why you need to, and maybe this is why I'm not an artist, but I feel like I'd stab myself in the eyeball with a pencil and never pick it back up again (pencil, not eyeball) if I had to draw outlet plugs.

Hehe about the duck face chick with celebrities :D I do wonder whose money is paying for all those photo ops.

[amberdreams.livejournal.com]

I was just thinking about the shapes when I chose the plug to draw - and as it was only for 4 minutes per sketch, there wasn't time to get bored! I do have not very fond memories of my O Level art exam which wanted us to draw rust. That was -- mind numbing. LOL!

Oh and the weird chick was doing all these photos accosting the actors and celebs in the street. It's all very stalkery really.

[milly-gal.livejournal.com]

I should really go back to art school/take a class! It's great to see you putting medium to paper again and I know what you mean about the safety of digital, no one sees the screw ups, just the polished finished product.

Sounds like you've been having a grand old time, apart from squishing poor Paul (did he get all ungentlemanly and swear? ;D)

Both sirs, BOTH SIRS! ♥-♥

[amberdreams.livejournal.com]

It's a bit scary doing a real life class but looking round the room everyone was in the same boat, and the tutor chap seems charming, so now I'm out of my comfort zone we'll see what happens! You should check out your locality to see if there's anything on you could do. I reckon you'd enjoy it.

Oh and yes, Paul did actually say fuck.

[milly-gal.livejournal.com]

I've not used a sketchbook to actually work in for ages, my hands need a weird kinda angle and space to move, so I use plain paper and stick the images down after O.o

[amberdreams.livejournal.com]

you can always turn the book to suit your hand...

[milly-gal.livejournal.com]

I always get caught in the spine, lol. I've got a few pieces that went straight to sketchbook in the last two years and they're all awful because the angle of the book, the height from the desk, the width of the page...that all makes a difference when you're in pain and trying to draw. The easiest way to create for me is on a very flat thin piece of a4.

[amberdreams.livejournal.com]

At work we used to have these gel pad thingies to rest your wrist on when typing - have you thought about/tried something like that? Or even maybe wrapping/wearing something cushion-like round your wrist so it moves with you and is always there to rest on?

[milly-gal.livejournal.com]

I've not tried them, but it's a good idea. I'll see what I can come up with :) thanks hun :)