Category Archives: Watercolor painting

Crafting, Stuff, Watercolor painting

Projects and stuff

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I’m almost caught up with my miniature watercolors. I set a schedule of one painting every three days. September and October had so many things going on that I got behind in painting Now, I’m only two paintings behind and I think I’m finding a way to do decent landscapes. I still need more practice.

Some framed mini paintings- you’ve seen these already..

As the self-appointed repairer of the vending machines, I failed to get the soda machine out of its “out of service” mode and had to call the person who sold us the machine. Because he was going out of town, he couldn’t get to us until Oct. 31st.

He got it working and I spent another hour testing and resetting the slots. He also gave some tips on keeping it running such as getting dust out of the cooling unit and cleaning out the junk that was stashed in there “in case we need it.” The machine is working better and I should be able to maintain it.

I’ve been teaching sewing to students from the city’s alternative high schools. We have two, with limited curricula for students who don’t do well in standard classes. They come to the maker-space to try things like woodworking, leather craft, sewing, stained glass, and pottery.

I’ve taught them to make pillow cases and stuff sacks, utility aprons with pockets, and our latest project – bags to use to microwave popcorn. When I teach them, I show them and explain each step of using the sewing machines, how to measure and cut fabric, and how to mark the seam lines by using a piece of masking tape as a guide next to the sewing foot.

This student has used a sewing machine before so she didn’t need the masking tape.

One of the teachers also made a bag.

When I take project pictures with these groups, I only picture the hands of the students since I don’t have parental or guardian permission to film them.

Crafting, My own damned opinion., Watercolor painting

Catching up

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Medicare doesn’t cover annual physicals for us old folks. They only cover wellness checks. So I spent time mostly answering questions about my quality of life in the negative which confirmed the positive quality of my old age. Sounds odd, doesn’t it? Anyway, I passed, so I guess I’m doing well.

The Boomerang Child talked about getting some mental health treatment. As far as I can tell, he hasn’t made a move to do so. I fully expect to find him dead one day. I’ve had low periods— spent many an evening contemplating whether it would hurt for a long time if I slit some part of my body or if I took pills and drank alcohol, would I wake up in the morning.

The answer is yes, it hurts and I did wake up the next morning. More than once. The worst time was being held down while my stomach was pumped. I spent two weeks locked in the psych ward for that one. That was over 50 years ago. Now that I’m older, I don’t have time for that foolishness.

I’m still six paintings behind in working my way up to 100. I should have 83, but I’m only up to 79. I bought four frames from Dollar Tree and inserted some paintings. They’re not horrible.

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Crafting, My own damned opinion., Painting & Drawing, Watercolor painting

A bit behind.

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As usual.

I’ve been offered a small press for block printing for my area of the maker-space. I’ve been asked on tours if we have such a press. A member offered me a small one. I have a few people interested and I have money to purchase it.

I had been thinking about re-purposing my heat press into a printing press for my own use. I would merely use the pressure plate without applying heat. If the small press gets even moderate use, I will invest in a larger one for the area. When I give tours, I am occasionally asked if we have a printing press. It would be nice to say yes.

I finished a few more paintings. One of my maker-space friends and I sat painting and talking while I was waiting for members to show up for needed help. My office hours aren’t too busy, but I find that having the regular hours helps those who are interested in the craft area.

I included the (butt) pear painting under the improved painting.

I didn’t leave until almost 2 in the morning. I didn’t have to get up early since I don’t dog sit anymore. My taxes are finally done and sent. Whoopee! I did forget to file my sakes tax return so I got a bill for $600+. I’ll get it sorted. I didn’t do any sales last year which is why I forgot. I usually complete the form when I’m setting up my tax folder for tax season,

Here’s an interesting article I found online which contains clues about why our delightful congresspersons, the Muskrat, and Fearless Felon can’t conceive of the needs of normal people. It’s not primarily because of the wealth they’ve accrued, but because the power they gain from that wealth affects their brain and lessens their empathy.

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2017/07/power-causes-brain-damage/528711/

I guess I should be glad I’m not wealthy. I would hate to become someone who cannot empathize with people.

My own damned opinion., Painting & Drawing, Watercolor painting

My second painting

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I’ve done my second painting of the 100 Painting project. This one is based on a photo from the road trip I took with two of my sisters in 2023. It’s a view of the Devil’s Tower. It’t not a great painting. I need tinier brushes. And a steadier hand.

Devils Tower, WY 2023

I’d like to make another trip out there to take more time to walk around. Since I wasn’t in charge of the trip, I didn’t get a chance to hike around it. I really wanted to see where the aliens landed – that’s a joke folks. The area around the other side of the rock isn’t large enough for the facility they showed in the movie.

It’s not that I don’t believe there’s life out there. There has to be. However, once we start exploring the galaxy in ships, I think we’ll only find remnants of life if we find habitable planets. Just as any species who travels here will probably find our dead cities and dry oceans.

A galactic federation sounds like something to strive for, but humans can’t seem to get over their petty differences and there’s no real reason to believe any other civilization would either. It would be nice to learn there are others, but I don’t think humanity, or at least the corner of where I live, would not be able to accept that other beings exist. Some – far too many – believe the earth is flat, that vaccines don’t work, that the ugly bits of history don’t need to be taught, that our government is the best, and the rest of the world doesn’t have anything like what we have.

In some respects, we’re right. Many parts of the world don’t have citizens who work for wages, who can’t afford food or housing. Most other countries’ citizens don’t go bankrupt when they need life-saving surgery or a ride in an ambulance. Other countries don’t have to worry about their children getting shot during their school day unless it’s a war zone.

It is my belief that out beyond the Oort cloud, there are beacons warning other civilizations not to stop to visit Earth because it’s too deadly an environment for civilized folks. And for all they know, the crazy might be contagious. Periodically, a science vessel may stop by to collect data and to update and upgrade the warning beacons invisibility shielding.

Crafting, Watercolor painting

Started a new project.

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I was on YouTube looking for something better than politics and came across a channel by an artist, Leslie Stroz, 100 Tiny Paintings in a Year. So I thought, why not try. A painter I know from the maker space has been encouraging me to get back into painting. The paintings for this project will be 2 inches high and 3 inches tall or 3 inches tall and 2 inches wide. The blank papers fit in an Altoids tin.

I have a couple of small watercolor sets – one has 24 colors and the other has 12. I have various types of brushes in small sizes and two small jars for water. I can stash some baby wipes in a sandwich bag into another Altoids tin. The entire kit can fit in a plastic shoe box.

Yes, I know. I already have a lot of projects I’m working on. There are towels on the loom that need to be finished. There are still unfinished Christmas gifts waiting to be completed. I have book donations to catalog at the maker space. I have to work up a course on reading sewing patterns that I promised to work on.

I need to wash the kitchen walls and re-paint them and hang shelving so things don’t have to be shuffled around when I need to find a space to use the cutting boards. And so on, and so on. I don’t get side-tracked, I get derailed.

Anyway, I did my interpretation of a Van Gogh landscape from an old calendar which is below. In a couple of days, I will do one of an old outdoor oven that’s in the yard of what used to be a fireplace store.

I think the original painting dates to Van Gogh’s time in Arles.

I have a lot of inspiration pictures from my watercolor classes. I’ll have to scale them down. I guess we’ll see how many I actually will have completed by this time next year. One every three days should be doable, especially as the project is more portable than most of mine. I hope my attention span lasts long enough or if this will be another unfinished thing.

Stay tuned.