Monday, March 23, 2009

Whistling Monday.


I still haven't made it to the grocery store. I was supposed to have gone this afternoon, but the weather has changed suddenly and now it is cold and rainy and I don't feel like going out on my bike. The only sacrifice I have to make is that I have to drink my coffee black and I think I can manage that until tomorrow morning when hopefully the weather will have cleared up a bit.

For as beautiful as it has been the last few days, it has certainly turned ugly now. You'd think it wasn't springtime after all and that we are going backwards toward winter again, but that is March for you. It's an unpredictable month, but even April is still, so we aren't out of the woods yet.

I woke up a 7 AM this morning, without the aid of the alarm clock, but I took a full hour to sit and wake up. I just felt like taking my time and having several coffees very leisurely without any rush at all. This meant I was going to be potentially late for creative therapy, but I thought I would take the chance.

At 8 AM I took my medicines, got dressed and made up, walked the dog, made some cigarettes and hopped on my bike and got to therapy two minutes late, so that wasn't bad at all.

I immediately started to work on my abstract sculpture, which was just about done, except for the finishing touches. I had to add some clay here and there and get the whole thing smoothed out and stable, which the therapist helped me with. She's got a better eye for those things than I do and can point out imperfections that I didn't see. At one point it was just finished and I didn't know what else I could do with it, so I declared it done and now it sits on the shelf to dry before it goes into the oven.

It's not perfect, but it's good and I have to be satisfied with it. I got it as close to the image that I had of it as I could, although it is not exactly the same, but that doesn't matter. I had to improvise the back of it, after all.

Then I got a new bag of clay and started on a new sculpture, which I have an image for also, but I think I am going to make a lot of changes in it, so it will be more originally mine. I'll be using the image as a guideline, but then add and change things.

I'm so totally hooked on working with clay now, that I don't want to do anything else. It is like everything in the world stops existing when I work with it and I stop noticing all the things around me. I practically have to be pulled away from the work bench when it is time to quit and I could stay there all day long. Maybe an artist was lost in me.

So I'm thinking, what am I going to do when I have to do this on my own and I know there is self drying clay that my mother used to make doll's heads with, so I will try that and see what I can make with it. The sculptures aren't glazed, but painted with black and bronze paint, which gives them the appearance of bronze statues and I could certainly do that too.

All the more reason to get that work room in order, don't you think? It will be so nice to be to the point that I have supplies and a table and chair and a good lamp. It all depends on how much extra money I get in May. A lot of things depend on that.

The Überhund has had his Frolic and is now sound asleep on his blanket. He sees me sitting here behind the computer and thinks, "Oh well, I guess we're not going anywhere for a right now." I don't think we are, because it's raining still. He'll have to be patient for a little while longer. He doesn't enjoy walking in the rain anyway and neither do I.

I just took him to the back door and showed him the weather. It was raining and there was a hard wind blowing and he refused to go outside. Smart dog!

I was so hungry that I just ate a tin of mackerel and now I won't be able to drink anything for about 30 to 40 minutes until most of the mackerel is past my gastric band. I am burping something awful and making all sorts of unbecoming noises. I think my little stomach is having a hard time with it. I made the mistake the last time of drinking coffee immediately afterwards and that had a bad outcome, so I'm not doing that again. I'll wait a good long time and until I'm done burping.

Well, that's about it for me for today. As you can see, it wasn't an overly exciting day, but that's okay too.

Have a good night and I hope you are having better weather than we are.

Ciao...

10 comments:

aims said...

There is something about clay - putting your hands in it - it seems to make you relax.

I watch my brother when he's at his pottery wheel and I see how start out all stressed and then he just relaxes and is suddenly happy.

I call it 'touching the earth'.

Have a look at
www.otterpottery.com

See what he has up there! I know it's quite different from what you are doing - but it's still clay.

Jeannette StG said...

irene,
I totally have the same thing when I'm painting - the world around me stops existing and I am only in tune with my art - that's why I have burned potatoes many times, even though the kitchen is in the same room as where I am painting (kitchen and living room are in one space).
Fortunately, my hubby is very easy about these things
And then about black coffee - I have a big jar with non-dairy creamer for when i run out, and don't wanna go to the store today!
Have a great evening!

Irene said...

Aims, touching the earth is a nice phrase for it, especially when turning pots.

Jeanette, I was just thinking about non dairy creamer today and how I need to get some for days like these when I don't get to the store. It's going on my shopping list tomorrow.

Maggie May said...

I was messing with clay over the weekend when my grandchildren were staying. I made a nest with a little bird on it and it looked as though a two year old had made it. Ha ha!
Hope you managed to keep the mackerel where it was supposed to be, last night! Just as well you remembered not to have that coffee until it had moved down a bit!
It is like winter here again, Irene. really cold after the most lovely weekend.

Irene said...

Maggie, I'm sure with some practice you would do fine with clay too. That's all it takes, just a bit of practice.

It seems we're having the same weather. Isn't it awful? Today is another cold and dreary day.

softinthehead said...

Irene - first off - love the picture, reminded me of a church stained glass window. Haven't been to the grocery store either suddenly life is hectic again, with real estate taking off while still temping, roll on Friday. Unlike you I am up too early, having a quick cuppa, a bit of blogging and hopefully one more snooze before I have to get up. Hoping its a little warmer here too today after a lovely weekend we had a biting wind here yesterday. Have a great Tuesday.

Jeannette StG said...

Irene, I had to get back to you - haha, you figured out my breakfast :) I hope I never have to give that up!

Irene said...

Softinthehead, I'm glad to hear that real estate is keeping you busy, that's the way it's supposed to be, right? We're not having any wind here, but gray skies out of which it sometimes rains and even hailed once. Luckily, that was over fast and I wasn't out in it. Just missed it by a few minutes.

Jeanette, I bought beschuit when I was at the store just now, but I was able to resist the chocoladevlokken. I can't eat them right now. I have to loose 9 kilos. Then I will have them again, because boy, do I love them.

Breakfast in California said...

I'm glad you're having such a good time with clay. Sorry your weather turned on you, but that's what weather does, eh? We had a bit of rain, but now it's bright and cold. I have three iris blooming. Have a good day!

Irene said...

Breakfast, I've just heard from my sister that we're going to have two weeks of bad weather, meaning gray skies and showers and cold temperatures. I am not a happy camper, but it does give us something to talk about. We can all gripe about the weather. It's always a thankful subject for discussion.