This has been quite a week. We had terrible weather back on Monday so the color workshop I’m taking was postponed till Wednesday. I have to drive the farthest to get to that class and I was grateful that the others agreed to postpone. I was out and about during the day and thought as I drove home “Boy, I’m glad I don’t have to go out again in this…oh, wait.”
No sooner had that thought crossed my mind when I got a text saying class was postponed till the sleet and wind stopped.
The color class was great fun when we finally met on Wednesday; we’re getting into optics, or the difference between what’s actually there and what you think you see. We looked at optical illusions, how colors affect each other and how, when used properly, they actually seem to move. I get how that works but it’s going to take some practice to figure out how to use that in painting. I know it works: I’ve seen paintings that vibrate.
I had a better night than Jay did. The Tommies lost to Augsburg in the first round of playoffs, ending their season. So ends St. Thomas’s 12 year streak as conference champs. In forty years of college coaching, Jay’s season has never been over by Washington’s birthday before. He actually has time to do a little ice fishing before tournaments begin! Too bad he sold all his gear four or five years ago.
Painting class is going well. I’ve actually been pleased with what everything I’ve produced this month. Don’t get me wrong: I don’t think I’ve got this figured out, not by a long shot, I’m just saying things are starting to make some sense. I’ve got a very long way to go before I can say I know what I’m doing. Obviously.
Last week, the project was “something in a jar”. So I painted this:
Today, our project was “something silver”. I went to Goodwill and found these candlesticks. I thought they’d be fun and I was right!
I have to admit I was a bit perturbed when I first lit my set up. So would anyone be, if they’d accidentally created the Eye of Sauron!
A little fiddling with the spotlight banished the evil from my set up and a few hours later, I had this:
It snowed a few inches last night. By 7:00 this morning, the fellow who plows the ice rink across the street was hard at work, clearing the way for skaters. I’d seen people down there skating as it snowed the previous evening. It was gorgeous out. Driving was a bit slow this morning but the sun came out and by the time class was over, the highway was clear. I’d planned on baking some almond cookies this afternoon but I don’t have any almonds and I just don’t want to leave the house again. I’ll mix up some raisin cookies instead. I’d make ginger snaps but I’m out of Crisco.
So that’s what I get for my laziness: no almond cookies, no ginger snaps, just raisin cookies.
Things could be worse.