BACK TO THE BRUSHES - My Old Friends

Train Sketch for Painting 

           I've been kind of  artsy-busy the last while, of course it doesn't take much for me to be busy these days. I'm actually working on a fairly large (2'x4') painting for a friend. Since my eyesight is impaired and my hands tremble a touch (no, I haven't been hitting the sauce, can't remember the last time I had a drink) drawing all the intricate details of a train can be very difficult and the logos have to be accurate as well. Automobiles, trains, planes,B ships, buildings and anything else that has a lot of straight lines has never been high on my list to paint. However, over the years, I've had to draw or paint a lot of those man-made objects. People, animals, seascapes and landscapes are more to my liking; I tend to lean towards Nature  and nudes too, just something adorable about how a woman is put together. The thing about man-made objects, they have to be more precise but in Nature, if I add more leaves to a tree or take out a lake or a mountain in the background, no one will be the wiser. However, if I'm drawing or painting a particular person or pet, if the end result doesn't look like them, then the painting is most likely a failure and I won't get paid. And speaking of portraits, one of the first ones I was commissioned to paint was an old rabbi who had a long white beard. Apparently the old rabbi's son was now old and both his sons wanted the painting when he died, so he was hoping I could reproduce it. It was quite a challenge mixing the same colours and then trying to match the brush strokes as close as possible. As it turned out, when I had finished the painting, I put them side by side on a shelf and enjoyed his complement. He said, "I can't tell which one is the original." 

          Physically, there are a lot of things wrong with me, and wouldn't you know it, my back went out while I was drawing the train. I didn't think it was possible to throw one's back out while sitting down but I'm living proof it can be done. Nothing like having 5 compressed discs and they're arthritic too, so the added pain could put a whole new meaning to this painting. What with the poor eyesight, trembling hands and a screwed up back, this realistic painting could easily become an abstract. Ah, the life of an artist! I've read quite a few biographies concerning well-known artists and discovered, if they lived long enough, many of the maladies that I have, they also experienced. The one thing about life, no matter how long we live, get ancient, wrinkles on the wrinkles, lines so deep they could have been used as trenches during WWI,  nobody gets out of here alive do they?

          I find it odd to be this incredibly weak after being so physically active, not supposed to lift anything over 5 lbs. So as I toddle about the yard or through the house I see a lot of things I'd like to do, especially fix or mend. I also wouldn't mind getting some more little cluckers, nothing like fresh eggs in the morning. Now, some people I know would love to simply lie around and watch Netflix or a TV program, but I have a difficult time with that sort of lifestyle. Fortunately, since I'm an artistic sort of guy, I'm still able to keep myself somewhat busy, even while in a prone position. My idea of the horizontal position is...no...better not go there - chuckle, chuckle. 

Our Hippie Hangout 

          Sarah and I are off to Fredericton this weekend to try and sell some of our artistic hippie-type art and although I'm excited about the event and spending time in our hippie-trailer, I'm a little worried concerning my health. Like one of my blogs mentioned, going for a crap can be a little unnerving, nothing like a warm turd sliding down one's leg if I can't get to a washroom in a real hurry. Also, my energy level is somewhere well below sea level, you know, the place where the strangest looking creatures dwell and sunlight can't reach. In the not too distant past, a simple trip to town usually set me back two or three days - besides some extra pain, I just seem to fade away. Hopefully all will be well, and if not, at least if I get worn out, I can go for a lie down in the trailer. And how about this for an extra bonus! A woman who has been following Trip 'n' Daisy on Facebook wants to see our trailer and has offered a place to park it - now, how great is that? And hey, if anyone is heading to Fredericton or is already there, do drop into our booth, check it out, spend a little cash or at least say hi - cheers, eh!