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Sunday, July 31, 2011

Starting from Scratch

I'm starting from scratch with the india ink pen in its newest form: the PITT pen. So far, I like S and B; S and M are for kinkier types. I'm going back to pen, pencil and marker drawings for display on Drawing-of-The Day and keeping the painting to myself till I'm ready to exhibit. This ten minute, free hand, get acquainted, ink sketch is for a self portrait that will be done with graphite pencils using the grid system. I'm doing a self portrait, because I'm in an introspective mood. It'll be in shades of gray because that's exactly where this blond highlighted kid is at seventy. I'm working off the photograph you see below.

I'm also considering switching to liquid acrylics. Given my spontaneous approach, it's a pain in the ass to have to both mix the colors and determine how fluid they should be when I always want them fluid and sometimes a bit runny. I'm reevaluating myself as an artist while scrubbing the accidental enros off my painting table, sink and surrounding counter top. A whole lot of thinking goes on while you're cleaning. Maybe too much? Trouble is: I'm not done. I don't know what I'm going to do about the floor? It may just have to remain as you see it.

When we moved in, I went to the hardware store and, after consulting with the paint specialist, bought gray paint for the cement floors in the section of the lower level that wasn't "finished," but would serve as my painting room. I wanted to eliminate the cement dust so I wouldn't track it through the house.

I then spent two or three days cleaning, painting, sweating, cleaning, painting sweating. The floor dried-- but not as I expected. I wanted the high sheen finish I had seen on my son's garage floor, instead I got a matte finish, which started to chip three days later. I was mad as hell and I wasn't going to take it any more! I took all the supplies I had bought plus the empty paint cans back to the hardware store and hollared at everyone in front of everyone. The owner agreed the paint specialist had sold me the wrong stuff. He gave me all my money back and the right paint. HE DID NOT OFFER TO COME HOME WITH ME, HOWEVER, AND REDO THE FLOOR--AND I CERTAINLY WASN'T GOING TO START ALL OVER FROM SCRATCH


So that floor remains. And so my flicks and drips and dashes and spots will remain as reminders of paintings past till someone other than me gives a damn.

10 comments:

  1. OMG!, I hope word got back to that employee... btw I like the paint flecks... as long as it doesn't fleck off and gets brought into the house... Its unique Linda... As far as what you wanted originally, I can't imagine going through all that... Since the results didn't happen, I am surprised you didn't want to burn that hardware store down...

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  2. A few years later Chrissy the store went out of business. Either it was put out of business by Home Depot OR by their own incompetent "paint specialists."

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  3. Hi,Linda,
    I like your drawing with a pen. Strong and clear. BTW, the last paragraph makes me laugh. Hahaha?! I love the marks on your floor. Actually, your great art work!
    Cheers,Sadami

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  4. Ten minutes with pen in hand is better than none. I'm just glad I had the energy to work it in between all the scrubbing that's going on. Watercolor is much neater than acrylic as is smaller paintings versus larger ones. Maybe I should reconsider my preferred medium Sadami?

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  5. Oh dear. Not good to have been given the wrong products, and you have put in so much effort too.

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  6. I've gotten over it, but the floor hasn't Evelyn. My son suggested a hoe,but I don't see where a prostitute would help unless one of her specialties was floors.

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  7. One of the reasons I hate to clean is that it does promote thinking, or maybe brooding?! I love the drawing. I love that you are getting back to basics in order to keep moving forward. And I love that you've gone Jackson Pollock on the floor. Keep it! It's part of your life's story.

    Nanina

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  8. I'm afraid I have to keep it Nanina. What it would take to scrub it off would kill me.

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  9. Haha, you are funny! At least you'll end up with a slightly bigger space afterwards...

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  10. I don't know about that Evelyn? When I clean, I find things like: oh that's what I did with that. Then I end up with piles of that that are too good to throw away, for after all, I could possibly need that someday. You never know.

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