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Thursday, August 4, 2011

Knocked Off my Feet

I was knocked off my feet this week. I had a surprise procedure (with some blood) on a grape-like cluster of ganglion cysts, which developed on the arch of my right foot. I tried getting rid of it myself with the "old wives" bible cure, but smacking it as hard as I could with the good book didn't do a thing but turn one hurt into another. I made an appointment with a podiatrist, my first with that specialty.


Now pay attention kids: The doc said ganglion cysts can happen when you're using a healthy leg and foot to coddle a bum one like my left. He drained the grape-like formations, shot them up with a different kind of cortisone than what they use for hips, knees and shoulders, bound it tight and sent me home to sit around for five days. I sat around for three, than continued working on the studio;I'm anxious to get done with it and back to painting.

Cleaning is great therapy and exercise The physical process clears your head of garbage as you clear the garbage off of shelves, in corners and drawers, bag it and drag it up and out to the trash. Limping along, I didn't get as far as I would have liked, but my paint table is snow white and the blinding brilliance has sparked an urge to start spotting it up again.
My self portrait has become less urgent, as I've swept out my introspective mood, but I did one more on break. This drawing too was done free hand with the S PITT pen. While starting out drawing contour lines, I began shading and shaping with dots. I've done studies of strategic points in a composition like the one I did for Fall, but never used dots alone as a drawing technique even though familiar with the connection between pixels and clarity

There was an artist I met years ago who made detailed big city-scapes with nothing but dots with a range of Rapideograph pens, the tools of the graphic artist. Though I don't recall his name, his work must have left a strong impression. He used no line. His range of tones was spectacular, the detailing incredible. I tried to find his work on line, but could only come up with this fine example of Pointillism; the site does not give the artist credit. My bad habit of repeating and correcting my lines could be solved by incorporating dots? It's not a rapid sketching process. It's precision drawing. It's slow, thoughtful and exacting--like drafting. it also can drive you mad. Seurat. Need I say more?

5 comments:

  1. I like the effect! its unique and gives a different perspective... As far as being laid up, glad you are back, I thought that maybe u had another short holiday...

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  2. I wish. No, I was just keeping off my feet as the doc said and surfing the internet. Totally boring.

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  3. Sorry to hear about your leg. Hope you'll be back on your feet soon.

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  4. Thanks Evelyn. It's on the mend. Nothing serious, just an inconvenience.

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  5. Hope your foot/leg is better Linda :-)

    Have a great weekend.

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