The thrill was gone

Surgery #5 or 6? I've lost count.  Almost exactly a month since I had surgery to create a fistula access for permanent hemodialysis in my arm. But Monday, the doctor came around for a checkup and couldn't feel or hear the swoosh-swoosh in my wrist (it's called a thrill.)  She asked the nurse to check.  Nope.  Nothing.  That same nurse had verified it the previous Friday (a week ago).  After a whirlwind of communication and by 2pm I was checking in for surgery.  I didn't know it was that serious.

The surgeon did a "declotting procedure" on my arm which, lol, when I described it to a co-worker, perfectly described it as a pipe cleaner.  Except the surgeon used wire & balloons.  He found scar tissue near my wrist.  Since I didn't go under anesthesia, I drove myself home by 5pm.  What a day.  I went to work the next day but by Thursday, my whole forearm is bruised from blood leakage during surgery.  But the thrill is back. 

Edit 8-3-23:  I was about to start looking for a stethoscope so I could hear the thrill. But today I had the bright idea of putting my wrist to my ear.  OMG, it's loud!  You can't do that for a pulse.  Now I know how to check the thrill every day.

Mission #1 again

 

I'm much happier with this rendering in pencil. So, I can still draw.  But I'm trying to improve my watercolor.

I actually started my art journey with watercolor.  My first attempt was very successful but everything else after was crap except for some I did in Chinese Brush style.  The best advice I saw on the webs was "learn to draw first."  But what I learned from drawing class was to draw, draw, draw.  Draw everything, draw big.  If it's challenging, draw it again.  And it lead to drawing the human form.  We had drawing exercises in that class.  1 minute sketches, 2 minute sketches, 10 sketches on top of the other on the same page, no erasing, blind contour, etc.  My severe nearsightedness became an aid rather than a handicap.  I didn't have to squint, I just had to take off my glasses! Boom, I could see tones & color blocks...as long as the subject was right in front of me, anyway.

With an eye on the goal, I started adding color and went to other media. I didn't have the patience for colored pencil or oil paints.  I was frustrated with the dusty pastels but I really clicked with oil pastels.  However, using oil pastels is like using paints straight out of the tube, then mixing colors on the canvas (with a rubber blender).  I don't mind the look for sketches but sometimes I want it to look like a painting.  To do that, I need more space for more colors & tools, and THAT doesn't travel well.  I've tried traveling with a small kit of acrylic paints.  Ugh, that really needs some dedication & desire to work.  You know what travels well?  Watercolor pans.

Mission #1

San Buenaventura Mission from online reference photo.  Watercolor brush markers.

I could spread a little color but the original line pretty much stays.  Really hard to get lighter shades. Looks better here than it does on my sketch page.  The greys are mostly sketch & wash pencil.  I have no doubt I'll be sketching this a few more times, in different media.  

 

Garage sale day

At least once a year, the HOA opens the gates & advertises community garage sale.  I have learned not to spend too much energy or overthinking about what to put out.  Today, I started an hour late.  I only put out a few items before things were being bought.  I was sold out in an hour, put out a few more things and gave up in another hour.  I put the rest into the car for donate.

Then I texted my friend about my success.  She recently visited California Mission San Juan Capistrano and sent me a picture.  Sweet! Add another reference for this goal of mine.  She always remembers my mom's souvenir of a pair of carved wood hand chairs from the Philippines, so I offered them to her.  She remembers Mom fondly and now has a keepsake to remember her by.  I have a miniature version up on my living room ledge.  

The chairs were stored near Auntie's stuff so I found more to donate.  OMG, I found another rice cooker still in the box.  I think that's #6.  Shhh, don't tell Bro I have more space in the garage, LOL.

This is when I put more out but these ended up for donate.

The little picnic park across the street.

Yikes, more art supplies

When Bro gets back from his trip,  we'll take a day trip up to Santa Barbara.  I want to sketch the Santa Barbara Mission.  Then at some point, I want to sketch the San Buena Ventura Mission. So I was looking for my Sakura Koi field sketching watercolor set.  No idea where it went, I love the 18 colors and the size is so small.  You can't buy the kit anymore for a reasonable price, so I got this 24-color.  I'm a little disappointed that it's TWICE the size of the 18-color set.  I've got 3-4 weeks to practice sketching before he gets back.  I hope to sketch at least one watercolor/day until then.  Some of those sketches may be from photos, leaning toward urban sketching subjects.

My decision was split to get this Kuratake Transparent watercolor set, so I got both!  It's got 14 colors, but these half-pans are removable/replaceable.  I like the colors and the size of the set is smaller than the Sakura Koi, above.  It was described as leaning toward natural landscape colors.  

Since I decided to get back to sketching, I've been carrying my old W&N Cotman pans.  I used these before I discovered the 18-color Koi set.  I never have liked the colors in the Cotman set and it doesn't have black or a dark color I can use when sketching man-made objects.