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Ropinirole, Robins and Running

Wollaton Robin

My day started with a talking and physiotherapy session at the Rehabilitation Unit at the wonderful City Hospital, Nottingham. My right shoulder continues to be stiff and I’ve got a sore bicep and general pain all down the right arm, This is annoying as I’m left handed and it’s more than likely connected to the PD. We talked about my Rapinirole meds and my impending drugs review in April, I can feel the inevitable upping of meds coming over the horizon.

Next was my trip to Wollaton Arts Group to do a two-hour painting demonstration to about 25 artists. I’ve never done a demo like this before, but managed to create another robin painting within the time.  It was smaller than my last robin painting, but similar in style using acrylic paints on canvas. I enjoyed the whole experience and managed to create the painting above from scratch in 2-hours. Thanks go to the Wollaton Arts Group for their attention, interest and positive feedback.

I made the short journey home and then went for a 5-mile run in the fading sunlight around Beeston, following the new path and ‘Boots’ bridge. My enthusiasm was thwarted by crampy right toes, worse than I’ve suffered since starting on my meds last September.  Today was a day of highs and lows, but with interactions with some great people and plenty of positivity,

Every time you draw you go on a mini adventure.

Drawing is as much about the journey as the final destination.
To draw is to accept the challenge, take a risk, to potentially look a fool, with no guaranteed outcome. The unknown outcome is part of the joy and frustration we face every time we pick up our pencil or piece of charcoal.

When we don’t reach the desired standard we’d hoped for, we try to remind ourselves the process is as valuable as the outcome. We learn from our efforts and move on to the next mini adventure.

“Creativity takes courage” Henri Matisse.                                                                               but then “Life takes courage”!

Janet Lifedrawing

Valuable Distractions

I had all good intentions of going in the studio, finishing a new painting and posting it on here this evening. Instead old friends popped round for an unexpected catch-up. We ended up chatted for hours over multiple cups of tea, leaving no time for painting.

Reflecting on a week where I’ve spoken to a number of friends who are really struggling with life changing bad news, this long, lazy Sunday afternoon of conversations with good friends seems like a much more valuable use of time. I’m glad it took priority over painting.

So here’s a painting from a little while ago that seems to reflect my current February mood:

Doubling The Drawing Challenge

We doubled last night’s life-drawing challenge by having two models instead of one. Jane and Ann stuck a series of short poses with the common theme of emotions. We then tackled two longer poses with varying results within the room.

The challenge of drawing two models who are connected in pose is the need to work fast to capture as much as you can and make sense of what you’re seeing.

We always talk about the drawing process being as important as the end result – well that’s good, as my results were poor this week. My proportions were out and my quality of line, and tonal work were off form tonight. I’m hoping it’s a blip and a reflection of the double drawing challenge rather than a reflection of my potentially my meds becoming less effective.

45 minute sketch – Jane sitting, Ann lying.
30 minute sketch. Jane standing, Ann sitting.