IF Tea

Oh, the cozy of a Friday evening with nowhere to be and nothing to do except to have a cup of tea while watching the speed skaters race.

Inked the tea bag during my Friday lunch break. Color added later in the evening at home.

By the way - this is the tea that came as part of a goodie package from the wonderful Maria in Sweden. Tack Maria! Jag blev så glad av allt som du skickade :)

Purpose

When we write and draw, we have the unique first in line opportunity of seeing, reading - learning - that which we are trying to express. There may be desire to understand a drawing when there is not a clear purpose or title.

Why is there a large black round spot in the middle of the figure's body? What kind of hat is the figure wearing - is it a helmet?

Is he (or she) angry, or stoic, or bored? What does it mean?

Hunger?
Hate?
Sadness?
Promise?
Opportunity?

Nothing?

coffee all day

coffee all day, originally uploaded by Tifty's Art.

IF Song

When I think of song, what came to mind is a simple song I remember from my childhood. The lyrics go something like this:

Vem kan segla förutan vind
Vem kan ro utan åror
Vem kan skiljas från vännen sin
Utan att fälla tårar

Jag kan segla förutan vind
Jag kan ro utan åror
Men ej skiljas från vännen min
Utan att fälla tårar

Translated into English, it goes sort of like this,

Who can sail without winds
Who can row without oars
Who can part from a friend
Without shedding a tear

I can sail without winds
I can row without oars
But I can't part from my friend
Without shedding a tear

I do not know who wrote this melancholy song.

Update Feb 23: Check it out! My Dad just emailed me this link. You can hear a sample of this song, as sung by Nina Lizell and Lee Hazelwood (cica 1970) - It is number 11 in the sample song list....

IF - Chair

The chair is a happy model for the artist. The chair won't move or change positions. The chair accomodates the artist. The chair poses patiently.
One evening last July the western sky was the color of a peach. The lawn grass was greener than a crayon. The temperature of the air was a backyard perfect 75 degrees Farenheit. Together they cooked up a dish called Gorgeous Summer Evening with Kick Back and Relax, garnished with little Sketch A While.

This one... ah, yes. The TV - it was on one of the Kerry - Bush debates last October. W sat in the IKEA recliner and looked at an I Spy book, and I was on the couch with my sketchbook. Our scruffy cute dog found her way into these sketches too!

And here is one of our old green metal patio chairs. They were uncomfortable until I bought the perfect seat pads for them on sale at Target. They look good now, those green metal chairs, with these new red-orange striped seat pads, and they are a lot more comfrortable to sit in.

Pull up a chair. Have a seat. What's on your mind?

Weaving

Right now the hobby table is cleaned off. There are several odd sized boxes in the hallway. The boxes are filled with things like cheap plastic tumblers - bright blue, orange and pink tumblers - an electric juicer, a plastic mandoline, some old candle sticks and tea light cups, and lots of art supplies. It's that time of year. Time to clear out the clutter. The only thing on the "art room" floor now is the hobby table, the bookshelves, and two guitars.

The woven paper collage above was done back in December. Collage making relaxes my mind so it often wanders off somewhere make-believe, somewhere silly, or playful, or adventurous. I never know what will end up on the page before I start. It's purely creative - spontaneous. That is what my art is, I think. Spontaneous.
Maybe the spontaneity of my creations is what makes it is a healthy challenge for me to do more "assigned" art. Concept art. Art with intent. Disciplined art. Maybe.

mome rath

mome rath, originally uploaded by Tifty's Art.

Right now this one is in a pretty good mood. The tea is only lukewarm, however, and some other thing is yawning loudly behind him.