Pleased with myself yesterday - despite the rain a bird or two came to feed and despite my sundry maladies I drew them, watercoloured them and felt competent. The paper is large, the birds are probably twice life size which pleased me - they aint pretty or in anyway dinky. Need some practical work though, beaks and feet chiefly. Will leave them and do some more...
...and trying to express the pain in hands and feet for my Before Death series (or whatever I called them, I forget) (!!)
Had a go at Petes portrait. Stupid, should wait for the sitting. Turned to wall now.
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Later; saw a dipper and trying to paint that now. And remembered my first ever notebook.
-My father had just written his first book and of course designed the cover. (Using my poster paints BTW) That was 1959. He'd been given a dummy book to fit the design to. After he'd done he gave me the book - hard-backed, blank pages. Bliss.
I started my Nature Diary. Trotted about drawing growing things and whatever, solemnly dating and noting.
Then the publishers - Wiley - wanted the book back. Why?? No idea. Stafford was upset but had to take it back from me.
Obvs still rankles. Time to have another go??
Enjoying using this beautiful paper, gifted by Bernard before his death. Imagine, dying with hand made rag printing paper in your studio, unused. Poor man. It behoves me to use it up. Bernard wouldn't like what I'm doing - I can hear his scorn - but tough.