Saturday, September 28
Sep. 29th, 2024 12:55 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
gottawonderToday I am grateful for:
Deciding to go to the city for a nice day with my Sweetie, even though I have been worried about Roxy. That worry isn't changing anything, since we're already doing what we can. I haven't had a day in the city for a while, and I need it.
Roxy seemed comfortable and had eaten with eagerness and pooped fine outside, so there's nothing more to do once she got her medication.
We made it to the art gallery, and had about an hour to walk around. None of the exhibits had changed, but I still enjoyed looking at the ones we'd already seen. I like going back more than once, to see the paintings you really liked, and maybe seeing something new in them.
One thing I like doing is engaging with the people who are standing around in the gallery. I'm not sure if they are making sure people don't touch anything, some of them are obviously security, some are employees that know a lot about the art.
I ask them questions, like which are their favorite works in the show, what stands out for them, something like that. Their day must be pretty boring otherwise, and I've learned a lot from talking to people who work there.
Today we talked to a young woman who was just standing there, though it's not clear maybe to people that she's there to BE ASKED things. I asked her which work she liked, and she took us to one that was very interesting, and she said she had done a tour with visually impaired people, and she chose this painting to describe to them without adding too much "interpretation" to it. I found that fascinating to think of how to describe things that way to people who couldn't see it. What a mental exercise that is!
It's also funny to note that my husband and I are there enough now that we are starting to be recognized as regulars. Going to the art gallery is probably one of my favorite things about this city.
After that, we got something to eat (the tasty faux sesame chicken) and went to the vintage book store, then the Value Village. In the thrift store I found a lovely scarf, and a rainbow jacket (cheap, probably meant to be part of a costume, but that's okay) that might be useful in a future Liberty freestyle.
On the way out of town we met up with someone from Marketplace selling a clothing item to be used in the next freestyle, if all goes well. It was pricey for used, but I was happy with how well it was made. It's from "Dracula Clothing Company", which all looks like good quality stuff.
Then we came home.
My Sweetie found more "Justified" on our hard drive, so we watched that.
Roxy seems a lot more comfortable today, so the medication seems to be reducing her stomach upset symptoms. Her body is finally relaxed, her breathing is relaxed, her facial expression is happy again.
For the past few days, though she was still eating and pooping fine etc, it was that tension and expression on her face that had been really bothering me. I knew something was wrong, but there was so LITTLE to go on! I didn't know if it was fleeting and was just a bit of upset, or if it was something really worth worrying about.
The vet said that some animals are really good at hiding pain, and I guess that's why all I was aware of was the tension in her body, and how shallow and rapid her breathing was if you paid attention.
I am glad that for this moment, she is obviously a LOT more comfortable and relaxed, and her sleeping is really sleep not just lying there uncomfortably.
Deciding to go to the city for a nice day with my Sweetie, even though I have been worried about Roxy. That worry isn't changing anything, since we're already doing what we can. I haven't had a day in the city for a while, and I need it.
Roxy seemed comfortable and had eaten with eagerness and pooped fine outside, so there's nothing more to do once she got her medication.
We made it to the art gallery, and had about an hour to walk around. None of the exhibits had changed, but I still enjoyed looking at the ones we'd already seen. I like going back more than once, to see the paintings you really liked, and maybe seeing something new in them.
One thing I like doing is engaging with the people who are standing around in the gallery. I'm not sure if they are making sure people don't touch anything, some of them are obviously security, some are employees that know a lot about the art.
I ask them questions, like which are their favorite works in the show, what stands out for them, something like that. Their day must be pretty boring otherwise, and I've learned a lot from talking to people who work there.
Today we talked to a young woman who was just standing there, though it's not clear maybe to people that she's there to BE ASKED things. I asked her which work she liked, and she took us to one that was very interesting, and she said she had done a tour with visually impaired people, and she chose this painting to describe to them without adding too much "interpretation" to it. I found that fascinating to think of how to describe things that way to people who couldn't see it. What a mental exercise that is!
It's also funny to note that my husband and I are there enough now that we are starting to be recognized as regulars. Going to the art gallery is probably one of my favorite things about this city.
After that, we got something to eat (the tasty faux sesame chicken) and went to the vintage book store, then the Value Village. In the thrift store I found a lovely scarf, and a rainbow jacket (cheap, probably meant to be part of a costume, but that's okay) that might be useful in a future Liberty freestyle.
On the way out of town we met up with someone from Marketplace selling a clothing item to be used in the next freestyle, if all goes well. It was pricey for used, but I was happy with how well it was made. It's from "Dracula Clothing Company", which all looks like good quality stuff.
Then we came home.
My Sweetie found more "Justified" on our hard drive, so we watched that.
Roxy seems a lot more comfortable today, so the medication seems to be reducing her stomach upset symptoms. Her body is finally relaxed, her breathing is relaxed, her facial expression is happy again.
For the past few days, though she was still eating and pooping fine etc, it was that tension and expression on her face that had been really bothering me. I knew something was wrong, but there was so LITTLE to go on! I didn't know if it was fleeting and was just a bit of upset, or if it was something really worth worrying about.
The vet said that some animals are really good at hiding pain, and I guess that's why all I was aware of was the tension in her body, and how shallow and rapid her breathing was if you paid attention.
I am glad that for this moment, she is obviously a LOT more comfortable and relaxed, and her sleeping is really sleep not just lying there uncomfortably.
no subject
Date: 2024-09-29 07:25 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-09-30 04:29 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-09-29 08:00 am (UTC)I didn't grow up that way, and I've always been very hesitant about my ability to create art. My Mother has always said (and isn't that so often how we all start with the stories of what we wish we could do and probably could do incredibly well if only.... lol) that my brothers were so great at Art and always picked at mine is not being good enough. Later on in my teen years old BFF was a budding artist, so when I would try no it was never good enough either. Finally years later when I heard her little kid not really react much to my very hard efforts (which to be fair he was surrounded by great art so it was no big deal to him to see any art in general) I finally quietly stopped. But it is funny how so often I end up with friends that are artists. Time and again. I would really really like to learn, but at the same time I'm not sure I want to go back into thinking and being a student just anything in a formal setting!! Getting my degree was freedom from that!!!!!!!!!! Like you wouldn't believe LOL :)
But, I did think this year that I wanted to start a new hobby and I wanted to start with drawing and painting. I didn't have the right supplies, but even to just start in general, well I was busy packing up any supplies I did have. And I was running from here for my life or for the chance at it really. And I was going to start up everything.... there. Once I moved. I won't think at all through because I don't have an answer and don't want to waste time ruminating.
But yes, I am realizing that it's not a chance thing that art keeps popping back up in my life. I take courage and inspiration from Jane Seymour who wasn't an artist, but wanted to be a ballerina and then ended up being an actress. After her divorce when she was bankrupt I believe, there's a cool story about how she was able to take just a very basic art lessons and just a few, and how that helps set her spirit and soul free and start healing her life from the devastation she had been through. Now she paints just because she loves it. Is she any good? I don't know. But who cares! And that's what I'd like to do more of. Be that free spirited happy Jewel colored-hearted child where the world was full of beautiful sparkling possibilities and you embraced it running with open hands and giggling glee - before my parents told me it was all dangerous or I couldn't do it bahaha. :)
Wouldn't it be cool if they ever had local amateur artists displayed in the gallery, and you got to show some work?
no subject
Date: 2024-09-30 04:27 am (UTC)I got a lot better after the intense amount of work I put into it through Covid, but I would still not say I am a talented artist.
I just enjoy the process, and I think that's the key to anything you undertake. If you just enjoy doing it, then even if it's not perfect, you haven't wasted your time.
I kind of needed something to do that wasn't just watching movies at night by myself, and there are so many good free tutorials through YouTube.
With drawing, you don't have to spend that much on supplies to get going, and you can do some pretty nice work with graphite once you get into the shading with stubs and so on.
There's also the paint program that comes with windows. I've used it, and it's pretty good. There are tutorials for how to use all the interesting tools in it too.
As with so many things, you have to see your own work and progress as it's own thing. You can't try to compare yourself to a friend who has already been doing art for 15 years, or some established master.
After all, there are some people whose work could be said to be pretty "naive" work, like Maude Lewis, who became famous BECAUSE of their simple, pure charm. If she beat herself up for not being like Picasso or some friend of hers, she might have quit, and we would have lost something very wonderful.
no subject
Date: 2024-10-03 04:36 am (UTC)