The Lake

Tunis is situated on a lake connected to the sea. 

Another view from the passenger's seat.

Have I overcome motion sickness?

Recurring Themes, 3

Motion sickness is my bane. Yet, I've been managing to sketch in the passenger seat of the car, which results in a lot of sketches of the backs of vehicles, among other things.



















A day in Tunis running errands...

The "take-a-line-for-a-walk" has been developing into some interesting shapes.
Always a surprise to see what will happen.

An Exhibit

Paul Klee, Auguste Macke and Louis Moilliet made a trip to Tunisia together in 1914, so in honour of its "centennial" the Bardo Museum (Tunis) is hosting a show of their work from that trip. No photos allowed of the small aquarelles and sketches, but, I went with the intention of sketching anyway, to sketch the sketches. I was surprised at the poor quality of paper they used (looked like newsprint), but delighted with the line work. 

Louis Moilliet, left: "Scène de la rue en Tunisie" ("Street Scene in Tunisia," 1914);
right: "Vendeur de rue arabe" ("Arabe Street Vendor," 1914). 

I was a bit disappointed that this exhibit did not include some of the wonderful color studies for which all three artists are known. However, it provided an excellent sketching exercise--I found that Macke was much more precise in his lines while Moilliet had a very loose hand. Enjoyable afternoon that is now recorded in one of my sketchbooks.

Auguste Macke, left: "Homme avec une brouette" ("Man With a Cart," 1914);
right: "Arabes assis devant leur maison" ("Arabes Sitting in Front of Their House,"1914)

Recurring Themes, 2

The push to finish school work before vacation took up most of last week. Today I am finally on vacation. I managed to squeeze in a few sketches in my small journal during the week. 

Students and teachers will probably be a recurring theme for a long time...

Grabbed Moments

Winding up the rather turbulent Fall semester, I haven't found much time for stitching. However, my small sketchbook attests to the moments I can grab during a day.

I add color at dinnertime, but, truth to tell, it may take longer...

I'm so much happier with my sketchbook/journal since I started adding the color. 

On the other hand, I think it helped to limit myself to pen sketching for awhile. 

Recurring Themes

Some themes seem to be developing in my small daily journal. Watches and time for my bigger textile pieces. 

Students appear occasionally, sketched during a few brief minutes of quiet in class.

And I am forever delighted by the "take-a-line-for-a-walk." The possibilities are infinite.

Materials: ballpoint pen for watch, gel pen for students. Prismacolor pencils.

Time's Face

Another watch face drawn at dinner. An interesting old watch--from the sixties, I suppose.

As this is small (2 1/2" tall) I just hold the fabric down with my left hand while drawing. I'm using Copic multiliners on a tightly woven, smooth cotton and it helps to use a larger tip so it doesn't catch on the threads. I especially liked using a 0.7.

Morphing into Color

My small journal is morphing once again. This time from the 75-Day pen and ink drawing challenge into something more colorful. Since the paper is light, I can't use any wet media, but I have a luxurious 72 Prismacolor pencil set that I like to play with.

So I do the pen drawing, then add color (my version of the coloring book)..this makes me so much happier. In my search for a good quote for each page, I began reviewing The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron, the book that saved my artist's life many years ago...tried and true.

Slow Stitching/Slow Drawing

Occasionally, I slow down in my small journal where I do daily pen sketches. I finally figured out that slow drawing is similar to slow stitching. I particularly like these two pages, one of my son and one of a chicken bowl, which I did over several days and will probably never "finish"... 

Cross-overs

I seem to have developed a habit of sketching during dinner (easier than stitching at the dinner table!) since it's just the ol' man and me. This does not impinge on interpersonal communication since I can talk at the same time. 

Last night I decided to draw on a scrap of fabric with a permanent pen (Copic Multiliner 0.5). I've been thinking about inserting watch & clock faces into at least one of my pieces about ageing. That idea would require more than one or two faces, maybe a bunch. That's a pleasant thought. Without hands...maybe the hands should be floating on the outside of the face...haven't decided. 

And then, to stitch or not to stitch...still ruminating.

Relief

Just inching along--with relief--on the reverse side of my jeans bag.

A quiet evening...

Made it to 75

Although I can't seem to be able to catch up to anything, I did manage to finish the 75-day pen-sketching challenge.













And now I will keep going as there are 300 pages to fill in this small journal...enough for at least another year. I think I'll add colored pencils to the mix.



And today, I think I can finally do some stitching after a two week hiatus. I can't think right and I feel unfocused when I can't stitch....

Back in the Saddle

Yup, I'm trying to climb back into the saddle after falling completely off the wagon--and I owe you an apology for the abuse of clichés, but they struck me as kind of funny in an absurd way. Suffice to say that my teaching load has become heavy and with all the excitement over elections in Tunisia, nobody has been able to settle into a routine, and here we are almost at the end of the semester. 

So I did a two-page spread in my sketchbook of one of the many absurdities facing me at work. It helped me get over the poorly conducted teacher "training" day for the new, super duper language lab that looks beautiful--but doesn't work. Fortunately, there were no guns around or I would have shot myself as an act of mercy.

Note the interior design of the "award"--that's me snoozing away.... 

Bag Jag, 8

Thankfully, my stitching keeps me calm despite the bumps in the road of life in Tunisia. I've been picking up my needle often as elections approach--there's a lot at stake. Last night I dreamt that I returned to the States with only one suitcase in hand. Fortunately, I don't experience prophetic dreams; it' just anxiety rising to the surface.

The rings for the strap are now installed...top zipper is next.

Some Progress

I'm liking these colors so much that I just want to pick my jeans bag up all the time to stitch on it.

The plaid is interesting to work with as it gives more of a variegated effect and adds some depth.