Years ago I came across this quote from Beatrix Potter and jotted it down on a loose piece of paper. Since the first page of this journal had a quote about Miss Potter, I decided to add this scrap to the last pages. The quote reads:
“It is all the same — drawing, painting, modeling — the irresistible desire to copy any beautiful object which strikes the eye.
Why cannot one be content to look at it. I cannot rest, I must draw, however poor the result, and when I have a bad time come over me it is a stronger desire than ever, and settles on the queerest things, worse than queer sometimes.
Last time, in the middle of September, I caught myself in the backyard making a careful and admiring copy of the swill bucket, and the laugh it gave me brought me ‘round.”
— Beatrix Potter
I’m sure the swill bucket in question must have been full of scraps and more colorful, but I drew our own swill bucket on the page. It came from Bill’s maternal grandmother’s farm and used to hold scraps to feed the chickens. We are currently using it with a big sponge to clean up very icy water that sometimes leaks from under the refrigerator in our daughter’s new farmhouse. Bill knows how to fix it (it’s coming from the auto-defrost in the freezer) but just hasn’t taken the time to do so yet.
We are well into our third month of trying to sell our log cabin, and only three potential buyers have looked at it. Frustrating and discouraging for us, since we can’t move forward with our plans to convert a small barn into a home until it sells. To encourage myself to keep hoping and trusting that God does have a good plan for us, I have jotted down several bits of encouragement in this journal, mostly from writer Wayne Jacobsen. The last page seemed to collect three of them at differing times.
And today I mended a pair of jeans — and so added a quick sketch of the thread, needle, and snips just to “honor” the simple occasion.
Vicky such a great page with wonderful encouraging quotes...I can relate about things in God's time and His will...thanks for sharing - it was just what was needed for me too. Checked out your first page link...just love Beatrix Potter. What an outstanding woman she was in so many ways. Have a super weekend. P.S. I will pray that your cabin sells soon too.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Debbie — your prayers are very appreciated. Blessings to you!
DeleteWas this a Stillman & Birn? Can’t remember. How many empty sketchbooks do you have waiting, and how do you choose which one to start next?
ReplyDeleteThis is a large Stillman & Birn Zeta that a friend gave me. My favorite sketchbooks would be those I bind myself using cold-press watercolor paper, but Stillman & Birn Beta and Delta books are a close second choice.
DeleteCurrently I have 5 empty sketchbooks waiting, plus 2 more ready to sew together — since we were packing to move, I went ahead and cut down my large sheets of paper into folded book blocks because it was easier to pack. Some of those on the shelf are S & B, some my own pages in temporary leather covers (to sew together and bind later).
I still have a purse-sized (4” square) book that I’m still working in — I may stick to it for a while before starting a new bigger one. My favorite size is around 5 1/2 x 8 1/2”, or a square of that general size.
As to how I pick which one — I honestly have no idea! I just go with whatever mood I’m in, I suppose. In Autumn, I lean more towards cream or toned papers; spring and summer call for brighter white paper. If I want to work more in inks, toned paper is best, using a white gel pen or white gouache for highlights.
Oh, thank you. Every time I watch a new artist, I’m tempted to buy their sketchbook, pigments, and brushes. I’ve gotten a little more self-control, as I’ve gotten behind in using them, but still find shopping in the art supply store therapeutic. I always like trying one I haven’t used before.
ReplyDelete😂 You sounds like me! I’ve tried So Many new tools because other artists online have raved about them. That’s how I found my best-loved fountain pens (Kaweco Liliput and Pilot Namiki Falcon) but I’ve also wasted a lot of money on watercolor paints and other tools I didn’t end up using. It’s all a learning thing.
DeleteOne good thing that came of my “misses” is my being able to donate what I wasn’t using to a friend of our daughter’s — she teaches art in college and keeps a “free” box of supplies for students.