my Christmas gift from Bill

We have been gathering a few items, in preparation for Someone.

some things can’t be rushed

As I was recently reading all the Hercule Poirot mysteries, the following quote especially made me laugh:

“. . . there are three things that cannot be hurried — le bon Dieu, Nature, and old people.”  — Hercule Poirot, Mystery of the Blue Train

So after jotting it down in my journal, what better way to illustrate it than by sketching leaves from our last camping trip — over a year ago! Better late than never. I’m glad I remembered to take a picture of them

In this Drawn to High Places limited edition Pocket Palette, I keep a collection of granulating watercolors. Most are from Daniel Smith, but the “volcano” colors and the tundra blue are from Schminke. I used a Rosemary & Co. R10 travel brush.

The color swatch card is folded in half; on the inside and back pages, I made samples of color mixes attainable from these colors.

random drawing

A simple random drawing in gray ink on a very gray day . . .

a random leaf

We have been doing a lot of puppy-sitting with our daughter and son-in-law’s dog, Bradley. He brings in tiny pebbles, grass, twigs, and leaves stuck in his coat or between his toe pads. Yesterday this gnarly leaf was stuck in his tail.

I had this small notebook open, ready to draw. I picked the leaf up from the floor next to Bradley and sat down to draw, using my Kaweco Liliput fountain pen filled with De Atramentis Document brown ink. Then added watercolor. . . . . Then realized that I had grabbed the notebook upside down! 😂

Children’s Art Project

Over the years, Bill and I have often sent Christmas cards from the Children’s Art Project, which is celebrating their 50th year. These cards are designed by children going through cancer treatment at M. D. Anderson. Profits go towards funding various pediatric patient programs, including an annual ski trip, summer camps, and scholarships. The art work is also used on other stationery and gift items. 

I like how it gets kids’ minds off cancer and helps them focus on what they can do. It helps them find Hope.    

almost finished!

On Monday, I take my final radiation treatment at M.D.Anderson — then I am free for the next 8 weeks. At the end of each milestone in fighting cancer, they have patients ring a bell like this one. I would rather sketch the bell in my journal than ring it. Above the bell is a plaque with the following lines penned by Irve Le Moyne:

Ring this bell

Three times well!

It’s toll to clearly say,

My treatment’s done

This course is run

And I am on my way!

At the end of the 8 weeks, I have various tests, imaging, and doctors’ visits — then finally surgery to remove anything that’s left of the tumor (there may be nothing left at all!) and to reverse the colostomy that I’ve had since February 28, the beginning of this journey.

comfortable not knowing

This potted plant was in the radiation waiting room . . . so I drew it.

last week’s little sketch

This is the only sketch I managed to do last week — and not having my regular sketchbook at the time, I drew it in the smaller sketchbook that lives in my purse. Maybe I’ll sketch more this coming week?