A quiet assembly

"Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of the party" and this sort of five finger exercise could  just as easily apply to  still life’s that lean against anonymous walls when they could just as easily make a brief appearance on one’s blog. I did this still life almost two  years ago – the set up was against a wall in my bedroom which I left to its own devices for several weeks after I stopped painting it. It is therefore  neither finished nor unfinished. 

A friend brought the bowl from Italy, the pitcher is an historical replication of a certain kind of pottery from the Knox Allbright  in Buffalo (vague),  the vase once held beautiful plum tree blossoms, the blue bottle once contained oil, the grater once grated lemon zest and the barely decipherable object in front of the grater was a drain stopper for a bathroom sink. 

14"x11" oil on illustration board

Man with pole

This drawing dates back to fall last year when we were privileged on a rare occasion to draw from a wonderful male model.  The second drawing is of a kneeling woman – a short pose and quasi anatomical to help me understand the pose better.

click to enlarge

compressed charcoal and conté on colonial text 

20"x26" approx

conté and compressed charcoal on cartridge 18x24"

Slight variation

Our last night  at our cottage was cold and our pajamas felt damp from all the rain. I tried to record the thunder storm but missed the loudest clap which seemed alarmingly close to us. We kept congratulating ourselves for staying an extra day and not venturing home in the downpour. I told the owner I wanted to come back but that he’d have to show us how to light the wood burning stove.  And he said it would give him pleasure to do that. 

Three separate drawings but pretty much from the same point of view, with just slight variation.

chalk on manilla 18"x24"

chalk on manilla 18"x24"

chalk on grumbacher charcoal paper 12"x18"

A woman on a cushion

I have a vague recollection of the model talking about a minor personality clash she was having with her pregnant cat or dog – or was it her daughter or was she complaining about her husband – whatever it was, she told it well – I do remember her commenting on her pose that it was very difficult to hold because her feet had a tendency to slide forward – yet she didn’t betray the slightest discomfort in her expression. 

Two oil sketches, unfinished on gessoed mdv from 2009

Front to back

The studio where we draw above the Portuguese pool hall is pleasantly air-conditioned. Alan gave me a brand new eraser because I'd forgotten mine - Maureen gave me a lovely soft carbon pencil to try and during the break, Markus passed around strawberry, yogurt candies. They are an accomplished, dedicated group of drawers - there is atmosphere.

When I left to go to my car the, the intersection at James and Mulberry was blocked by an old world Portuguese religious procession, with a fantastic brass band and individuals carrying banners and incense shakers. It only lasted fifteen or twenty minutes but I was mesmerized by the music and their faces! 

front view chalk on manila 18"x24"

back view chalk on manila 18"x24"

A 19th century sampling of weather in July: the stuff of small talk: a hands on thing to do.

Charles Peirce religiously chronicled the weather in Philadelphia for 57 years from January, 1790 to January 1847. This was not the same, great American philosopher, Charles Sanders Peirce who also had a keen interest in the weather, but an earlier, modest Peirce who started off as a bookseller and newspaper publisher in Portsmouth NH.
Google has digitalized  his vast ouevre of weather gleanings which was bequeathed to Harvard University shortly after he died - and it's online for all to read.
Below are but a few excerpts to give you a taste, which in our time, with the cloud of global warming hanging over us -  gives his or any work on weather, a special significance.

conté and compressed charcoal gesture  on newsprint 30"x36

July was always an iffy month - but when you look through his records you realize that all the months were potentially iffy and July could really give you a run for your money! 

1838 strikes a chord:

1838 The medium temperature of this month was 81 and it was the warmest month in this vicinity that we have on our record for several years On eighteen days during midday the mercury rose to 90 and above on two of these days it rose to 96 in the shade but being placed for thirty minutes in the full rays of the sun at mid day it rose to 143 A small quantity of rain fell on six days making in all two and a quarter inches but only in one instance was the atmosphere cooled after a thunder shower and in this instance it was cooler only for a few hours There were twenty one fair hot and dry days.

Let's try an earlier account from 1793:

1793 The medium temperature of this month was 81 and there was a great deal of excessively hot and dry weather All the rain that fell was during some violent thunder gusts The mercury was from 90 to 96 in the shade on ten days and from 84 to 89 on fifteen days Vegetation suffered very much for rain There was a great mortality among the flies .

compressed charcoal on kraft paper 30"x36"

 

Sometimes it rained:

1842 The medium temperature of this month was 74 This was indeed a month of thunder showers and great destruction by lightning and torrents of rain also by wind and hail The month commenced with the mercury at 90 From five to seven o clock PM on the first day there was one of the most awful thunder storms passed over this city and vicinity ever experienced by the present generation The peals of thunder were astounding and the lightning the most terrific ever beheld and the rain poured down in such torrents for two and a half hours that several of the streets in the eastern part of the city were covered to the depth of two feet and many basements and cellars completely filled and a great amount of goods destroyed During this shower nearly six inches of rain fell The lightning struck and consumed several barns in the vicinity of the city and several houses were struck in the city and liberties also several persons were stunned Some rain also fell on twelve other days principally in showers making in all which fell during the month twelve inches which is the greatest quantity in any one month we can find on record.

Let's end on a positive note!:

1817 The medium temperature of this month was 74 The weather during this month was a continuation of the splendid weather of the previous month The farmer rejoiced at having such a pleasant season for gathering in his early harvest which was very abundant Fertilizing showers and warm sunshines caused the earth to bring forth luxuriantly Indeed the earth and the trees were literally loaded with every good thing Thunder showers were very frequent and a healthier season thus far has not been experienced for many years.

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 I was perhaps the most refreshed and reflective person on my  street  as I lay, for the second time mid morning,  immersed  in a  five foot tub filled with cold water that I had drawn earlier  around 2:30 am. I lay there for a good 5 to 10 minutes - without shivering, allowing my mind to drift, feeling tranquil and clever. 

No air conditioners, no palm trees,  but fans, open windows and good cross ventilation in an airy house -  if one can get the air to move. I couldn't persuade my husband to follow my   example - he ran screaming from my suggestion telling me that I was a seal. 

oil on cardboard painted late June on outskirts of Dundas

on a very slippery shellac ground.