Daily Notes- September 9th

My coffee/walking friend asked me if I would like to go to an evening art workshop two summers ago.  I went and drew these apples (and a lemon?) from an early Marsden Hartley painting.  I was reminded of the folds of cloth I had arranged under my winter squash for a "botanical" watercolor.

The museum was quiet and we were supplied with folding chairs to sit on, a board, paper and pencils. Guards all around so we didn't try and use the pencils on any of the art.  No erasers.  I took advantage and drew from two different subjects.  I didn't think I would ever be able to use a pencil in that museum or any other again, but I was reminded of visiting an important museum in Madrid and seeing easels and painters copying masterpieces.  1980's.

So, I baked a peach and plum "crumble" yesterday and then made steamed rice and reheated our Orange Chicken leftovers in my favorite LeCreuset cast iron frypan.  I washed and scrubbed the counter tops and the stove top and all the dishes.  Then I stopped.  Went to sit on the couch with Riley and Law and Order.  I managed to stitch a few small pieces into a square.  Busy day for me. Unusual.

The Football was good.  Would have been better if the opposing team had come to play.  Our son texted at half time.  Not sure he's a football fan but he knows we are.  He likes open wheel auto racing. I missed the five hour long men's tennis final. Damn.

I slept well.  No dreams.  I just reached into my pants pocket and found a hankie-always a good omen.  Daughter is home from her weekend at camp with her friends. Brought us 10 ears of corn from a farm stand along a country road for feeding her cats.  We'll eat them today.  She also picked the remaining peaches from the small tree.  She said the bagful I sent along on her camping trip were a huge hit with the other campers.  Life is good.

I have a load of G's gardening clothes in the dyer and another load in the washer.  So I will be folding clothes and putting things away in the next hour or so. I enjoy folding clothes.  I am also going to clear off the piles from the dining table and reset my painting station so I can work on or tear up the house/boat painting.  Start over.  I now have three additional drawings to turn into paintings.  And I am definitely going to remove that cheap paint from the plate and start over with good paint. Better paint.  I'll keep using the brush.  It's a good one- keeps it's point.

I am also noticing all the plant materials that I should be using to print cloth.  This is the TIME for that.  If I do nothing more than tear fabric and mordant-well, that might be enough.  I have soy milk and intend to mordant cloth to use with the eucalyptus plant I have grown and tended all summer.  Fresh leaves.  I am hoping for orange printed leaves on my cloth.  I will text my daughter to collect the smoke bush leaves from the plant she got them from last fall.  They were wonderful.  I also use alum.  And the plumber has left me a stack of used copper pipes from the old radiators.  And I have that old rusted Volvo tailpipe I found in the woods and I am getting a package of black walnuts one of these days.  For dye and to make into INK.  Bountiful.  If I can just find the energy to enjoy the bounty.