Actually, it’s one bird and a rock — but that’s not the point.
I’m going to be working on a painting for an art auction/competition this week (at least that’s the plan) and I thought I’d make a start on the sketches for that project and write to my friend at the same time. We always include a sketch in our letters to each other, so here is the little sparrow I drew for her.
I hope she doesn’t read this post before she gets the letter.
It’s been two years since the first big earthquake shook Christchurch awake in the middle of the night on September 4th, 2010. Parts of the city are fine (and always have been). Other parts are slowly recovering. Some are still a mess or are now empty — blank canvases waiting for something artistic and wonderful to happen. Or not.
The September earthquake was not the worst (we’ve had a number of more destructive quakes since then) but that’s when it all started. And even though it’s been relatively quiet lately — well, we’ve been here before and we know not to get too comfortable… don’t we?
‘My life is a disaster movie’ (ink on paper) was drawn for a student project about the 2010/2011 earthquakes (previously posted here — about halfway down). The little tornado character represents how confusing and unsettling it is to have the expression ‘solid ground’ removed from your vocabulary.
Various sketchbook entries and illustration ideas for the project.
To all who have followed (that’s now 50 of you), liked, commented and/or visited this blog — a very big thank you. What began as a way of putting my portfolio online has kind of snowballed. I’m really enjoying being part of the WordPress community. You encourage, inspire and challenge me. So… thank you!!!
It’s really good to be writing letters again but I’ve discovered a catch. Writing about doing something is not the same as doing something. I had the best of intentions today. I was going to photograph and catalogue some of the jewellery I’ve inherited in recent years. Instead, I’ve written a letter to my friend telling her all about it (which is why I drew this). And the necklaces and rings and other pretty sparkling things are still waiting. Patiently.
Maybe tomorrow…
I’ve started writing letters again. Not emails. Not texts. Real letters.
Earlier this month, a girlfriend and I were fondly remembering our letter-writing days and wondering if it really had become a lost art when we hit upon a plan to start writing letters to each other again — something we probably hadn’t done for a decade or more (okay, definitely more). Oh there have been birthday cards and holiday postcards… but no letters. A sorry state of affairs.
The rules: no cards, no postcards, only letters in envelopes posted the old-fashioned way. With a stamp. A sketch (anything from a 10-second doodle to a one-hour masterpiece — at the writer’s discretion) would also have to be included in the letter.
We have now written, sent and received two letters each.
It’s early days but so far, so good…
Anna Cull ~ Art & Music 