Paper and Threads

This past week was Master Drawing Week in NYC.  Galleries on the Upper East Side mount special exhibits of master drawings - from the 1600s through moderns like Matisse and Picasso.  They have a booklet you can pick up with a map and information in the participating galleries.  You can also download a map at this link:

https://www.masterdrawingsnewyork.com/map/ 

The galleries will still be open today and tomorrow.  I go with my artist friends yearly and we rarely have time to draw anything in our sketchbooks to remember the day.  Yesterday I did two very quick sketches.

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I'm still working on drawings I did when we were on vacation in Paris.  This first sketchbook page was done quickly from our apartment window before we left for the day.  But most of the drawings I did in Paris were done in Museums.  Others have said that it is very hard to keep a travel sketchbook when you are traveling with non-sketchers, and I agree. 

Building across the street and up the block.  Drawn from our apartment window.

Chaim Soutine painted by Modigliani.  Painting seen in the Memorial de la Shoah in the Marais in Paris. 

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January 16th was a wonderful art day - beginning at the Grand Central Transit Museum Holiday Train display and then followed by a visit to the Center for Italian Modern Art. 

My sketch of the Grand Central Terminal model was done quickly - the building was wonderful.

The afternoon was spent at the Center for Italian Modern Art in Soho where I sketched some of Marino Marini's terric, rough, female sculptures - ranging from table size to life size.  The Center has excellent exhibits, with tours some days of the weeks.  When we were there, we were the only visitors and were able to relax and draw until we finished. 

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Last year I made January a sewing month during my free time.  I was able to work on many projects and had great fun.  This year I decided that I would do it again, but unfortunately have had a bad viral bronchitis that slowed me down. 

I needed to replace a Souleiado (French Provincial Fabric) make-up pouch that was over 25 years old and while making it I wanted to learn how to make a pouch with zipper tabs.  Fortunately there are great videos online which makes it easy to learn!  This is the inside of the first pouch I made and one of the zipper tabs can be seen just to the right  of the zipper tab.  The pouches are lined and have batting between the outer and inner fabrics.

During bronchitis week I made 3 more pouches with zipper tabs, figuring out how to change the size of the zippers, with their tabs, and the pouches. 

I still don't feel normal, and in fact this blog post should have been posted last Friday.  But my oldest son gave me a quilt I made for him 35 years ago to mend.  That project was perfect for this long holiday weekend because I could sit comfortably and stabilize the patchwork with hand sewing while I recuperated.  

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One of my favorite Figure Drawing models was back, and I became obsessed with drawing his dreadlocks.  He is very tall, very thin, and very muscular - a great combination.  These are 4 of the drawings I did during the session.

Five Minute Pose: 

Ten Minute Pose:

Ten Minute Pose:

Twenty Minute Pose

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