Paper and Threads

April 13th:  I met my friends at Neue Gallery last Friday to see their new exhibit called Before the Fall: German and Austrian Art of the 1930s.  I love their exhibits and brought my Hand Sketchbook so I had the option of making a sketch.  I loved this image of a man and his dog from the painting by Rudolf Dischinger from his painting "Railroad Underpass." 

April 14th:  More Drawings from The Central Park Sketching and Art Meetup Group

I had a few minutes to draw as our group was gathering and did a fast sketch of the Horse Carriage driver who was standing in front of me.  

My final sketch in Central Park was done in the plaza around the Chess and Checkers House.  I sketched this with a pen with non-waterproof ink and used a waterbrush to spread the ink. 

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Spring is finally arriving in NYC, and I decided to sketch with the Central Park Sketching and Art Meetup group Saturday.  We met at the 59th St and 6th Ave entrance to the Park and walked up the first hill, where there were a few early blooming flowers.  I used my regular daily watercolor sketchbook so I could paint for the first time since my fracture, and used a 05 Pigma Micron Pen for the drawing.  I've missed painting and was thrilled that I could complete this page with my non-dominant hand - while sitting. 

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GOOD NEWS:  After my Xray yesterday, my hand surgeon determined that I would not need an operation on Monday!  I fractured my wrist on my left (dominant) wrist on March 23rd.  It occurred on my way to figure drawing, and I thought it was a bad sprain, so I sketched with my dominant hand, while holding ice on my wrist with my non-dominant hand.  Since my splint, then cast, I've been sketching with my non-dominant hand and having fun.  I sketch every morning after breakfast, both on scrap paper and in my dedicated sketchbook for this project - altered by my friend Maureen.  Here are one of my figure drawings - from right after the fracture, and then several other non-dominant hand sketches from this week.  The drawing of the plant was even done standing, with my sketchbook resting on my cast.  Progress is being made.   

Subway Entrance/Exit April 10th: 

Brooklyn Botanic Garden April 10 - Sketched standing: 

A small art quilt I made, which hangs over my sewing machine - April 11: 

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I sketched this angel from a wonderful fabric angel, carrying a gift basket. I was given her many years ago by a special friend.  On Friday my hand surgeon told me I may still need an operation on my wrist, and he wants to see more Xrays this week.  I'm hoping for the best.

Yesterday I went to draw at a Museum for the first time since my injury.   This drawing was done of a life-size figure from the "Like Life  Sculpture, Color, and the Body."  I sketched standing, holding my sketchbook on my casted arm, and held my pencil with my non-dominant hand.  I used a pencil so I could sit down to add ink, with two different pens, and rest my sketchbook on my lap.  This was my challenge for this week - all my previous drawings since my fracture were done sitting down.

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I am still working hard to use my non-dominant right hand for drawing.  I love William Kentridge's creativity, and when I saw his messy black ink drawings of an espresso pot on the Fairfield Univ. Museum exhibit website this week, I got out my Pentel Pocket Brush Pen.  I don't have great control of this brush pen even with my left hand, so I had fun with this drawing!  I will use the brush pen again during this period of play.

I also have my "non-dominant hand" drawings for the last 3 days, and it really gives me something to look forward to each day as I finish my breakfast.  Danny Gregory wrote a book called Art Before Breakfast, but I need several mugs of coffee, and a little writing (now as a 1-2 finger typist) before I am inspired to draw. 

April 3rd:

April 4th and 5th: 

I positioned my figure model in the position I was in when I tripped going up a step in the subway and fell on my dominant hand.  A Book Weight is keeping the model from falling over.

The writing under the figure model says, falling through space on an outstretched arm = Colles Fracture.  It is actually a fracture across the distal radius in the forearm.   

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