Work in progress
man portrait painting
gouache on cardboard

Shy, introverted, handsome guy.
He has a story to tell,
but it might take time
for it to be revealed.

You can find him on eBay. 

Scribble I did while on a business call.
The woman had a singsongy voice,
which made me almost 😆 
IT WAS AWESOME!!! 

I recently upgraded my Youtube to Premium – something I swore I’d never do, but what a difference it makes not to have to sit through ad after ad when I’m watching on the big tv. To me, it’s worth $14 a month to not have all the interruptions while I’m painting. I don’t have to grab the remote to “skip to the next ad” with gouache or oil pastels on my fingers anymore. I can also listen to something while using other apps on my phone.

So far, it’s quite nice, and worth the cost. The ads were getting almost as long as cable tv ads, and although I haven’t had cable for at least 15 years now, I still remember how dreadful that was..except with cable I was essentially paying to see those ads, and with Youtube, I’m paying not to see them. 

SOLD

I only hope that the content creators I watch still get paid, like Youtube promises because now that I don’t have to sit through ads, I’ve allowed myself to be pulled down endless art related rabbit holes. I see absolutely no harm in it whatsoever. Can never have too much art in life, imo. 

A couple days ago, Youtube recommended I watch Jack Ridl, an 80 year old poet, and retired college professor. He has a darling wife Julie, and the star of the show, their sweet dog Vivi. It took all of about 3 minutes for me to subscribe.

In the videos I’ve seen so far, Jack chats for a few minutes, and then reads a poem he wrote from one of his books. Julie seems to stay behind the camera because she’s busy knitting or maybe painting, but I love hearing her input every so often.

SOLD
Jack reminds me of this portrait painting 
I created a year or so ago. 

Jack has a deep radio voice, which completely soothed, and hooked me at the same time. I could listen to him all day, and that’s pretty much what I did. The mean January wind was blowing, it was below zero outside, but everything was right in my little bubble because Youtube kept autoplaying Jack’s videos for me. I kept listening. 

I also came across Rosemerry, who is also a poet (with a beautiful name), and she writes a poem a day on her blog. I found her because she wrote a poem titled Kindness about Jack & Julie. What she wrote so lovingly about them is the exact impression I got from watching their videos..they’re sweet, down-to-earth people. I don’t know about you, but I want need more goodness & kind people in my life, especially during these dark January days. I’ll be diving deeper, and reading more of their poems in the coming weeks. I’m also going to try to find other poets Jack mentions in his videos. I just know they’re all going to inspire me to write poems of my own. 

I watched a slew of Fran Meneses’s videos. I somehow missed her last 8 or 9 videos. Happy to say I’m caught up now, and it’s good to know she’s doing well. 

I ran across Rusty Nelson – a college professor who teaches drawing and painting. He made me want to grab my art journal and draw along with him when I watched Want to draw people (use the Loomis Method). It was about 3am when I watched it, tho, so I’ll have to watch again when I’m less tired. 

Clair de lune debussy – so cute! All of my animals love music, also, especially Sweet Pea kitty, who was born without eyes. Aww! 

drawing your feelings (a calm guide) – I’ve most likely shared this one before, but I just rewatched it. We’re all constantly dealing with a lot of emotions, but for some, it’s been especially difficult week. Drawing & painting is a safe way to release those feelings. As Peter said, “I want to yell a lot, but I don’t. Just get pieces of paper and do this.” My only concern is I might run out of paper by next week. I only have about 1000 or so blank sheets on hand. Oy.  

The Philosophy of Color – I’m not sure why, but I’ve always thought color theory is extremely boring. It’s about as enthralling as watching paint dry for me. I am an artist, so I should be into it, but the way I look at color is simple, so why complicate it?

I use colors I love in some paintings, and those paintings are usually my personal favorites. Then, to be fair, I choose colors an art collector might like in other paintings. This helps me use up colors I’ve bought in sets that I wouldn’t use otherwise, and makes me feel less selfish about using my favorite colors constantly. haha! That’s it. That’s as deep as my personal theory on color goes. 🤣 I will say the nerdy portion of my brain found this video somewhat interesting, tho. 

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte | Full Audiobook – the reader has a lovely voice, which makes it easy to listen to.

And, last, but not least, if you’re looking for a book to listen to while drifting off to sleep, I highly recommend The Wind in the Willows. It was one of my childhood favorites, and it’s beautifully read in a slow, soft female voice. 

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you check out these links, and find something you like. 

More paintings are available in my shop.
You can also find me on
Daily Paintworks, and eBay

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