Photographs, Art and Plants for the Soul

So Mike Dunbar showed this gorgeous picture that he took. I had said on another picture that it looked like a painting. It seemed that this was not acceptable to him then, and yet I thought it was beautiful. Now he does it again and this is gorgeous!  I said I didn't mean to insult him that it looked  like a painting, but there seemed to be something very sensual to what I was looking at. 

Then Mike said:   +Rachel Jerdin ERM, I didn't do anything! (Except go out walking at 5am, mad.) I just turned up and it was there.

ME:   I'm impressed you are out walking that early!  Most of the time I'm still sleeping!  So getting up early would be one thing necessary to get a shot like that!  You live in a beautiful area that is very green!  Now there are lovely places here too, not in the same way, but nature is sooo special. So your setting is really nice!  You must have a wonderful camera. It is more likely to capture what you are looking at. You have a special education with the photography, and, perhaps other subjects that adds to your repertoire of knowledge to draw on like Joe McNally.  And, in addition to that knowledge, You have excellent skills. So maybe it wasn't so obvious to you, but your sub-conscience knows and draws on that. Your personality would also be a factor in what you like. And, then there is luck and timing!  Lots of things go into this picture that you don't give yourself credit in finding and sharing it from your perspective!  I love your work and obviously many other people do too!  You need more exposure. I'm positive other people would love it too!  His commercial site is Mike Dunbar Commercial Photography-  mikedunbar.co.uk.  See his other work.  He is is Scotland, so he has some beautiful areas all around him.

So here is his gorgeous picture which is a photograph!

Gillahill Wood in Scotland by Mike Dunbar

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So at my art class with Carol Bradshaw we focused on doing feathers on a parrot and an owl. She talked about shading and getting more of this to fill in the contour of my drawing. She made a point (which she has told me multiple times- "you must get the hair going in the right direction, otherwise it isn't believable."  So the classmate I did have, Wayne, called Carol to find out when we were doing owls. I got excited because I thought he would be back.  He is so talented and I just enjoy him. Well, he didn't show up, but I am hoping he will return.  It makes for a better class because of our interaction.  I had drawn a feather Carol gave me as a model and did a pretty good job. I couldn't return them because my cats killed these feathers. I will work more on the parrot and I picked an owl walking very determinedly.  I did a chicken once with a similar pose.

Parrot was Redone

Owl Ready to Lift Off

I went to the Helping One Woman dinner honoring Debbie Cramlet She had a lot of family members and friends there. She is a very nurturing person to family, friends and community. She owned Deb's Deli in Hanford.   She was diagnosed with appendiceal cancer in 2011 and gets her treatment in Houston, Texas.   That is a long trip!  It went into remission, but came back this March.

Debbie with her daughter Brittany

I stay with Martha when I come here for the Helping One Woman dinner.  We went to a Mexican restaurant called Super Taco for breakfast in Woodlake.  They had a type of Quesadilla for breakfast.  It was okay, but I didn't think it was that great.  I took some of it home and when I heated it for a minute in the microwave, what a difference!  Now that was delicious.  I wonder if they just forgot to do this before giving it to me.  Then we checked out the botanical garden, Bravo Lake Botanical Garden.   started by a couple who live in this town.  Wow!  Now that was special. Most of the signage identifying the plants was torn down. They have to find a way to protect this area. You are allowed to taste the edible plants, but you are not allowed to take them out of the garden.   What a lovely walk that was!    The man, Manuel with his wife started this.  Manuel Jimenez was there so we were able to talk to him about this.  They have a dinner fundraiser in October.  He recommended coming in Spring when there is so much more blooming.  So they have very little money but they do have a fair amount of volunteers.

The Entrance

Martha Getting a Closeup

Martha Catching Up to Me

A Sunflower Going to Seed

Hanging Grapes over an Archway

Colorful Flowers (No sign!)

More Colorful Flowers (No Sign!)

Pumpkin and Gourds

Martha has a cactus plant called a Prickly Pear in her yard that produces a fruit. She had never tried it, but I did. It was mildly sweet and very juicy. The only problem I had is I got stickers in my lip and hands. Now I know where the name came from. It took several days for them to come out on their own.  I think I should wear heavy gloves next time and peal it with a vegetable peeler!

Prickly Cactus Pear

  The other thing Martha showed me was a watering system with clay pots buried in the soil up to the neck.  Her daughter gave it to her.  She had a group of flowers there which were thriving well. You pour the water in the top and depending on the time of year, you only need to water every five to ten days. I like this for vacation.  Here's the site if you are interested. I ordered several. 

GrowOya.com    Also, the original name for this is Olla.  So, if you want to do a search for it elsewhere,  feel free.

GrowOya.com

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My friend Vic and I met at a Korean restaurant in Bakersfield called Tofu House. It has much more than that and the food is delicious. We went over a chapter of the book he is writing. I only had minor suggestions on this, but it was a great discussion.  When I got home, I felt very sleepy and fell asleep.  I slept from around 1:30 to 11 pm.  Then went to bed around 2am until 6 am.  I saw my Oncologist Dr. Tun before my chemotherapy. I told him about this and he said he has this reaction from Asian food that had MSG making him very sleepy.  He thinks the sauces have lots of MSG in it. When I have Asian food at night, I just think I'm normally tired. So for the last few weeks I slowed down dramatically intentionally.   Dr. Tun said my level on the MUGA scan was very good at 74%. The time before it was 60%.  He thought of stopping the Herceptin, but he said the cancer came back after he stopped it before. I told him I'd like to continue until symptoms were continuous. Then I'd be open to stopping it.   I thought my body was telling me to rest so I did a lot less the last three weeks. Now I will think about the food I eat to determine if there is a connection with MSG and sleeping. 

I am getting on my stationary bicycle for 10 minutes per day and will increase this in the near future. I am still juicing also, but now two to three times per week. 

Janet and I met at our old haunt, Mexicali's.  We are struck by the choices younger people make compared to what we would wear. We have had this waitress serve us quite a while. She was wearing heavy black frames on glasses she was wearing. If it were us, we would attempt to use contact lenses and if we needed glasses (I do), we would wear frames that would be less noticeable. However, she is so pretty, she could wear anything and look great.

Well, that is it, for the week.  I hope your week was a good one for you.  I'll see you next Sunday!
Rachel

Interactions with Artists on Google+

So I look at the posts on this art site on Google+.  I really am fascinated with people's styles and talent. So one person responded to what I said:  

Thank you, Rachel. Are you an artist also?

ME:  A beginner.  I have taken drawing and water color classes for almost two years. I didn't even have a clue to do anything before this. I wasn't even a kindergarten level then. So I'm excited about it all now. 

+Rachel Jerdin I don't know why I asked you that. I don't ask that and never have asked anyone else. There must have been a reason. This illustrates the very idea that art is not planned or known about before it appears. Just like my asking you about your art, I don't know you and did not plan to do that.

So, if you can take a tip from one who has been fooling around with art since 1963, interrupted by a number of other disciplines like computer programming and fighting authorities that don't obey their own law, you should stop taking classes immediately. I have never had a single class. That would have killed my own creativity by instilling ideas from some teacher. I am not an art teacher, because I cannot tell anyone how to paint or create. All I can do is tell them how NOT to do it.

The danger for you is copying others and then copying your own work. Each piece has to spring forth anew, not be a copy. Therefore, if you stop doing what you have been doing and just paint, let it all hang out, you will find your creativity invigorated by each work you complete. It gets in your blood and like a junkie you have to let the next one out.

Please take my words in the way I intended them, not to preach to you but only to give you the benefit of many years of art and other things have taught me. It is never to late to begin to be your own creative self.

ME:  I appreciate your comments. I'm not willing to part from my teacher yet!  I have found her to be soooo encouraging and supportive. Periodically she will stare open mouthed at what I do, seeming at shock at what I have done. She recognizes my style as very different from hers and doesn't push me into her style, so I'm okay with it so far. And believe me, what I could do May 2013 and I what I can do now are night and day. I'm not looking at your work to copy it. I'm fascinated with art. My step-mother (she's an artist) and I go to art museums when we get together. I look at people's work and try to figure out how they did what they did.  So thanks for sharing your art and thoughts about it. I really appreciate it!"

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There is another person, Mike Dunbar who is a fabulous photographer. He has a real knack with lighting. So far I have not seen anyone accomplish what he has done, especially with his Still Life. Just fantastic. And now he is branching out doing buildings and landscapes. So nice. Well I sounded like a broken record saying "Wow!  The lighting is spectacular!"  Then he suggested I read Joe McNally's book THE MOMENT IT CLICKS, who's work is about the lighting in photography. He is a magazine photographer. Great information. I finally noted on Mike Dunbar's site he has written "It's the lighting."  I'm so observant!

I have learned from looking at what they share and I really appreciate it. 

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I had another MUGA scan (it checks the pressure of blood being pumped through the heart) this week. The technician is one I had in the beginning and he noticed that I've had a lot of these tests. I told him it is easier to do all this since I retired. He asked what I do with my time and I told him I have had art classes in drawing and watercolor. In the end he said, "bring a couple of pieces next time you come, I'm interested."   So I will.  I keep hearing people say "I can't do that."  And I remember saying that. That is why I will show it. They can do it.  Whether they make a profession or hobby of it, it's okay. I think our brains develop better when including the arts. We deal with issues better,  it adds to our insight into what we and I think it might help in problem solving.  We need more of this!

I met with my friend Janet at our old haunt Mexicali's.   We talk about so much. It is our weekly catch-up. I think it is good for both of us. 

It my art class, a woman, Linda joined us.  She has been with us a few times before.  I showed my work to Carol who had given me good feedback on ways to improve it.  So I have redone it.  I know I have a ways to go, but I remind myself where I have been, and when compared to that, it is WOW!  So I think my drawing is a lot better.  When any of Carol's students doubt their improvement, she gets them to bring their earlier work, and that does it.  They stay with it.   I don't really care for the watercolor of the parrot, but I'm showing you it.  I also will do another painting of the parrot.  Next subject in class is to do a drawing and then a painting of an owl.

Drawing of Parrot by Rachel

Watercolor of Parrot by Rachel

Today, my friend Barbara and I are going to go see Ricki and the Flash.  Both of us like Meryl Streep.  Then we are going for Chinese food.  We like the Great Castle, so that is probably the place we will go.  I haven't seen her in maybe a month.  She has been in Utah part of the time at a conference doing research on family trees.  Her mother had done it for years and she has continued it.  I look forward to hearing how it went.

Another blogger, Doreen Tapper shares her thought one year after she was diagnosed about her fears and the value of her supporters. 

http://doreentapper.blogspot.com/2015/08/a-year-has-passed.html?m=1

So that is it for the week.  So hot these days (it's that time of year), it isn't pleasant to go outside.  So I'm doing things in the house.  I hope your week went well and I will see you next Sunday.