there was no best one, so i give you the funniest one

To my defense:
1. This was my first time since before summer.
2. He was leaning against something.

i am wearing my size 14 jeans today

Fat women, not overweight poses. I was criticized in yesterday's comments. But honestly, I am liking the legendary Canadian niceness more and more. We are still living the multicultural dream here you know, don't you come and disturb it. People in all shapes and sizes, with all different challenges, it's all good. We haven't had Fortuyn or van Gogh murders, our media are not dominated by plebeians with points of view, Canadians don't say everything they think out loud. And political correctness is not a derogatory term here. Love it. And Piffin and I went to the lumberyard today, and bought trim for the new windows. And Otger and I laughed at a kissing couple in our alleyway. It used to be quite safe to kiss in our alleyway, but not anymore, with our new windows. They ran away in shock when they saw us.

i thought about rotating this picture

I planned to blog a small series of one minute ones, if only to document some overweight poses. But I decided it would be to much work to scan them all. They would each need two or three scans. And then patching them together, it would take me an hour. So no. Let's see, is there at least anything interesting to tell you. Yes, on my way back in the streetcar I was sitting behind a guy with a whitehead in his neck. And after three hours of drawing my brain is overactive on visuals as it is.

stand straight

It is a bit of a boring pose, but I don't mind. Not many models do long poses standing up, so I am grateful. Drawing a standing pose is harder than a sitting one, I find. It's easier to let the proportions go absurd, a sitting person has so much more angels and communicating body parts, if you solve the puzzle, the proportions can't be too far off. Standing up however, there is no way to compare the lengths of arms and legs, or the size of the head. I drew her breasts a little too small. Not that they were very big in the first place. In case you notice she is a little off balance, you're right. She was leaning on a pole. I hate drawing models with poles. The pole was in her left hand, that I didn't draw. It was hardly visible anyway.

free rides

And in the middle of my life drawing class auntie Michelle calls, do we want some left over theatre tickets. Why yes, what do you think. I completely forgot which theatre and which performance, but who cares. We love free tickets. I will write a review on this mystery show, promise. And on the way back from my life drawing class a homeless guy kept harassing the streetcar driver. It was a very large streetcar driver, or how am I supposed to put that, obese. The homeless guy was treating him as if he was some fat boy in elementary school. How much do you weigh. You need to lose weight. What does your wife say. I am 64 and I am 140 pounds. I am older than you and thinner. I can walk longer distances than you. He went on and on and on. I totally expected the streetcar driver to lose his nerve, but he didn't. I often notice this eternal patience streetcar drivers have with homeless people, or freaky people in general. Letting them on for free and everything. Do they get special training for that? I have to ask my neighbour Terry that, he is a streetcar driver. He may even know the obese driver, he works on the same line.

I just noticed I forgot to draw her right foot, how strange.

ready for spring

And what did I do to fight off that thaw depression? I am so glad you ask , thank you. Why of course, I went clothes shopping with my daughter! To the one & only Value Village, we are so cheap. I scored two perfect velvet jackets, one was brand-new, brown, with all the labels and the little bag of extra buttons still attached. I am wearing it now. It has very beautiful lining. The other one is a lovely shade of insane blue. And a blouse, I also found a blouse. And Piffin bought a crazy pair of pajama pants (did I tell you her new girlfriend looks like a young Isabelle Huppert?) a crazy T-shirt, a lovely green sweater, a lengthwise striped T-shirt-sweatery thing, a floral tank top, and a black patent leather raincoat. And seven big cups & saucers, perfect for our morning lattes. One hundred and two dollars. I call that a good deal.

death

Very wrong, but kind of funny. She looks totally drunk. I like it when these model drawings turn out funny. I usually don't aim for that to happen, maybe I should. The floor turned out wonderful, Michiel rented a monster sander. Otger had a fine day in Holland, he went to a funeral. Those things happen when one goes to stay at one's grandfather. I remember when conversations between grown ups always seemed to contain wittewieterdoatis (y'know who died)? Glad to say I'm not there yet.

hips

Wasn't great tonight, but I kind of like these two little sketches. They were beautifully tight hips, as if she was wearing a corset. Pure jealousy of course, I myself have hips made to bear twelve children. My brother used to blame my never having been allowed tight jeans. He probably doesn't even remember ever having said that. I remember so many totally weird things people have said on occasion. I could compile a book full of strange quotations. My father used to say that fat women always wear florals. In the end that will be all that is left of us, a strange quote or two.

And a special treat for all English speaking Dutchophiles!

asian proportions

This was an Asian girl. Believe me or not, but every time we have a non Caucasian model, my whole otherwise quite reasonable sense of proportions is gone. I feel like I have to learn to draw all over again. That is also why I drew so light that I had to enhance the scan to where the paper turned orange. This girl's legs for example were so impossibly short compared to the rest of her body, and I just could not get that right, especially when lying down. And her face, don't get me started on her face. No, I won't show the longer poses, they are bad, bad, bad. Piffin went with me tonight, that was nice. The universities have "reading week", there aren't any classes. Piffin normally has an evening class on Wednesdays. And oh yes, before I forget, we sold THREE paintings on eBay! We urgently have to do more of them. But first I have to finish my menopausal illustrations.

vayjayjay

That was the longest christmas break ever, but at long last we started again, I did these last night. The upper one is my favourite, unfortunately I didn't get it done in time. The oil paint has to wait for now, I have some vaginal dryness to do today. The Menopausal Magazine has called upon me once again. So that is going to be my afternoon, with Orbit deeply unconscious in the chair beside me. Every now and again I pet him, and then he turns on his back and puts his paws up in the air. Heaven. I already got the groceries, with neighbour Michelle. We have a great thing going, Michelle and I. She has a car, but no driver's license. I have a license, but no car. So we grocery shop together. I secretly parked in the church parking lot to unload my stuff, the parking spots around my house are buried in snow. I already had the Beetle stuck once, I don't want to have to go trough that again.

insulation

I struggled with turning form into volume. There was a lot of volume tonight. The good thing was that she did not need the little electrical heaters. The skinny models always get cold, so that we have to heat the room up to the point where I have to leave early or burst. Or undress too, but I don't think that's an option.

tell it like it is

Otger is having a great day, I hope. Today is take-your-kid-to-work-day. And since Michiel is in New Orleans, and I am very boring to look at, our dear neighbour and friend Marilyn has taken him to the film studio. Where right now she is the production designer for a TV series (I forgot the name of the show, I am so sorry), and Otger did the drawings that are part of the set design. So he is between all the actors that probably everybody but him knows, because we don't watch TV. Well, at least today he will learn how it's made. Maybe he will take some pictures that I can link here later. Check back.

Okay, he's back. This is the show. He's trying to send me his pictures, but he is experiencing password difficulties.

And the New Orleans song for today is easier said than done. I always try to tell things like they are, still I am often gravely misunderstood. But I guess that happens to the best of us.

chicken without head

I did have ones with heads, and ones full of tacky detail, but all household members present agreed on this one. (see the growing series)

dangerous sweat

This was actually a really beautiful big black woman, but very hard to draw. She promised to come back, so I'll get a second chance. I'm still on the slow side. I can't work, my Wacom tablet pen gave up. My sweat got into the holes underneath the button, believe it or not. And it short circuited the pen. That's why we shouldn't work in Summer. Sweating is dangerous. The computer store promised me a new pen by tomorrow.

waiting for the storm

Still no storm, sweltering heat. I feel like I am wrapped in three woolen blankets. I did this drawing yesterday, drawing club at Autodesk, the last one before (before?) the Summer. An extremely dry study, this is. They called me from the radio yesterday, would I be there to speak in their program. No, I said, sorry, I am going to my life drawing class. Oh, she said, is that your hobby? I explained to her it is more like training. Ten thousand of these and I'll be really good.
Bye for now, see you after the storm, if the power survives.

rhodesian ridgeback

Life drawing with a handicap tonight. Tim (hi Tim) was babysitting a Rhodesian Ridgeback (hi Ash). At least he said it was a Rhodesian Ridgeback, only it was very obviously a mix of a Rhodesian Ridgeback and something enormous. And the poor puppy itself thought she was a lapdog, so sweet. She just sat down on top of every human being she could find. She chewed a corner off my sketch book. And put her head on my drawing in the middle of the long pose. Maybe I could have turned it into a water colour, but I only had pencils with me. Pencils and saliva don't really mix. Not even with Rhodesian Ridgebacks.

black drawing

A long time since my last life drawing session. Wednesday nights are not really that convenient. We had a black model tonight, that was hard work. Very different from drawing the Caucasian models I am used to. I don't think I ever drew a black model before, how odd. Proportions are different, the build of the head is very different, all the curves are in different places it seems. It was very useful, it forced me to really look, and assume nothing. I only show you an ultra short pose, the longer ones have too much struggle to be interesting. And he wasn't very good at sitting still, which didn't help. I wish we would have an Asian model next time.

compromise

I hadn't been to my drawing class since October, and I felt it. I get out of shape too quickly, I am going to make sure to attend more regularly next year. Today was the last class of this year. I drew sitting down instead of standing up at the easle, I am just too tired at night to stand for three hours. So I bought myself a sketchbook and I draw a bit smaller. I hope that will make it easier for me to go, even after a day's work. A woman has to compromise at everything.

toes

The scan is not great. I have to scan the drawing in pieces because it's too big. If I feel like it tomorrow, I'll try and make a better one. I am only a step away from the models while drawing them, I think that shows in the drawing. Maybe I'll have to work at exaggerating that effect. Some time ago I proposed to all draw from one side of the room, and thus create some distance between us and the models. But the other people actually like to be this up close, mmm. I do get better and better at drawing toes, I have to give them that.

dr. eliane

Maybe it's not the best drawing, but it sure was the funniest pose from my perspective. Another funny thing happened today. A man came up to me in the street and asked, are you a psychiatrist in East General hospital? Ladies and gentlemen, it's official. I look like a shrink.

look-people

I left before we did the long poses, I was too tired. Walking a dog sure eats energy. I also did a parental advice, about reading again, the topics are starting to recur. The column tells us not to over-emphasize reading, not to spoil the pleasure of reading by pushing it. The column cites the famous Annie MG Schmidt quote je hebt nu eenmaal leeskinderen en leefkinderen (there are read-children and live-children). Which sounds great, but is extremely simplifying. My daughter and myself, we are neither. We are not really leeskinderen, read-children. We certainly are not leefkinderen either, we don't even play soccer. I think maybe we are kijkkinderen, look-children. Otger is a read-animal, he devours books, but he is beside my point right now. My point is that in my experience kids (or grownups) who don't constantly read, are thought to prefer easy books. Page turners, romance novels, or what have you, chicklit. Yikes! The fact that we don't read for pass-time doesn't mean we are stupid! And I hate the kempy way in which it is sort of allowed nowadays and all of the sudden to confess one's tendency to garbage. Kijkkinderen may not read much, but may just as well expect the books they do read to be worth their while. Piffin had Wittgenstein's Tractatus on her night stand when she was not even twelve. So! Don't insult the kijkkinderen among us.

spinach

It was a very beautiful girl, I didn't really do her justice. I have one with a better head, but this one's body is better. Don't forget the category. And you can pay Willem a visit, he writes about me. He told me there is so much wild sex in the book that it tires out the reader.

double

Concentrating was easier I found, with two models. And they were champion non movers, as if they held each other motionless. And yes of course, I know I should do better, buy I did enjoy drawing the long pose, although I still left fifteen minutes early. Which was a good thing, because husband and daughter were waiting for me. Two of them are off to the movies now. I don't remember which film. Oh, and I made a category for life drawing, so you can keep track of improvements.

shave

I draw longer poses too, but they don't turn out as funny. I don't know if I can say this, but this girl had a pornostreepje. How does that translate into English? Porn line? Porn stripe? It may look al right in photographs, but in real life, I don't think so. I had never seen one live before. So it was a learning experience tonight. Brr, I don't even shave my legs or armpits. But then again, I am not the hairy type. Oh, and before I forget, I also did one of these today.

2 minutes

Went to my life drawing class. I enjoyed the really short poses tonight, and I feel like trying some coloured oil pastels next week. Maybe I'll do that, if I still feel the same next week. It was fun, just six people drawing, nice and quiet.