still here

wow, has it been almost a week since I last posted? This week has kinda slinked away from me. I've had a few things I've been wanting to post but never can find the time. So this is more of a post to say, I'm still here. I'll throw these thoughts out there now...
I recently saw a really good show on PBS on a National Geographic photographer. The photographers name is Joel Sartore and the show was called "At Close Range with National Geographic". What I really liked about the show was that it not only got into the artistic end of his photography, but it also was a look into his personal life. It made the person seem real, and not just some famous photographer. I really liked the segments where he was shooting at the local rodeo in Nebraska (I'm pretty sure it was in Nebraska). One of the things that this taught me... get outside and go someplace where there are people to take photos of. I have a mental block with doing that. 1) I'm more of an amature photographer, and I have a fear that I'll be confronted with 'why are you taking photos of (me, this area, my child, this train station, etc...)' - In today's climate of terrorism fear, child predator fears, and fears of LED devices that lead to an entire city of Boston being shut down, I don't want to stir up any problems. But I think I'll just have to put that aside, maybe print up a business card for myself, and just tell people "I'm a photographer" and leave it at that. Wow, how did I get lost on that tangent... anyway, I was really impressed with this program, and I hope PBS continues to put out these shows about artists.

I've had some additional interesting emails with my friend about Global Warming. I've had some fun digging around the internet to uncover some mistaken "propaganda" that he's been sending me. I hope to do an entire post on this later so this is more of a reminder to myself.

I just started my new Watercolor class last night. It's a watercolor 2 class that deals with painting the human figure. I've had drawing classes before where I've drawn from a model, but its been a while. I felt like I was picking up the brush for the first time ever last night. But, I had fun, I learned a little (if nothing more than what not to do) and how there really is a big difference in having quality paper. I think I'm going to like my new teacher too, she seems down to earth, and strong - two qualities I admire. I think she said she's going to bring her work in next week so I'm anxious to see what here style is. About half way through the second pose I was really missing a bowl of lemons from my first watercolor classes :) I will also have to deal with doing some "life paintings" too - aka - naked as a jaybird people sitting in front of me. I'm sure I'll be fine, it's just something I've never done before. One thing that I also liked about last night's class, was the people in the class. It seems like there are some real characters. One woman had a very thick Russian accent who came into the class about 45 minutes early (I was almost an hour early!) and immediately started re-arranging all the spot lights and trying to "art direct" my lighting. At first I thought she was the teacher! Then I realized she was just a crazy artist. So I pretty much ignored her and let her move whatever lights she wanted to. There was the "typical" artist too, an older gentleman with pure white hair tied back in a small ponytail. (I saw one of his paintings from a distance and it looked like a good one.) One guy had his cell phone go off (which people are supposed to TURN OFF before class), so he fumbled for it and turned off the ringer. a few seconds later the vibration part went off, so he scrambled for that and shut that off. Then a few minutes later, his beeper went off! I joked (in my head) what is this guy a doctor or something? Then later I found out, yes, he is a doctor. I think he's a plastic surgeon. The model was funny too... he was so "prim and proper" that it was almost comical. It's an art room that's hundreds of years old... needless to say, almost everything has paint spots and spills on it. At one point the teacher put a chair up on the pedastal for him to sit on, and he had to check multiple times that the paint was dry, and that it wouldn't smear on his clothing. He had his little thermos of coffee, little slippers. Then at one point he was talking with the teacher and said that he was also a "standard patient"... he's one of those "actors" who goes to a hospital and then they assign him certain symptoms to act like he has a disease. Then the student doctors have to diagnose him. I laughed (in my head) because I thought of the Seinfeld episode where Kramer and Micky were fighting over who had the "best disease" and they both wanted to be an alcoholic.

Well, this post turned out MUCH longer than I imagined.