Why Draw?

I am not quite sure what hit me the other day, but I wandered off to the local library to look at kids’ books.

Where I live, we are fortunate to have a well-run, financially sound (so it seems) library system.  There are about 130 K people here, and only two libraries to serve the population, but both libraries are well-designed, light, airy, and busy.  Busy meaning there are kids and teenagers and adults, as well as scheduled activities, such as lectures and movies.

The children’s section of the library is separate from the adult.  There are sections for young adult, for research, for youngish readers (8-12?), and for non-readers and beginners.  The shelves are the right height for kids, and topped with books and displays to catch the eye.

Okay, so what does this have to do with drawing?  A lot!  Good illustrations add so much to a story, for both children and adults.  Textbooks without illustrations are unattractive.  Color adds more.  And children’s books need pictures – just like Alice said, “What is the use of a book if there are no pictures?”

Yeah, there is a lot of use for pictureless books – but they are even more useful with illustrations.

So, here I am, wandering through the children’s section, looking at this book and that.  Most books had written words with pictures to illustrate them.  And then I came across Clown by Quentin Blake.  Blake is the illustrator for many of Roald Dahl’s books (you know, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory).  Clown is a story without words, only pictures.  I had a few good laughs as I “read” the book, and totally enjoyed the illustrations.

Blake is the master of light mood, caught with pen and watercolor.  A loose style that, nonetheless, is filled with details.  When the clown wriggles out of the garbage can, you have to look to see it happening – but you do!  When I looked again and again, so many things showed up.

Then I looked at more of his books.  Cockatoos had me laughing out loud.  Illustrations and story worked so well together – I loved to see all the cockatoos hiding, and I loved the last line in the story.

I blither about art, and drawing, and writing, a lot.  The mental arguments are strange and annoying.  I put up barriers and fill time with meaningless twaddle when I could be out doing something.  I have fought with myself over and over again about my “style” in the painted, colored, drawn world.  It was never technically accurate or realistic enough.  I am confident about my writing style – academically, I can crank out papers at an appalling rate – but with drawing, I drag my feet, tormenting myself with my perceived failures and inabilities.

The light bulb went on with Clown.  I love that loose, fun style.  Is it “art”?  Probably not – but why should that matter?  If it brings pleasure and communicates, I guess that is definition enough.

Yesterday, I took out my own pen and ink and began to doodle.  I didn’t care what I drew.  My imagine was allowed to play without rules.

Thrills.  Intoxication.

How I love paper and pencil and ink!

It’s in the News, and Now It’s Time to Walk

Okay, a bit of a rant, but a timely one as well.

In the news, women are losing rights in all directions, especially in health care choices.  Now, women in power who are being told to shut up, or sneered at by men, or talked over by men, or being “mansplained” to, are making the news.  We have Kamala Harris and Elizabeth Warren being interrupted or censured by members of the Congress for talking too much.  Harris was labeled “hysterical” while a male counterpart was not, even though both were asking serious questions by someone on the news.  Veronicka Hubeny was mansplaned by Jim Holt until he was finally interrupted by a woman, Marilee Talkington, spoke up out of the audience, “Let her speak!”

Women are to be seen and not heard, as we are not very important.

I guess.

Two months ago, one of our dogs was having issues with an ear and a hotspot.  We went to our normal vet.  While we have gotten good treatment there, I have honestly never liked any of the male vets there.  The one woman vet left shortly after she got there, ostensibly for a move, but I wonder now if she left because of the testosterone.  She was great.  Why?  She explained, she talked, and she took time.  However, when with all the male vets, I am loomed over and interrupted.  This last one made it obvious he really couldn’t give a rat’s ass about any of my concerns.  Finally, he failed to address the initial reason I brought our dog in after the ear was cleared up.  He was some tall, thin guy, standing over me, and, talking through me, interrupting my questions and explaining.

Gosh, I am so stupid!  I am lucky I can put one foot in front of the other without toppling over!

I sat there, pretty pissed, but keeping my nasty mouth shut.  My thoughts, as I listened to the expert, were he just was going to ignore the problem until it got so bad we came back, and he could make more money.

And things did get worse.  And worse.  And then better for a bit.  And finally bad enough we made the choice of finding a new vet.  Just by chance, we chose a practice closer to our home, and where all the vets are women.

We went, we were listened to, we had things explained to us about current treatment, and what may be necessary in the future if our dog has serious allergy problems.

Our questions were answered.

We were treated with respect.

We were assumed to be intelligent.

Our dog was not just a cash machine to pay for the Maserati.

What men, and many doctors and other professionals fail to realize is that anyone I go to is MY EMPLOYEE.  I am hiring them for their expertise.  Got it?  You can be fired.  My money will go elsewhere, and while I doubt you will miss me, trust me, I won’t miss you and your attitude.

 

Columbine

I bought an Olympus OM-1n with the standard kit lens, a 50mm f1.8 OM mount, a few weeks ago.  As with every camera, it has to be tested – especially if listed in “excellent” condition.  As always, KEH comes through with quality used photography equipment!

The 50mm lens is really nice – it does a good job with bokeh and sharpness of detail   Here it is demonstrated on a red columbine at the local botanical garden, using UltraMax 400 and scanned with my Pakon.

I can see why a lot of people like this camera.  It was a total pleasure to use – easy, lightweight, compact, and a perfect fit for my hands.