All night Sunday, and I really mean all night, I worked on a painting in my head. The composition, the layout, the creatures. I slept, but woke up exhausted. After feeding the animals, I noted some were off colour again, but nonetheless, I headed for the studio, mulling over my problems while I sketched. The main character just flowed, others not so much and I rubbed out one fox/wolf/coyote three times, it just looked like no animal I was happy with. I began to get annoyed, then Dexter started playing the inside/outside game that cats are so good at! He sat on the sketchpad and then walked across the laptop, setting the images flickering again. I threw him out, gently, but out all the same.
This is the kind of anarchy I have to deal with!!!
I managed to put together a seclusion paddock so that the poorly ponies can have special treatment without the healthy ones pushing in and taking over. It's near on impossible rugging a nervous horse with several other silly idiots all vying for my attention. A game of shove between big horses and ponies is not something to be stuck in the middle of! Jerry thanked me with a big wave of muddy slurry up the back of my legs but Toffee at least was grateful and Jerry had stopped shivering, so it was all worth it.
I finally had my cup of Earl Grey with lunch and managed half a dozen acceptable animal sketches using my big old trusty laptop, I do love it. Then, I just had time to feed the horses their supper, grab my dear man and take to the woods with the dogs. It was getting dark by the time we got back but the chickens weren't quite ready for bed so I made a steaming mug of mulled wine and sipped it by the fire while I thawed out!
So here is what I'm working on, Dirty Paws by Of Monsters and Men.
I won't reproduce all the lyrics as I don't have permission, but you can look them up on Google. This song has so much meaning for me as it always reminded me of my son's beautiful cat Tokhi. She was born in my wardrobe, on my favourite jumper, she was tiny but fierce and we called her warrior cat. She was often dirty from fighting, so when Dirty Paws was released, I used to sing it to her. One day 5 years ago she didn't come home. I'm only ready now to tackle this project.
'Her dirty paws and furry coat
She ran down the forest slope
The forest of talking trees
They used to sing about the birds and the bees
The bees had declared a war
The sky wasn't big enough for them all
The birds, they got help from below
From dirty paws and the creatures of snow'
She ran down the forest slope
The forest of talking trees
They used to sing about the birds and the bees
The bees had declared a war
The sky wasn't big enough for them all
The birds, they got help from below
From dirty paws and the creatures of snow'
Someone wanted attention or was asking you to draw him. Poor Dex. Just another attention cat.
ReplyDeleteWhat a day! Mulled wine by the fire sounds PERFECT. I'm going to make that on Friday! That photo of your cat with his tongue sticking out is priceless! I hope you have more emotional flow for your painting soon! I can't do a think creatively if I feel stress!
ReplyDeleteIf I could accomplish in daytime hours half the projects that keep my mind racing at night I would feel that I amounted to something!
ReplyDeleteThere is nothing like the 'help' of a devoted cat--I suspect when we push them away they feel we are merely reluctant to admit that we need assistance.
Oh, I have those nights quite often and it drives me crazy. Usually for me it is sewing something or cleaning out a building. It's like working all night! Dexter is so cute! I have to push Dumperoo (Gently too, of course) off the sewing machine table several times at night when I am trying to sew. That's so sad about Tokhi.
ReplyDeleteGosh, cats are such attention-seekers! The moment I sit down on the sofa, Ghengis is there, intent on preventing me sewing, reading, doing a puzzle . . .
ReplyDelete(((HUGS))) in memory of Tokhi.
It seems the cat is in charge at your house too. Thank god - I was afraid it was just me.
ReplyDelete