Sunday, February 08, 2009
ArtPact #78: Through the Fire
(Also published on "Unchain My Art")
OK, OK, so I've been absent from the blogosphere for a while. A couple of weeks, perhpas; no - actually a whole month!
Whoa - has it really been that long?
To those of you who wonder (to the extent of emailing me or leaving concerned comments, pondering whether I have escaped to Aruba or broke my painting arm): . . .
(to continue reading, click here)
previous ArtPact... ...next ArtPact
OK, OK, so I've been absent from the blogosphere for a while. A couple of weeks, perhpas; no - actually a whole month! Whoa - has it really been that long?
To those of you who wonder (to the extent of emailing me or leaving concerned comments, pondering whether I have escaped to Aruba or broke my painting arm): . . .
(to continue reading, click here)
previous ArtPact... ...next ArtPact
Labels: It's All About Me, Ouch, Time Out
Friday, December 12, 2008
'Tis the Season #2
Sent by Myrna (thank you!!!) and had to be shared with the world.
So - what are you getting for the holidays?
Labels: Creativity of Others, Damn Technology, Family, Faux Pas, Holidays, Meta Bloggin', Ouch, People
Thursday, December 04, 2008
There's a Fine Line between Critique and Criticism...
(Also published on "Unchain My Art")
...and today it was crossed.
Today was the last session of our figure class.
No models, no drawing, no mess - it was critique time!
Now, I've been through a lot of critique sessions since I dipped my little cotton socks (yeah, that's for you, Val!) in the deep water of art. Most classes and workshops involve critique, and I am very used to having my work reviewed by a critique group for the past 3 years (wow, has it really been 3 years already???).
(to continue reading, click here)
...and today it was crossed.
Today was the last session of our figure class.No models, no drawing, no mess - it was critique time!
Now, I've been through a lot of critique sessions since I dipped my little cotton socks (yeah, that's for you, Val!) in the deep water of art. Most classes and workshops involve critique, and I am very used to having my work reviewed by a critique group for the past 3 years (wow, has it really been 3 years already???).
(to continue reading, click here)
Labels: Art, Ouch, People, WTF?
Monday, October 13, 2008
I'd Vote for "That One"...
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Can You Say Plantar Fasciitis?
OUCH!For the last couple of months, I've been limping through life. It started while my sister was here (and she told me "I do hope this is not a spur!"), and went on through our vacation in British Columbia. In fact, it probably got worse during that trip, as we walked a lot, and I mean A LOT!
Like a good tough Israeli, I ignored it, waiting for it to get better with time. Some days it was better, some days I would throttle a scream when I just put my foot on the floor as I got out of bed (which is when it hurt the most).
Until 10 days ago, when The JohnnyB and I took a walk to the Saturday farmers market. The walk was fine, I was fine, the farmers were fine - but when we got back home, all I could do was sit on a chair and moan. Evening came, and I started to seriously contemplate going to the ER, as it hurt so much.
I didn't go for that extreme measure, but instead went for plan B: googling it. I googled "heel pain", and got acquainted with Dame Plantar Fascitiis. Emails to some friends made the diagnosis even more reliable, as they all started to recall when they/relative/acquaintance had it. A series of recommended podiatrists has followed, and I chose one that was highly recommended on Yelp (and also covered by our insurance). Who'd have thunk Yelp is not just for restaurants?
I went to his clinic today.
An inviting sign on the door said:
PODIATRIST
LIMP IN
LIMP IN
That made me instantly like the guy, before even meeting him. Add to that the fact that his exam chair is purple, and that he actually cares about the parts above the foot (namely the patient, who is aching and sometimes scared), I knew I came to the right place, feeling that my foot and I were in good hands.
A series of examinations, X-ray included, proved the popular diagnosis: yup, Plantar Fasciitis, the one and only. "66% of those who come to me have this trouble", he claimed cheerfully while wrapping an elastic band around my feet.
"Oh, and I thought I was special", I lamented.
"But you ARE special", he assured me, "you just have a common problem".
Smooth, too.
We then had a bit of a fall-out in our relationship, as I was accused of having a high arched foot, a rigid ankle and an inflexible calf muscle.
How offending!
me?
rigid and inflexible???
ME????
But he soon proceeded to explain that the combination causes a lot of stress on the heel, and - in the lack of an appropriate shock absorption - results in an inflammation. Needless to say, the Tiger Balm that The JohnnyB (with all the good intentions in the world) has lovingly applied to my sore heel last Saturday did not quite help, as it heated the place. And, well, when inflammation is in place, um, it kinda needs icing, y'know...
After 30 minutes of thorough explanations, treatment forecast and a lot of optimistic reassurance, I got off the purple chair, limped out with a bag full of goodies: an anti-inflammatory prescribed drug. elastic bands on my feet, which are to be worn with closed supportive shoes (it's August, for god's sake!!!), a night splint to torture my foot at night, exercises with a frozen bottle to torture it even further, a verdict to give up walking barefoot even at home, and a follow-up appointment in 10 days.Luckily, this doctor believes in trying traditional therapy first, rather than jumping straight into steroid injection or taking the scalpel into his surgeon hand.
So, 10 days with no bare feet, no sandals outside, sleeping with a Herr Splint and playin' with frozen bottles.
I'm not sure I can handle that amount of fun. But hey, with all that foot binding, I may qualify to wear those lotus slippers.
Labels: Damn Technology, It's All About Me, Ouch
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Steamin'
The JohnnyB brought a bonus from work: a virus that took over his sinuses, throat and stomach. He spent the weekend and Monday miserably sitting in his chair, consuming soup and sniffing with teary red eyes (yup, it's also allergy season). Then, in his eternal generosity, he passed it on to his lovely wife.
For the last 3 days, I am home-bound with this stupid bloody thing.
For the last 3 days the weather here has been in the upper 90s (for you, fellow Celsius-speakers, that's above 35).
Combine the two, burning on the inside, steaming on the outside, and - you'll understand that my mood is leaning towards pure joy and utter bliss...
$(^!(#@^$#!
Labels: It's All About Me, Ouch, Venting, WTF?
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Sentence of The YEAR
Subtitle: Open Mouth Wide, Insert Both Feet
T'was the day before Christmas Eve.
TreatieL and WeldyL came over, bringing a fun guest with them: KnocksYourSocksOff, to whom - in the name of syllable rationing - we shall refer to as Knox.
We had a great meal at one of our favorite restaurants, Ginger Cafe, where TreatieL made sure the waiters there won't forget her (it's a habit of hers...), and came back to our house for a post-dinner hang out, or as The JohnnyB put it in his hospitable way: "Why are you following us into the house?".
There we sat and sipped a The JohnnyB home-brew, talked and laughed and chatted and laughed and laughed and laughed. A lot of tongue fencing was going on, with The JohnnyB excelling himself again and again, exchanging deadly jests with TreatieL and Knox. WeldyL and I chose to take the fifth, as we could see we stand no chance against them.
At some point, TreatieL spotted a pair of charcoal drawings I did 3 years ago as an exercise in a basic drawing class. To me, they are successful technical exercises, but she gasped with awe, "You did THOSE?". WeldyL (an incredible welding artist) and I started to complain about how no matter what breakthroughs you make or what major progress you do as an artist, some people will always tell you "Ah, I like the way you used to paint before much more".
As we were discussing this existential issue, Knox stood up and walked towards the kitchen. With starry eyes and all the sincerity in the world, he said:
"Hey, you know which painting is my favorite? I really like THIS one!".
Took The JohnnyB and I a while to recover from the fit of hysterical laughter. The JohnnyB's was hearty and joyous, while Mine was mixed with deep offense...
...'coz Knox, who stood there with an innocent expression on his face (maybe for the first time that evening), was pointing at a one of the framed watercolor paintings on the wall. A wonderful dark painting of an island, mostly in muted grays except for some golden yellow shapes that stood out. A great painting. Definitely a work of art. Only... it's a painting by an East German artist from the island of Rügen, that The JohnnyB's bought when he went with his mother to visit her birth-place in Germany.
So - of all the paintings in our house, Knox liked THAT one the most.
As in, a painting I did not paint.
Needless to say, the level of joy went high (way TOO high, if you ask me!), with Knox, whose face turned an intriguing hue of a deep rich red (Perylene Maroon comes to mind), trying to make up for his faux pas, saying "Ah.... this is even worse than 'I like the way you used to paint!' This is like, 'I like the way you used to paint when you did not even paint'".
Yup.
Later, I mentioned my pottery period, when I was failing to do one decent pot, and my pottery teacher commented with sarcasm, "You know, Nava, it's so interesting that so many experienced potters take years of pottery and struggle to reach the freedom that you seem to have right away..." (meaning - I suck!).
Knox sat up full of piety and fury, and said "I so disagree with the fact that someone else had the nerve to tell you to stop doing art!!!".
"Yup", said The JohnnyB, "you'd rather tell her yourself!".
And so, for next year, I wish that one of MY paintings will be someone's favorite.
Or, I can simply take down all the non-Nava stuff...
previous Sentence of The Month... ...next Sentence of The Month
T'was the day before Christmas Eve. TreatieL and WeldyL came over, bringing a fun guest with them: KnocksYourSocksOff, to whom - in the name of syllable rationing - we shall refer to as Knox.
We had a great meal at one of our favorite restaurants, Ginger Cafe, where TreatieL made sure the waiters there won't forget her (it's a habit of hers...), and came back to our house for a post-dinner hang out, or as The JohnnyB put it in his hospitable way: "Why are you following us into the house?".
There we sat and sipped a The JohnnyB home-brew, talked and laughed and chatted and laughed and laughed and laughed. A lot of tongue fencing was going on, with The JohnnyB excelling himself again and again, exchanging deadly jests with TreatieL and Knox. WeldyL and I chose to take the fifth, as we could see we stand no chance against them.
At some point, TreatieL spotted a pair of charcoal drawings I did 3 years ago as an exercise in a basic drawing class. To me, they are successful technical exercises, but she gasped with awe, "You did THOSE?". WeldyL (an incredible welding artist) and I started to complain about how no matter what breakthroughs you make or what major progress you do as an artist, some people will always tell you "Ah, I like the way you used to paint before much more".
As we were discussing this existential issue, Knox stood up and walked towards the kitchen. With starry eyes and all the sincerity in the world, he said:
"Hey, you know which painting is my favorite? I really like THIS one!".
Took The JohnnyB and I a while to recover from the fit of hysterical laughter. The JohnnyB's was hearty and joyous, while Mine was mixed with deep offense...
...'coz Knox, who stood there with an innocent expression on his face (maybe for the first time that evening), was pointing at a one of the framed watercolor paintings on the wall. A wonderful dark painting of an island, mostly in muted grays except for some golden yellow shapes that stood out. A great painting. Definitely a work of art. Only... it's a painting by an East German artist from the island of Rügen, that The JohnnyB's bought when he went with his mother to visit her birth-place in Germany.
So - of all the paintings in our house, Knox liked THAT one the most.
As in, a painting I did not paint.
Needless to say, the level of joy went high (way TOO high, if you ask me!), with Knox, whose face turned an intriguing hue of a deep rich red (Perylene Maroon comes to mind), trying to make up for his faux pas, saying "Ah.... this is even worse than 'I like the way you used to paint!' This is like, 'I like the way you used to paint when you did not even paint'".Yup.
Later, I mentioned my pottery period, when I was failing to do one decent pot, and my pottery teacher commented with sarcasm, "You know, Nava, it's so interesting that so many experienced potters take years of pottery and struggle to reach the freedom that you seem to have right away..." (meaning - I suck!).
Knox sat up full of piety and fury, and said "I so disagree with the fact that someone else had the nerve to tell you to stop doing art!!!".
"Yup", said The JohnnyB, "you'd rather tell her yourself!".
And so, for next year, I wish that one of MY paintings will be someone's favorite.
Or, I can simply take down all the non-Nava stuff...
previous Sentence of The Month... ...next Sentence of The Month
Labels: Art, Faux Pas, It's All About Me, Major Achievements, Ouch, People, Sentence of The Month
