Things I'm Doing...

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Okay, I said I'd post again if I got started, and I did, so I am.
I decided to try to paint my own version of one of Salvador Dali's watercolors. It's called Study For the Divine Comedy. It was a design for a series he did for the Italian government based on Dante's Divine Comedy. I've loved this piece for a long time, and I thought I'd try to do something with it.
Here's the painting:

~o~

I don't have a lot done, mostly just the basic sketch. Okay, only just the basic sketch. I haven't decided exactly where I want to go with this yet. Tomorrow I'll be off to the craft store to buy more paints and maybe some new brushes.
They have a really nice little table easel, but I'm watching my budget, so I think I'll do without this time.
I'll be posting more pictures as it gets more pretty. I promised I woul
dn't give up on this one, so pretty or not, it's going to get finished.
Here's my sketch:

Okay, so this blog is supposed to be 'things i'm doing...' but so far it's been mostly 'things i'm reading...' So I thought I should post about something different for a change.
Today I'm attempting to paint. I haven't painted anything in a long time, and I don't even know what I want to do this time.
The painting is literally a challenge for me. I was actually challenged to do this painting.
Here are the rules:
It has to be started today (July 7th)
It can be anything I want, using any materials I want
I have to finish it
The last one is important, I seem to start a lot of art projects that never get finished.
Right now I'm browsing through all my pictures on my computer, looking for inspiration, so far nothing, but I'm sure I'll come up with something. I'll try to post again later if I get some nice work done on the painting.

Well, I'm on vacation! Nothing to do, no responsibilities, it's kinda nice! I just sit home all day and watch King of the Hill.
In the mean time, I'm still reading. I'm still working my way through The Eyre Affair, it's getting really good. I'm mostly reading that one and night and in the bath tub though.
For my during the day reading, I picked up a few new books at the library (I went to return Sula remember?)
The first one is Descartes' Bones by Russell Shorto. I heard about this one a week ago, and was really excited to see that the library had it. More on this one in another post though, okay?
The second book I got is called The Encyclopedia of Unsolved Mysteries and it's by Colin Wilson and Damon Wilson... brothers?
Anyway, it's exactly the kind of trash I loved to read about between the ages of 7 and 12. I would always watch Unsolved Mysteries on TV and I could usually be found in the 'paranormal' section of my elementary school's library. I'm excited to read (by read I mean skim) through this one! I'll post about it if I finish it, or just come across anything interesting!
Until next time!

Now that I've finished reading Toni Morrison's masterpiece Sula, I'm getting back to my borrowed (I'll return it I swear!) copy of Jasper Fforde's first Thursday Next novel:
The Eyre Affair.
So far it seems interesting. As far as I can tell it's about a girl named Thursday Next who works for a secret-type organization called SpecOp-27.
It seems to be set in a society where literature is taken very very seriously. I like that!
Anywho, I'll keep ya'll posted and let you know if I come across anything real fun in the book!
Remind me, I need to return Sula to the library on Monday (the 6th) and I might pick up a copy of:
Descartes' Bones: A Skeletal History of the Conflict between Faith and Reason
by Russell Shorto.

Just finished reading Sula I loved it almost as much as Beloved, but truth be told A Mercy is my favorite so far. I think I'm partial to any book I've written an A paper on! (lol?)
But seriously, the book was fantastic. Never slow, always interesting, and on the short side too, for people who can't get into long books.
And I'm not the only one who loved it:
"In characters like Sula, Toni Morrison's originality and power emerge." - The Nation
"They are enormously, achingly alive..." - The New York Times
And even Playboy loved it: "As mournful as a spiritual, and as angry as a clenched fist..."

I guess I'm getting kinda into Toni Morrison lately, I'm on my second novel of hers in 2.5 weeks!

~o~

I've put aside Jasper Fforde's Thursday Next in favor of a copy of Sula that I picked up at the library.

~o~

I'll let you know how it is (I'm almost finished) and I'll keep posting!