Time zones

My biological clock is residing in different time zone. My body craves apples and pumpkin pies in spring, adores frozen berries (even red currants) and a ragu on hot summer days. My Christmas feeling is not related to the calendar and the sudden feeling of approaching adventures not connected with invitations or company. I sometimes wonder if we will ever meet. 

Morning Coffee

Sometimes you mind trails off into a place you cannot reach, like it has its own hidden place. The sentence swirl in flocks but you cannot distinguish one from another and cannot tie down one. You cannot focus your eyes on something they just stare in everything at once and nothing at all. You listen but the words ans sounds do not reach your mind. Your move ments are slow, distracted and yet miraciously you get things done. 

And then you have your first morning coffee. 

On the River

When the reached halfway, the sun had almost set. The sun coloured the sky and the river in sunset colours. If it was not for the trees on the river bank, they would feel like canoeing through the sky. The soft splashes of padles and some distant songs of nightingales, the night was quiet. 

Meeting

The table was laid beautifully and the delicious smell tickled the nose. Sanny filled all three cups of coffee. Mrs Biggs sat still and not a muscle on her face moved. She slowly nodded in appreciation. Sanny looked ar Mr Biggs but he was a male copy of his mother. For a moment all three sat in silence skipping coffee and nibling on cakes. Then Mrs Biggs started her subtle interogation of her future daughter-in-law. 

Bunny

Bunny was very responsible therefore everyone was surprised when he disappered from his usual work place. Nobody really considered his job of holding the door very important, except for Bunny himself. However, every body noticed imediately that he was missing. Somehow the door had become uncomfortable. They had to open it and then be careful when it closed behind them with a loud bang. Bunny was latter found in the shed, one of the guest's dogs had carried him there. Bunny was torn a bit but the owners patched him and put in the usual place. Before Bunny slipped back to the zone of invisibility, he enjoyed the two weeks of greetings, warm smiles and sympathy. No one knew that Bunny now was eagerly greetings all the dogs in this hotel. 

Cookies

The pleasant and familiar smell filled the kitchen, hall, bedroom and even bathroom. She had been baking cookies for five hours. It was already almost midnight, but there was still quite a lot of dough. Besides she still had to glaze all the cookies. It was an accident really. She had agreed to make cookies for coworkers but she had not calculated how much time and effort it would take to make them for 40 people. "Midnight cokies," she said out loud and giggled out of tiredness. 

 

Nose

He seemed to be completely absorbed in the unfamiliar smells of the woods. His nose to the ground following the invisible to the human eye trail. On and on he went, stopping only for a breef moment of more thorough sniffing or occasional sneezing. I could only helplessly follow holding to the other end of the leash. 

Sulei

Sulei sat still, her gaze fixed on the big foggy crystal ball in front of her. The girl opposite her shifted, opend her moth and then closed it again. Sulei seemed submerged, dazed even. 

The girl shifted again:"What do you see?" 

"shshsh" Sulei said. 

An eternity later, Sulei lifted her gaze from the ball and looked straight in the green eyes of her guest and said:" It is very good that you came to me! You really need help and I can help you!" 

"Oh! What's wrong?"

"Dear, you life path had been bent by some evil people. Very evil!" 

"What does it mean?" 

"Everything! No love, no propmotions, bad health, bad luck. Very bad!" 

The girl licked her lips and touched her neck:"But, you said you can help me?" 

"Yes." 

"How?" 

"I can give you a very powerful amulet that will protect you and I can also mend your bad luck, but it will take time" 

"Oh, please, do, what ever you can!" 

Half an hour later the girl left. Sulei was smiling. She counted bills, put them in order and the added them to the bills that were hidden in the wooden box in the cupboard. 

Prints in the Snow

It was an ordinary afetrnoon  in the woods. Lucy walked slowly breathing in the fresh air and trying to hear any bird sounds. Her eyes carefully examined surroundings. There was always something unseen, something exciting and something she had not noticed in the past few years. Despite the heavy snow, she walked quietly in hope to stumble upon a deer as she once did. She could still vividly remember those big black eyes and adorable ears, but most of all the feeling of utter shock realising how big they actually are. So far no luck. She examined the snow in search for hoof-prints, but there were only old ones, partially covered by snow. The she spotted it - a huge pawprint. Lucy placed her hand in it and was atonished realizing that it didn't cover it. Her hand disappeared in the pawprint. "Jeez! How big is this beast!' She said.

Suddenly she felt vulnerable, as if someone was watching her, lurking in shadows. She turned aroud and headed home. Slowly first but with every next step faster and faster until she was running.

Attempt

The world outside was peaceful and blanketed in white fluf. 

She had everything prepared and soon she sat quietly on the windowsill, wrapped in a cozy plaid and stared outside, her hands cupped around warm cup of linden tea. The book of her favourite author laid open on the tiny table, she had stopped at page five. She looked at it for a moment and then returned her gaze towards the window. The snowlakes had started their mesmerizing dance again. She shifted a bit, then moved a bit more. Finally she gave up, took her half-drank tea to the couch and switched on TV. Half an hour later she had gone through all the chanels twice and stopped on an old movie she had seen at least a dozen times. Various different snacks were displayed on the coffee table nearby and her hand rhytmically snatched them one by one and put them in her mouth. She retrieved her gaze from TV from time to time only to look at the plates and bowls. Suddenly, her phone pinged and she switched her attention to that. Soon she had submerged herself in the world of Facebook, scrolling absendmindly. The TV desperatelly tried to get back her atention but it was a lost battle.

Ouside a lonely deer had entered her backyard and looked at her through the window.

Steps

He was going round and round the tree placing careful soundless steps on polypores that spiralled from the very bottom of the tree till the top. It had been raining heavily last night therefore his fingers clutched the bark of the tree until it was hard to straighten them. When he reached his Hollow he exhaled heavily, shook and stretched his body and wigled his stif fingers. It was tea time. 

Fog

The air was so moist that it slowly soaked her hair and soon enough unrully curls spring to life as if hair Iron had never touched them. All Jane could hear was crunching of the frozen snow under her own feet. She could not see much also because all the world around her was drenched in milky fog so much that it erased the horizont. Suddenly, a shadow moved somewhere in the distance. 

"Oh, dear!" Jane exclaimed and she was right. 

Experiment 6

This time it was black canvas and painting mostly with white. I notice that my hand had become steadier and I am more confident on canvas. There was not much colours wasted. I noticed that I want to try some different shapes and objects. 

thi

Experiment 5

This time we painted on green canvas and we tried to paint a stresam. I can say that I'm slowly mastering the trees and bushes, whereas the stresam took me by surprise. It was way harder than it looked. Just like with the clouds. All in all the result is quite good.

I have notice that I have become way more critical. I'm not so enthusiastic about the outcome anymore. However, I have to admit that it is decent looking. 

Experiment 4

So this was season 1 episode4. I was a bit usure how it Will turn out because it was all white, Grey and black colours with just a tiny touch of Red and blue AND there were clouds, Mountain and fir trees to be drawn. But it turned out ok. I am kind of Proud with my sky and my pine tree. I didn't squeeze in a cabin because the trees and Mountain took way too much space. I added a pass and a pine tree on my own.

As to the painting itself, I felt more confindent in mixing colours and choosing instruments, I wasted less colours and I was not in too much need for the video instructions. However, I have also become a bit more critical to the result. I believe the magic of the first time success has worn off a bit.

I had a small side painting on paper (with real artists and a group of others). It was a bit differet experience

but I used the techniques I had learned so far and was pleasantly surprised by the result. 

What are the odds?

Sylia was asked to choose between a safe bet and a riskier one. The safe choice implied total rejection of all her childhood dreams and hopes, and gracefully offered complete prosperity and safety in return. However, as it in those kind of cases the temptation was heavier with the riskier one. The risks were also increadibly high and in case of loss she could loose more than just herself. The loss would open some kind of void of destruction that would suck in everything that was dear to Sylia. There were some seconds left to make the decision and she was not ready yet. 

experiment 3

This time it was painting on black canvas - a sunset in the country. Very midsummerish.

Since I didn't have any black canvas I just covered my white one with black and a little bit of crimson red. It made, however, the fading sun quite a hard work. Because Bob had only wet crimson but I had also black wet. So here comes a note to myself - paint it black and let it dry if you have to paint on black canvas but have none.

All in all itI liked The process. I was more careful not to add too much pain on canvas an it worked quite well. I also notice that with every attempts my paintings become more mine than just copying. I kind of have some little touches I want to add here and there. 

Experiment 2

OK, so this one looks nothing like Bob Ross' painting, but I like it. I think I used too much colours on my brush so it was impossible to draw some more trees in that thick layer of paint. Maybe it is also the difference between acrilic paint and oil paint. I REALLY struggle with those clouds. He made them so efortlessly and life like. I could not manage that. Even though they do not Look very life like they are still WAY better than before. I used so much colours for my Mountain that i kind of actually built it on my canvas with paint. It Will take days for it to dry.

The second video was more challenging, but it didn't scare me enough to drop it all. Kind of made me stop and work with what I had at hand instead of just following.

Looking forward to my next attempts. 

Experiment 1

Decided to paint along with Bob Ross video starting from season 1. Making at least one painting a week.

Must admit that i was preparing for this like I was planning to go in date. All excited I was willing to make the right setting for it. I dug out and wiped clean  the old table and arranged all my colours on the windowsill. My easel has not yet arrived but I decided that it Will not stop me from starting.

His calm voice and positivity makes it Look so easy. However, not everything went so smoothly. Somewhere close to end I had a feeling that I had messed it up. My spirit was low. I went to wash my brushes and left the canwas to dry. When I came back to the room I was surprise how good it looked. Like some magic had happened while i was in the Bathroom. So Strange! I can still see some flaws but I like it nevertheless. 

Mistake

The River was dangerously restless. Evan was looking at the waves mesmerised by their power. He thought how crazy and brave a person must be to canoe in such weather. Evan had tried canoeing once and he had felt so alive. No he kept this call deep inside his soul. Then suddenly he noticed a car in the churning water. For a moment he looked in disbelief and then he reached for his phone to call for emergency. After the call he felt a bit like a hero but then as car passed by him he acknowledged that there was no car in the water. It was just a reflection on the glass of the bus stop.