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Nikiraart.com

Andy for my friend.

I did this for my friend, who lost her beloved dog, a member of the family. I used ink and Kuretake.

 For me it was also a little bit coming back to myself. Somehow I didn't notice, how I am going further from the life around me, may be because it is hard to agree with something being so far from perfect. May be because I can't find an explanation for the happening in Ukraine, where regular people and their children dying in horrible deaths.  May be because I got into animal rescues, by befriending people who do it every day, and by adopting a little cat from Moscow (yes, she flew to me from Russia), who was in a death row, saved and terribly injured in a pot of boiling water and than nurtured back to life by a very brave woman, who became my friend?

November 2 and Marc Chagall's exhibit.

 I drew people on NY Subway on the way to Mark Chagall's exhibit.
I think it is always good to give yourself different assignment when you draw. It helps to learn and grow and even discover new things about yourself. Here I forced myself to do first contour of the figure, ignoring all my knowledge about the anatomy, often trying to draw parts from the top or the bottom of the page, to train my eye to read general shapes. Then I can draw second contour, allowing myself to see the face, direction of the movement, connection of parts. To see what describes this person and his emotion the most. And than the fun part to see if I got it right in likeness.

Yesterday I went to see Chagall"s exhibit in Jewish Museum in Manhattan and I saw it in a new  new light, which was amazing to me. First, and I knew it, he painted what he felt strong about in his life, second, that all that fantastic images, painted on most of his canvases, based very strongly on knowing Jewish religion, where words in Hebrew, symbols and visual metaphors connected in a most amazing way.
I was not always agree with interpretation of his paintings, written near each work, but it was an awesome experience.

Just a day.

It was yesterday's today. I can rarely steal the shot. I am, probably annoying with my hunger for visual and I can't explain.

And the sunrise from yesterday, with electric light in the sky. When you experience things alone it seems to have deeper meaning, and often you don't even use the words to describe it to yourself.

Little sketch in pencil. Here I used my precious Eberhard Faber Blackwing 602, the original vintage one. It is a bit drier than Palomino version. I spend it, I waste it, what is the point to treasure when you don't own tomorrow?

Horse.

Near Central Park, not far from the big Apple store, lots of horses with carriages, lined up, waiting to entertain New York tourists. So vulnerable among cars, so beautiful.
While drawing, I was enjoying their smell, reminding me my youth,  my deep secret weekly adventure, my once a week cutting classes, going on a train, than bus to the country, than riding horses in the forrest, in jockey position, almost standing, with the wind in my hair,  cigarette between my fingers, laughing with my friend, galloping wildly... Late in the evening, almost at night, coming back, trying to hide from my father, smelling my fingers, smiling, than reading poetry (Ahmatova, Mandelshtam,  Block, Baudelaire,  Pasternac, Apollinaire,  Zabolotsky, Annensky, Tcvetaeva), almost till the morning, so next day I will go to art school with my legs hurting from my wild secret adventure, no one knew about.

Really tiring June.

Finished mural, which I did in between other projects and rainy moods and being tired. Two layers of poly on the top.

This one on the other wall. Still lots to do, but frame on since yesterday.

Kitchen walls to match design on the cabinets. I mixed 3 glazes on the Bone White base and used woodgraining tool to play with the texture, experimenting technique. I have old woodgraining Italian tool from ages ago, blend a bit with linen technique. Pretty cool result, they wanted modern feeling.

I have no time for myself and feel sick of not drawing. But need to do what I do, because I am not free. Few strokes on drawing of old car, few sentences on Kindle of Ruth Rendell book and that's all.

April 30 is my birthday.

Usually I have tiny moments of sadness, that I got older and many people who I loved are not with me anymore, but today was very different birthday, spent in leisure and pleasure. I drew, I spent the day  talking to my friends, my fun was planned for me, I love every moment, I got amazing presents, was spoiled, loved, taken out to a wonderful restaurant. I wish every day would be my Birthday. I am very thankful to my little girl, to my wonderful daughter, who makes every day of my life the happiest.

This is upside down Makloubeh, was so delicious Mediterranean dish.

We took Künefe home, it was hot and delicious with honey and rose water syrup. And french pastries and strawberry tart.

Cup of tea.

Highlighted by the sun and deepened by shadow,  lemony and strong (English Breakfast tea, unexpectedly very good, I usually prefer Earl Grey) turned my day into a day of Cup of Tea, everything else faded and this is the only memory left. I guess, many unpleasant moments were forcefully erased, I cannot allow myself to be affected by people who I can't take seriously enough.
I am trying to cherish and enjoy relationships, thoughts, books, what makes my life happier.
I used ink and Kuretake on Fabriano Artistico.

Early morning and happy to get my NavBAr back.

Early morning.

After loosing Navigation Bar, I was typing question in Google, found forum, 2 people gave me advice, it was accidentally applied HTML code in my post with sunrise, I deleted it and now back to normal view.
Relocation to a new place could be comparable to a painful illness,  stressful and scary. I still cannot find my brushes and paper, towels and salad spinner, but I am greeted by the sun every morning and it gives me hope that I can start drawing again.

:-)

Yesterday running around with brush and without.

Sample on the wall for lobby, love working with plasters.

Drew vines on few floors, patches of grass and path with flowers, few blue puddles.
Met interesting woman. During lunch on the floor behind piano (cold russian kotleta with Dijon mustard and buckwheat, and not a bad coffee) spoke about art, Amsterdam, russian art teaching, my first lesson in art school about composition (thanks to my teacher, who I disliked, who is probably dead for at list 20 years, he was old then, as it seemed to 18 year old me, in his late 40ties, but who gave me guidance in that complicated world of building composition and it unspoken rules), about Mixol tints, we used and I am thinking to buy for myself.
 Nothing will follow, probably. It is not easy to make new friends, when life is so hectic and I am loosing my old friends and have no time to be with myself.

Old work and insomnia.

Battling with insomnia again and feeling under the weather.
This photo shows old work, landscape in the pool room, did touch ups on this some time ago.

Bottom part done on broken pieces of tiles, to make it more durable, where most touch ups occurred.
I really miss drawing and mainly seeing things in that artsy way, when everything magically turns into a painting. Now I am, sort of, afraid to loose control and gripping to constantly changing reality, bumping into new people and situations, demanding solutions, feeling more and more tired and detached.

Earthquake.

Today was really serious earthquake, it felt horrible in our building, it was swaying like a cardboard doll house. Slanted floors. I know, I am used to work on high scaffolds and I know how it feels to balance on moving surfaces, how to hold on with your toes.
We run out, I sent my daughter first and could not remember how to put  my shoes on, unbuckle. So many people were downstairs, some in robes, scared, wondering what just happened.
I often say how we have to look at our lives from a distance, from above and think what is really matters, what we doing and what we want. And that we shouldn't wait for something bad to happened to help us understand who we are and why we are here.                                            

Something happened to Blogger and they doing restoration.

My previous post got lost. They said it will get restored soon. Frustrating. Then my internet shut down and one guy came to fix it today in the morning.  This only proves, nothing should be taken for granted.

Zabigalafki.