NEW TRICKS, OLD CAT

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This might look like just another 

picture of a lady holding a cat. But to me 

it is a long leap in learning to "draw and paint" 
on my trusty IMac and IPod with a stylus and software. 

My biggest problem? 
It doesn't take many written directions to make my 
eyes cross and my brain stall out. 

Video tutorials are better, but they seldom to 

never cover that moment's difficulty. 

Now you know why I never considered

Law School or (heaven forbid) Medical School. 

I learn best when I have a problem

to solve. Here I wanted to build a scene with

more than a figure and with textures.

Couldn't rely on rulers and templates for straight

lines and smooth shapes. (Yes, Virginia, real 

artists often draw straight lines WITH a ruler).

This unfinished garden is a beginning try at some

computer "magic". I created only one of each flowering

plant then copied it across to repeat the plant.

I could also flip the art for more variation and

changed colors as well. Good fun for Illustrators.

I find my old way of working, preparing a strong 

sketch to work from by layering new

sheets of tracing paper over the old sketch

and re-drawing, refining, altering is too

cumbersome with stylus and screen. 

So I now start with big scribbled shapes

of color and wittle away, add and subtract,

duplicate and continue on, much easier.

I'm concentrating on shapes of color

rather than outlining shapes. Still shapes,

because that's what I see, shapes, color and 

pattern. Apologies if this is more than you

want to know and YOUR eyes are beginning 

to cross.

Learning more each day. Good mental and

creative exercise. And the BEST part?

No mess to clean up and no dirty paint water 
for Cats to steal a (yuck) drink.

Wrote this a while back...just before life took 
some unexpected turns including a new hip.
Picking up where I left off…and moving on.
CC

Dumb Phone

ⓒ 2011 Carolyn Croll

Any day now my ancient NOKIA basic

cell phone may conk out and I may be stuck
having to use a SMART phone.


Don't want a smart phone. 


Don't need it to take pictures, play music, tell me 
where I am, buy things online, play games, brew 
coffee, make a sandwich and other amazing feats 
they perform besides boring old sending and 
receiving phone calls. 


I'll accept taking VOICE messages and stashing 
useful phone numbers.
The charge can last as long as possible. 
The monthly fee can be as low as possible. 
I need a cell phone to call for help, a cab, or to say
I'm on my way, or running late.
And to call my Mom when I'm out shopping
and see something she might like or if they're out of 
what she wants. Otherwise I socialize in person, 
by regular phone, email, and sometimes FaceBook. 
And I LIKE it this way.


Do not assume I am technologically
challenged. I love my MAC and use it to do all 
sorts of stuff on and off line and am always 
learning more. I just don't need a pocket NASA/ 
entertainment system to make or receive infrequent 
ordinary phone calls.


Tried to sign in to ATT's Mobile website a short while
ago to look for the dumbest phone they have.
They couldn't find my account. (No trouble finding my
account when there's a bill).


Dumb phone company. 
Just wish they offered a dumb phone.

New Tricks Cont'd

This might look like just another picture 
of a lady holding a cat,
But to me its a large leap in my learning 
to draw and paint on my trusty IMAC.

click on image to enlarge

Wanting to see if I could bring some pattern and texture

into a scene, using software bells and whistles.

Learning to think and work differently.

I always learn better by giving myself a project rather than

following a written handbook, especially without pictures.

(Its what kept me from thinking about Law school or

Medicine. ;~)  I'd never have made it through the 
dry reading matter.)

Beginning with large simple shapes of "painted" color 

instead of a loose line drawn pencil sketch of my drawing

board days.

No more sheet after sheet of heavy tracing paper

redrawing and refining the elements. Gone are endless
bits of changes on paper scraps, some floating to the
floor to be found only when cleaning up afterwards.

Modeling shapes directly, saving the image at each stage

so I can to return to any without constant redrawing.

In this unfinished garden scene, I created just

one example of each flowering plant, copying and 
pasting more as needed and placing them anywhere. 
Easily building my border. 

Good to shake things up once in a while and learn 

something new. Friends who have been with me from 

the beginning have said that my computer done work, 

still looks like I did it. Very reassuring. ;~)

Best part for me? NO mess to clean up afterwards.

SNOW IN THE MOUNTAINS

Nice thing about living on a mountain top

in center city Philadelphia, the view of 

snow covered peaks in the morning after

a blizzard.

Not blogging much lately. Using the time

to practice and learn more about making

digital art. 

Hoping to make it to Carnegie Hall.........

Liza Doolittle Day

The Birthday Girl, six decades ago

Today is Liza Doolittle Day. 

First mentioned in the lyrics

of Just You Wait Henry Higgins 

in Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick 

Loewe's, MY FAIR LADY.

And its my birthday.

Now I'm off to get my free 

bus pass. ;-)

Happy Day!!

Beamed Up - Part II

The 2 Liberty place sky hook
was at it again yesterday. This
time I've got pictures.
top left- gondola rising 
top right - gondola at top perpendicular
to boom
lower left - gondola parallel to boom
lower right - detail, boom w. gondola
moving into building
(click on image to enlarge details)

Beamed Up

arrow points to boom window
(click to enlarge)


I saw a metal gondola with several men slowly

rise up the south side of 2 Liberty Place, 

while I was on the phone yesterday.

When they passed the railing at the top of 
that portion of the building (40-some stories 
high) I suddenly realized that the platform 
could not be hanging from the roof nor 
attached to the side wall, because the next 
building section stepped back from the 
lower one.

"Sky hook?", crossed my mind as I looked 
up under my window shade.

Indeed, there was a long steel boom

sticking out of a large window opening

just under the triangular peak at the top.

The gondola rose slowly until it was just

under and perpendicular to the boom.

Gradually it turned until it was still

under but parallel to the boom
and away from the building.

Now for the BEST part.

Almost imperceptibly, the boom w/gondola

fastened beneath swung to the left.

When it reached a certain point the boom began

to move bit by bit lengthwise into the opening

in the building until it and the gondola

disappeared from sight.

And the glass window descended and closed.

(Sorry, no pictures. Too busy narrating the action 
into the phone.)

Hoping for a next time!

PS I've since been told there is a
"boom"on each of the 4 sides of the building.