You know how when you look at designs on fabric or curves in floor tile, sometimes you see pictures. And then when you go back to find them again, you can't see them anymore? Many times I have wanted to sketch what I see, so I can hold the picture of it in my memory. On the curtain in my bathroom, above my bathtub - there are fairies in big flowery bathing suits.... At least they used to be there. I can't find them anymore.
Yesterday I was sitting on the edge of my bed, looking over to my desk area - when I saw a very beautiful landscape on my file cabinet. I didn't move, but had Ronni bring me my sketch pad. I explained to her what I was seeing as I drew it, which made her laugh. I knew it was actually a collection of objects that created the design, but I wanted to capture it before it dissolved into mundane nothingness. The colors struck me as they constrasted agains the black and white surrounding them.
OK - this is my rough sketch (no colors):
This is another sketch of what it looks like with color added (the way I saw it - for the most part):
It was quite striking to me because the bulk of it was black and white. The bit of color in it really stood out. The center of the picure looked like two trees in fall follage against a yellow background -there was a dark green hedge that ran down the middle. The trees were distinctly black and white, with a shadow on their left sides that was a bit removed from the left edge - creating a shadow line kind of thing. The grass below was just a sketch, as was the unfinished tree and bush on the left side. On the right side was the beginnings of what was probably two more trees, but they were unfinished.
So why was Ronni laughing - what was it really?
Now bare in mind, I have a sever cataract in my right eye (operation set for April 20!), so my imagination is helped by the natural blurring of what I see at any distance. I knew there wasn't a landscape sitting on top of my file cabinet. On closer inspection...
It was a yellow scrubbing sponge - the kind with the green scouring bottom that was apparently curled up a bit to reveal the green along the edge I could see (yellow sky and green hedge). This was sitting on a piece of paper that had some lines and makings on it, creating the grass, side bush and side trees. The two main trees in the center were created by white shoe laces draped over the top. They had black writing down them that created the tree trunk shadows. The follage? This whole mess was sitting on top of a couple of homemade pink floral cards -- I guess my eye translated the pink to fall follage colors.
I think my landscape is much more attractive then the sponge and shoelace mess. After getting the rough draft sketch done, I cleaned up the mess. As a matter of fact, during conference broadcast today I managed to get my whole desk area straightened up. I even had a little time to work on a cross stitch project I started over 3 years ago.
It felt good to be productive today and not just running around putting out social fires.
