AVOIDANCE IS FUN!

Well, time is running out.  I have an appointment with the accountant on Monday.  Gotta get that tax prep done. 

But hey!  Today's only Saturday, right?  So I have almost 48 hours to party!  (Or at least, my version of "partying"--meditate, take an art class, read a trashy book, work on my rug, do more drawing.  An introvert's version of a wild party.)

So this morning I zipped down to CT to take a "Gems" class with Meredith Yuhas, a terrific teacher.  I've done gems before using watercolor pencils.  I had not done them with regular Prismacolor pencils, which I love.  And since I haven't had time to tangle for almost three months, I thought this class would give me some great practice.  And it sure did! 

Meredith did her usual thorough, well-researched, excellent teaching job.  All class participants did the same gem, following the same steps, and now, of course, we all are prepared to do whatever the heck we want from here. 

Here are the class results:

ZEN GEMS RESULTS FROM MEREDITH'S CLASS

This was a two-hour class, focusing on the gem, with a final discussion on tangles we might use to surround it.  You can see that some students finished their gem and others started to add some tangles.  By the time the class ended, I was beginning to add tangles (mine is  on the far right of the upper row of four).  I deeply appreciated Meredith's tips and coaching; if you ever have a chance to take a class with her, do it.

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I drove home pondering what to do to surround the gem.  The photos below show the unshaded results, and then the results after shading.

UNSHADED (OK, OK, IT'S PARTIALLY SHADED--I FORGOT TO CAPTURE THE TOTALLY PLAIN VERSION)

AFTER SHADING. I WAS GOING FOR AN "ABALONE SHELL" LOOK IN THE UPPER AND LOWER TANGLES--NOT TOO BAD, I THINK!

And then, of course, because I never can let well enough alone, I had to fiddle with the apps on my iPhone to see what would happen.  So here are two versions that I ran through different versions of apps.  (In other words, I took the shaded photo above, and ran it through two different apps on my phone.)

THE "RAINBOW EFFECT."

THE "MARS EFFECT."

Not too bad, considering I haven't had the time to pick up a pencil for three months.  And with practice, I will improve. 

Driving there, taking the class, getting back here, and finishing a trashy mystery took me most of the day.  What a tough life.  <kidding--I know how extraordinarily fortunate I am>

And the tax prep?  As Scarlett O'Hara famously said, "I'll think about that tomorrow."