My Birthday Week

My week began at Barnes and Noble Cafe where the younger man stood each time the older man rose up! Such respect is not always so visible!

I continue drawing portraits

 in Sketchy! This was a fun face mask to color!  

And her eyes and head scarf were fun to draw too! 

I loved these two young women at Starbucks! Got a kick out of her "Family Matters" T-Shirt and beer ad on her shorts! 

Long lines for coffee are not uncommon! 

Making for great drawing ops!

This is featured art by my 11 year old grand daughter, Yael! She was at art camp for a week and was assigned  to learn about and draw a family member who came to the US from another country! She called me for information! I sent her a photo and info about her great-great grandmother, Golda Cohen, who came from the Ukraine in the late 1800's. 

Yael drew from this photo (the boys in the photo are my father and uncle) my dad was the youngest of Golda's 9 children! 

Then she traced the drawing and transferred it to canvas! Did the drip paint for background first, then painted Goldie! 

And then she hand sewed the doll and clothes for her, and made her a bed, hand sewn quilt and pillow and a few extra clothes as well! 

I'm so proud of this young artist! 

We gathered this week to celebrate my 75th birthday! Feels monumental to me!

My aunt Mimi used to say "It's just a number" and it is! I still feel very young inside! And my body is holding up well too! 

It was quite wonderful to have my family around me ( One of my two kids and 3 of my 5 grandkids, cousins and my brother and husband); and my daughter and her husband prepared a most delicious meal! 

It was a grand day!

 

Three generations! Yael, me, and Adena, my daughter! 

 My eldest grandson, just turned 26, was there too! He is a warm, loving being! 

Yael painted the cover of this art journal for me! So sweet and of course perfect choice of gift! 

I love that she thinks I'll live forever! I'll try my hardest, Yaeli! 

And then back to drawing, first them in that new art journal, and then folks at Starbucks!

And more Sketchy portraits! Started at lunch time ...

... completed after dinner. Second time I've drawn Josh!

And Savannah, who asked me to draw her because she liked my style! Happy to oblige with a compliment like that! 

It's been a fantastic week! We are also busy having our yards renovated by landscapers.

Maybe I'll do some drawings outdoors if the heat allows. We are up to 102 degree F.

I hope you have a creative week as well! Thanks for coming by and being my inspiration to draw more! See you next week!! 

My Week in Art by Lynn Cohen

Day 19 in Every Day in June: FASHION!

This came about around the same time as the horrible murders of nine African American people in their church in Charleston. So I melded the two with a flash to my past in the early 1970's when I was sewing jean ware (hats, purses, vests, jackets and skirts from old jeans)

and our wishes then for PEACE that included Civil Rights!

 

The next prompt was to draw animals or pets so when I found Henry V laying in the clean clothes in the laundry basket with is eyes open glaring at me defying me to tell him to get out, instead I grabbed an art journal and a ball point pen from a bathroom drawer and drew him quickly! He was comfy he did not move.

Last Saturday we went to the Free Folk Festival in San Francisco, where I met up with a group of San Francisco Sketchers and we all drew the musicians in action.

It was a long day with lots of different kinds of music and people who sat still long enough to be drawn with comfort and ease.

I did love this woman's second pair of glasses; and was stoked I could draw an accordion!

I met Monica (on the right here) at the lunch area. We were both waiting for our orders so we chatted. She was there to do Egyptian dancing which she teaches to this group. She knew about the SF Sketchers from the year before and was stoked we were there again (me for the first time).

The last group of the evening was where my husband (in the middle here) sang a solo. I was go glad I got to hear that and draw it too.
He knows the two guys on the right, been singing with them since the early 70's.

I got a chance to use my Parallel Pilot pen on the gal below. Love it's versatility of thick and thin lines.

Back to Every Day In June: "Sporting" shows my  brother and I playing our favorite card game of spite and malice. He always accuses me of cheating. I don't cheat!

The next prompt was "Rain", something we are dearly in need of in California right now!

Of course I am still drawing at Starbucks as well ... loved this curly haired guy and the older folks on the right.

This one comes with a story. I was drawing the woman on the left who was sitting directly behind the guy next to her here. He got up and came over to ask me if I was drawing him. I said "No, I'm drawing the woman behind you!" He went back to sit down. Then feeling he must really have wanted me to be drawing him, I did. Later I called him over as he was on his way out and showed this to him. He said "I like it!" and so I asked him to sign it and he did.
(see initials on his knee)
Then he said "I want half the royalties when it sells!"

That was fun. So was drawing these next three victims, I mean models, who had no idea I was drawing them. At least they didn't indicate that they did.

I still draw the First Northern Bank in Winters if there aren't any folks inside to draw, as was the case on this day.

The next EDJ prompt: In the Can brought these images to mind:

And the prompt for June 24 was "Sweet": which got me drawing something I no longer eat, and that brought up memories of when I did and with whom. Happy Birthday memories!

Wishing YOU a happy creative week.

New Klasses at Sketchbook Skool Starting July 6 called Playing for 4 weeks, $69 and in August More Playing for 4 weeks, another $69. So worth every penny what I get from being in Sketchbook Skool. Check it out you won't be sorry! http://www.sketchbookskool.com/kourses

Happy Paint Party Friday, Sunday Sketching, and come visit us at Paper, Paint, Pencils & Pens.

Thanks for coming by and leaving your comments, they keep me drawing!

Happy Birthday Patty

Happy birthday Patty. Patty was born on December 31, 1940. Her family moved into a house at 1220 Amador Street in Vallejo, Ca. Six months later I was born and a few months after that my family moved in across the street at 1203 Amador street. Neither of us remember when exactly we first were introduced, we just remember a childhood of playing together at each other's homes and in the streets and surrounding neighborhoods from when we were quite young. Things like jacks, and doll house, dress up, and 'getting married' in front of the church down the street to one or another of the neighborhood boys. We rode bikes, roller skated, played hide and seek; and kick the can with our older brother and sister, staying outside till dusk and our parents whistles sent us home. We took drama class and dancing classes.

We were in different classes at school, but met up after school to watch TV in the early 1950's at one of our other girlfriends houses, the only one with a TV. American Bandstand, the Micky Mouse Club and The Last of the Mohicans.

We graduated high school a year apart. Patty got married and had babies. I tried college, stopped, worked, and traveled. After my five years in Israel and her third child I came home with husband and infant son.

I opened a nursery school in my home and later in a duplex. Patty came to work there with me.

Our adult lives continued, sometimes with spaces in time from each other, but always reconnecting.

Patty worked hard at her job for GE for many years until she finally retired. Even though I continued working in my current career as a counselor we once again had more time for each other.
But even during those spaces we were never further apart than a phone call.

We took a beading class together. We met for lunch. We went to art gallery shows. We ate hot fudge sundaes.

We always got together for a just us Chanukah/Christmas lunch and gift exchange. It was always a plethera of gifts we'd buy and save for each other all year long. (This year her husband found and gave me a glass Blue Jewish star and a little note pad with my initial "L" and one rhinestone on it.
She'd obviously been saving them to give me this year. There's a tiny Christian cross in a sack in my closet I was saving for her.)

Our phone calls were precious times as we commiserated and kvelled (Yiddish for sharing great joys) together. Patty and I supported each other through many life trials over the years. And we were there for each other when we were happy and wanted to share.

Patty got sick this year. She faced her forth cancer battle. But it got ahold of her and wouldn't let go.
She had told me last January that she was getting old. I balked at that since being only six months younger I was not feeling that at all. But neither of us knew at that time she had lung cancer.
By the time it was diagnosed it was inoperable.  This woman who worked as a power house of energy, walked five miles a day , danced  Zumba , made huge family dinners for husband, three grown kids, their spouses, grand and great grand children, was finally brought down to her knees. Like a giant Redwood tree felled in the forest.

Patty had a strong religious faith. She believed "God has a plan for me". Although I was not at all aligned with her God, it won. She died on July 31, 2013. I did not get to say goodbye to her. She refused me being there. I had no choice but to abide by her wishes. So I'm left with continuously having to say goodbye. It reminds me in our childhood phone calls saying "You hang up first, No YOU hang up first" over and over again.

I will honor and miss my very best friend, Patty, until the day I die.
Happy Birthday, Patricia Ann. Happy Birthday, Patty.


Love,
Lynnie

An Era Comes to an End, The Last Nine Years: My Sixties

Today begins the last year of my sixties, or as DH says, I am now entering my 70th year! He always has to add one! I have been thinking about this a lot. And wondering what to say. Let me start by saying that my sixties have been some of the very best years of my life. I recently found a poem my mother wrote when she was 4 yrs younger than I am now and it's about aging. None of the things she addressed from crepey skin to liver spots bothers me. I rarely notice those aspects of growing older. What I do notice more are the exciting fun parts of living. Some of the high lights of the past 9 years have been: 1. my daughters engagement, marriage, pregnancy and birth of twins 2. being the grandma to those twins 3. taking that quilting class 4. all the art making that that exploded into 5. starting a blog(s) 6. all that that exploded into! 7. Our dear cat, Brand, of 14 yrs dying. 8. Four years later finding Henry V and letting him fill that void and our lives. 9. My son's getting divorced. 10. My son getting re-married, adding J. to our lives. 11. 10 years of car trips across country to MN; to the coast and beach; to Canada and all the many states in between! 12. getting social security 13. paying off our home 14. being out of debt 15. Watching my older grand kids grow up, graduate from high school (K), get his first home (M). 16. involvement in art shows, selling art, art classes 17. Continuing in my private practice as a counselor, but cutting back my work hours considerably! 18. Losing my mother in law 19. Enjoying my elder aunt and uncle into their nineties 20. Enjoying time spent with my husband, brother, kids, grand kids, and friends. 21. Seeing my DH graduate college and begin and continue teaching first elementary and now middle school. 22. Staying in good health. 23. Dreaming about renovating our home and finally actually doing it! 24. And realizing that 69 is NOT OLD! And I don't think 70 will be either. Check with me next year to be sure.

the baby in the bottom left corner is me on my first birthday with my grandma Ella

25. Happy Birthday to me!

;-)

So, am I right in thinking that I am the eldest here?

Can I now refer to myself as a wise old crone?

!!!!!!!!!