Jeff is used to me sketching him. I think I have his features down by now, so I can get on with what really matters: drawing his caricature.
On January 5, Jeff had to fly back to Vancouver in order to get back to work on Monday January 7. Unlike me, he has to show up in an office and interact with colleagues and employees.
I was sad to see him go; we had a great time over the Christmas holidays. After dropping him off at the airport in the morning, then doing a couple of hours of house cleaning and laundry, and catching up on some work that I had pushed aside to do after his visit, I walked around my neighbourhood on my way to an art supply store. On the way there I saw some shop windows that intrigued me and photographed them. I also spent €40 at the art supply store for a fancy calligraphy pen, two pocket-size sketchbooks that still allow me to draw in my favourite panorama format, and to restock my regular sketching pens.
It occured to me that maybe I was shopping to combat a bit of loneliness after saying goodbye to Jeff, even though I do use a lot of these supplies. It made me think about how accumulating stuff is often about subconsciously filling an unmet need. Not that there is anything wrong with any met or unmet needs, these are all part of being human.
But I have realized over the last few years that it doesn’t matter what you do, who you are, and what you have accumulated. What matters is how you feel about it.
Remembering that insight was my Zen moment for the day.
Restocking my urban sketching art supplies so I can get on with some artmaking.
The display in this shop window of many types of “Strick Liesel” (Knitting Liesel) gave me some nostalgia. I remember knitting weird little tubular things on these knitting devices, for which there seemed to be absolutely no earthly use. At least nothing that you would want to admit to.
Miniature scenes in a shop window display.
Antique shop window display.
