Martina

This is Martina, a girl Daya dances with.

I took pictures at the studio picture day and I took this picture of Martina.  The lighting was perfect and she is just gorgeous.  She is in full stage makeup including fake eyelashes which was a challenge.

Even though it is my picture, I did ask her mom if I could paint her.

I painted this in about three sittings over a 24 hour period.

11x14 oil

Here are a couple of progress shots.

Untitled Topiary Cat

I started this as a non-serious painting just to see if I could get past my studio-block, so I started on..... smooth white Mi Tientes..... then I decided I wanted to finish, and I fought with the white paper the whole time. Had to do alcohol washes to get rid of that white.

Smooth paper and I are still developing a friendship, but I cannot be friends with smooth white paper. This painting would have taken less than half the time on a nice dark sandpaper. or any sandpaper. Or dark smooth paper.

i learned a lot about how I do not like to work.

And smooth white paper should stay far away from pastels.

9x12

Danielle

My painter friend Danielle sent me a message on Facebook. She and her husband moved a while back, but kept their East Village apartment.

They decided not to renew the lease, so were clearing out. and she had a lot of canvases she wasn't taking.  So she asked if I wanted them.  I said sure, and I went over to the East Village.

It was lovely to get out and see Danielle, and I helped her with a few things.
The apartment is a six-floor walkup and we went up and down several times.
Very typical East Village.

We also went to Jerrys and I got this new dagger brush.

I miss Danielle since she moved, but she plans to come back within the next year or two.

I schlepped all these home on the train......

Rockettes

I took Daya to see the Rockettes. They are so amazing.
The last time I took her she was three years old, we had amazing seats, and the onliest thing she cared about was..... popcorn.

But this year she liked them.

We went over to the tree at Rockefeller Center but it turns off after... I don't know when.  This is the first time I have seen the tree off!

Christmas

Daya got a few nice things for Christmas.  She got me a nice new mug and a lot of tea.
The cats supervised but they didn't get anything.

We watched Little Women in the evening, which was nice.
Different than what Daya is used to.

Monday

We went to the museum on Monday, and it was good to get out.  It was a nicc time.
There is a great ocean exhibit on right now, so we did that, the senses exhibit again- which is closing, and the current 3D Imax movie, which is always quite good.

Cool ceilings:

Kinetic sand to play with topography.

The floor had projected fish on it which are motion-sensitive and move away from you when you walk on them.

Daya drove a yellow submarine.

This year's origami tree:

Tacosaurus socks (we didn't get them but we like them a lot)

Daya looks cool

**********
I dragged Daya to midnight mass which she hated.
It's ok that she hated it.  It reminds me of my grandmother, and also I had to endure going when I was a kid.  But I doubt we will go again.

While I'm glad I raised my child free of institutionalized religion, I feel I have been unsuccessful in finding something to take it's place.  I guess she will have to work it out for herself as she gets older.

Really I just needed to have plans of some kind, it's hard holding together right now.

And it seems there is a bad case of crappy holidays going around..... 2 deaths, and there was a fire in the building right next to me.  Fire is extremely scary and disturbing, and I hope everyone was ok.

Bah Humbug

I'm Facebook friends with one of Daya's first dance teachers from 9 years ago.
We aren't in touch otherwise, but I saw this post on her page:

"[Don’t be a good actress - a reminder to myself or anyone else who is not happy right now]
I can act my way through a bag when I’m trying to hide how hurt I am.

Do not do this.

It will prevent you from living your life to the full list and that includes feelings of sorrow. As painful as it may be to acknowledge the pain you are experiencing, you must allow yourself to feel it. Otherwise, it bundles up and burns inside. It makes the pain more painful. Getting things done become more difficult and the days seem to never end. That is what happens when you shove away your feelings.

There is a light. Even if it doesn’t feel like it right now, you will eventually feel better and be happy again. Don’t force it and be patient with yourself.

If you are going through a hard time during the holidays, message me or even call me. I’m here."

*****

Wow.

That is seriously- exactly where I am right now.

I actually did send Jenna a private message on Friday but didn't hear back.

Anyhow, this holiday season is hitting me seriously hard and it sucks and I have to get through it while still making it nice for Daya.  She's really truly fine though- she's very happy to be on vacation and rest, and she was on the phone with her friends earlier.  Me, I'm having a hard time with no people and no plans.

Tomorrow I asked Daya if she wants to go to the museum and she said yes, so we'll do that.

I also decided to take her to Midnight Mass.  We aren't Catholic and she has never been, but I used to have to go sometimes as a child and if nothing else, it is very pretty and something to do.

I also got us reasonable but still good tickets for the Rockettes... if you go to a 10pm show the prices are much better.  So we'll do that on the 26th.

Last year I was so happy to be on vacation, and I really enjoyed the holidays... and this year it is exactly the opposite.  I can't wait to go back to work.  It's lonely there too, especially since Nicole left, but it is preferable to being home on vacation right now.  Isn't that weird to say?

Math and Ramen and Zoltar

Zen 6, a restaurant in the East Village, asked me to paint in their restaurant.
They have one of my paintings hanging in there too, my Hearst Building Plein Air.  Technically it is for sale but I hope it doesn't sell!

Anyhow i went and Daya came with me.  So I painted her while she did math homework.

Start of drawing:

Daya took pictures of me from the window.

8x10 pastel on sanded paper, about three hours.

I told Daya any stupid pictures she takes of herself  on my phone are subject to being shared.

On the way back we found Zoltar.

And of course Daya likes to spin the cube at Astor place every chance she gets.

Solstice

Well it is Winter Solstice and I'm not doing anything for it.  No St Patrick's, no candles, nothing.
Because this year I just don't care. I'm tired of spending holidays alone, everyone is with family and I don't have any so it sucks.

We will have quiet holidays this year and I'll be very glad when they are done.

Daya put her pointe shoes on our little tree along with a special tree topper.
The big tree is up too but neither of us felt like putting ornaments on it.

LISA if you are reading this- did something happen with your Facebook account?  Did you delete it and make a new one?
I just want to verify the new friend request and private messages I got from an account that appears to be you but I am not sure.

Repeat Fluoride

Daya loves going to the dentist.
She got over being allergic to the light once she realized she could watch her cleaning through the mirror.

Immediately after her fluoride treatment, while she was being told no water or anything for a half hour, she used the water dispenser as a drinking fountain.
So she got a repeat-fluoride treatment.

The dentist said no one has ever done that before.  Ever.

Daya had a perfect checkup and her dentist (who we LOVE) was extremely happy.

Pointe Shoes AGAIN

Yesterday Daya woke up early and made pancakes!!

This is especially weird because on Friday evening I was planning to get up early and make HER pancakes. Neither of us said anything about them..... and she made them for ME!
They came out perfect, she even put berries on top.

******
Daya needed new pointe shoes AGAIN because the last pair she got weren't working. Even though she must have tried on every single pair. So she got new ones and she loves them.

We had a lovely day together and got a lot done in the city.

Daya got a new little friend.  It looks like a marshmallow with a cute lion face.  She named him KitKat.

I took some sneaky pics of her in dance.

Transit Museum

Daya wanted to go to the Transit museum so we went.

This is Daya driving the same bus.... 9 years ago!

Pratt Library Plein Air

I went plein airing on the Pratt campus today for the first tine ever (after graduating).

It's so stupid that it took me so long, but to be fair I was scared.
Not because of other artists, but because of the architecture.  This is a difficult plein air painting.

I just wasn't confident enough in my plein air skillz to do it until this year.
Architecture is a whole different thing than landscape; it really has to be right.

My painting is mostly right and I'm happy with it for what it is, especially since I really pushed myself and did something new.  Everyone was very friendly and a lot of people stopped by.  I had people yelling Loud-Brooklyn-style from the street  IT'S GORGEOUS!  Someone walked by and said to his friend, "That's crazy.  It is very complex."  Which it is for a plein air.  Another artist would see that.  These are nice things to hear when I'm FROZEN, my paint is trying to be frozen, I feel like the whole thing is overworked and I wonder why the hell do I do this.  Cheering squads really, really help.

Pratt Libraries on Instagram likes it and asked permission to repost it, which they will do in about a week and a half.

11x14 oil, 3 1/2 hours, 36 degrees.

Dancer Conversations

In case you didn't know, dancers are really weird.
They are obsessed with their feet.
When they talk about their shoes it is a whole other universe.
They do strange things, too, most of which look unnatural and painful.

And they have weird conversations, for example:

Daya:  My legs are completely numb.
Ms Victoria: That's good! It means you are doing it right!

I'm really glad I'm a painter and not a dancer.
Although I suppose one could say a lot of the same things about plein air painters....