The BEST Cat Toy

I went to Marshalls with Janet to just float around and hang out while she got some clothes.

The checkout line is a maze of stuff no one needs but everyone will buy because it is cool and you don't know you need it until you see it.

Like this BEST cat toy EVER..... which obviously a painter designed as it is a spoof on Winsor Newton paint.

Furball and Isis LOVE it.

I love this picture of Furball... she looks completely ridiculous!

Terrace Painting- Night

I did a leftover paint painting at night.
it will not photograph and I need to wait for it to dry properly.

I am so, so exhausted, I haven't been sleeping well here although it is very comfortable.

Work is insane and I'm pretty stressed.

Terrace Plein Air-Day

Here is a painting from Sharon's terrace, 8x10 oil

I left my box outside overnight and it was fun to see it from the street. (Third floor)

Guinea Pig Studies

I am kind of treating my time guinea pig-sitting as a mini artist retreat.
The guinea pigs (and the fish) don't require much, I just make them a little salad in the morning.
And I am almost done with all the planning work (digitally) for the remaining 4 paintings in my in-progress new Topiary Cat series.

It was very nice of my friends to let me stay here, they know I need a change of scenery.
It's also nice that they are so close to home- 15 mins on the train/bus, or a half hour walk.  I have been stopping home every day.

They adopted a cat 2 months ago and it turned out the cat had FIP which is fatal, and the cat had to be put down the same day they left for vacation.  I was originally going to watch the cat too, then they were going to take the cat with them.  And then he got very sick. So they have had a very hard time with that, and I wanted to do something nice, give them something to make them happy. 

I used some sketching pencils, Jerry's jumbo sketch pencils, on grey paper.  

Each of these studies took around 20 minutes.

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The cat story is sad.
I know my friends because our daughters used to dance together.
Sharon and Matthew's daughter.
They are absolutely wonderful people, just.... very kind, good people.
The guinea pigs are technically their daughter's but in reality all the pets are Matthew's.

He REALLY loves those guinea pigs.

There is cat stuff everywhere here.  They went all-out, there is even a custom-made food mat with the cat's name.  I feel awful for them. Their daughter immediately fell in love with the cat at the shelter.  Sharon thinks the cat knew he was sick and chose them because he knew they would give him the best short life he could possibly have.  I agree with her.  It's still hard.

Art Show on the LES

I went down to the lower East Side to go to an art opening.

David Nakabyashi had some cool collages in the show and he gave a wonderful art talk.

It was a nice thing to go to.

Part of one of the art talks was drawing our fortunes with a quote from an artist in the show.

I really relate to this.

Quote was from David! ha

.

And also attached to the fortunes was some adorable Japanese candy. 

House-Sitting

My friend is going out of town and I'm taking care of the guinea pigs and the fish.
I have been staying over there, but they live in the neighborhood so I'm also going back and forth.
It's nice to have a change of scenery.

I like the guinea pigs; they are nice peaceful creatures.

They are named Oreo and Buttercup.

They have adorable guinea pig blankies they like to hide under.

This is the fish.

I will be watching them until Wednesday morning.

Well I Tried

 Going into the office was nice...... except the internet is so bad it is not really useable.
I made it until 1pm then went home so I could actually get stuff done.

It was nice to get out though.

The views are good.

Tuesday Thoughts

I have been SWAMPED at work for the past couple of weeks.
But I don't mind. It was slow for a while and I was starting to get a bit nervous.

Also, I have a new series of Topiary Cats in progress.
.... i have actually been doing studio work!!
Like, for real! Three of 7 are completely finished!
I'm planning all of them digitally in Procreate.

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Not sure if it is this stormy humid summer weather or what, but I am also feeling incredibly lethargic.

So are the cats.

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Tomorrow--- for the first time since March 2020...... I am going back to the office to work.
Just for one day. I can book a desk whenever I want, but there is no requirement to go back.
And I will be working a hybrid of home and office, balanced however I want.

Going back feels... weird, like a gap I have to step over to end this 15 months of covid working from home. A milestone, an end to being stuck alone in a 236 square foot room all day every day.

It feels like a new phase, and honestly it is.

New office. And new company sort-of because we got bought in Feb, lots of changes there.
It's completely different. It's not like I'm going back to something familiar. I'm going to something totally, vastly, completely different. I even have a new work laptop. (Which actually is really nice, but change.  Nothing is the same.)

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So much change over the last 15 months.... so much change I'm fatigued from all of it and it seeps out in weird ways, like.... my toaster oven started dying. It wasn't heating up reliably anymore. I have been using it almost daily since 2013 and it has definitely without a doubt run its course. (It was a good one, a Breville.)

So I got a new one, which I like quite a lot, and it is also an air fryer which is awesome.

But the change of.... a freaking toaster oven.... kind of stressed me out as yet another change and I was sad about it. Just another familiar daily thing that has changed.  My friend Janet said I'm not crazy for having a reaction to it, as silly as it is.  (And yes I did dispose of the old oven. I'm not crazy enough to keep that around!)

Reservoir Birds

Back up at the Central Park Reservoir.
8x10 oil

Wednesday Drawing

More Game of Thrones!
I was pretty happy with my work tonight.

7 mins, 20 mins, 1 hour poses

July 4

Today for July 4th I went to the boathouse for a potluck dinner and fireworks from the pier.
Daya actually came with me but did not stay for fireworks.

We found roses in the Hudson River.
This was a very nice July 4th.

EMIA Second Week Performance

Daya's 2 week intensive with Earl Mosley ends today and she had three more performances.  I went to two of them.

They were really, really awesome and I am very proud of Daya.
And I'm so glad I actually have pictures of her! I have NO pictures of her these days, ever. :(