Portrait Painting SMC: Class #2

Every class starts with our teacher telling us what we will learn this lesson, a few extra pointers, and then a demonstration on what we will be doing. This week we were going to go a step beyond our value paintings of last week. Today we were tackling the Zorn palette. Which is a limited palette technique named after Anders Zorn. Limited meaning we were only allowed to use the following four tubes of paint to create all of the colors necessary for our painting:

Ivory Black

Titanium White

Yellow Ochre

Cadmium Red Light

She told us this was an excellent way for us to learn how to mix the colors for flesh tones. I have to agree. I don't have the colors right yet, but I can definitely see where I would find them if I continue to work within this palette.

Initial Sketch

Final painting end of class.

Progress so far.

Portrait Painting Homework I

There is something exceptionally daunting about a blank canvas. Even when you know what you are going to paint. It's just at the moment of actually starting I have this spiking fear of failure. Which I admit is ridiculous. Because really who is around to judge me other than myself? And why should I WANT to judge me? Painting classes have made me realize that I have unrealistically high expectations for myself when it comes to doing new things. This is where I think that the description for "Capricorn" actually finally rings true for me. I'm a perfectionist. Which is horrible, because I don't give myself space to grow. To start off awful at something and work hard to become better at it. I have a history of "trying" things and then quitting them. I'd like to change this fact about me so you'll likely see me hammering away at attempting to paint and learn photograpy this year. These two things are my focus. 

So upon the ending of my first oil painting class our teacher suggested that we go home and that sometime during the week we attempt to paint a self portrait. So in keeping with my resolution this year to really try. Here is my attempt:

All set up and ready! Now, the hard part, that first stroke.

The final product. Wish I had thought to take a few inbetween shots.

Well, I think I captured some likeness, but I need to work on values. It will be interesting to see how the next one turns out. I will just have to keep trying. 

Jessism of the Week: All Things Miyazaki

My first experience with a Hayao Miyazaki movie was actually when Spirited Away came out. But it wasn't until I started dating Mr Mine that the true obsession took hold. You see one of Mr Mine's favorite movies happens to be Miyazaki's Castle in the Sky. Once we started watching them we just couldn't stop. And once I had seen them all I wanted to own them all. I cannot think of money better spent when it comes to movies. My friend's kids love them.

Howl's Moving Castle, Porco Rosso, Princess Mononoke, Ponyo

Spirited Away, Kiki's Delivery Service, Castle in the Sky, The Secret World of Arrietty

Nausicca of the Valley of the Winds, My Neighbor Totoro, The Castle of Cagliostro, Whisper of the Heart

If you have young children (2-3) I highly recommend starting with My Neighbor Totoro and maybe even Ponyo. Even though these are all anime's they are definitely not all geared towards just children. As an adult I find them quite charming. There is new one called From Up on Poppy Hill that came out recently but hasn't yet been released in the USA. I've been reading a lot of positive reviews about it and can't wait to add it to our collection.

Also he is currently working on a new movie called The Wind Rises that at the moment is slated to come out this summer.

Jessism of the Week: My Obsession

I am absolutely over-the-moon obsessed with Olallieberries. What are olallieberries you say? Only the single best invention I have ever had the pleasure to put in my mouth. These little beauties were developed at Oregon State in the 1930s by a berry genius named George Waldo and released into the wild in 1950.

"The olallieberry (pronounced oh-la-leh, sometimes spelled ollalieberry, olallaberry, olalliberry, ollalaberry or ollaliberry) is a cross between the loganberryand the youngberry, each of which is itself a cross between blackberry and another berry (raspberry and dewberry, respectively)." - wikipedia, epicurious food dictionary

My first enchanting encounter with these delightful morsels was on a trip to Hearst Castle when my husband and I stopped in Cambria, CA for a bite to eat. Our lunch place of choice was Linn's Restaurant, where we were introduced to the mouthwatering Olallieberry Pie. The taste is so deliciously tart and sweet that it is mind boggling. It was love at first bite. Mr Mine and I immediately both fell in love with the Olallieberry to the point where we even had Olallieberry for our wedding pie last year instead of the traditional cake. We had two frozen pies shipped from Linn's Restaurant and our caterer baked them to perfection! Hmm, maybe I should order one every year for our anniversary. I sense a new tradition in the making...

Recently I was in Solvang, with Mrs Bokeh, and Ms Ianthine and came across a stand selling Olallieberry Jam. If I thought I loved the pie, I am enraptured by the jam. And the obsession continues! YUM!

Jessism of the Week: Meanie Greens

Meanie Greens

I'm not a picky eater. I will pretty much try anything at least once. But there is one vegetable that I really don't get along with. It's the Green Bell Pepper. I found this out when I was living in Pittsburgh with Mrs Bokeh. She absolutely adores them and used them in almost every single dish. Since at that point in life I could basically only boil water I ended up eating a lot of her cooking. I started to notice that I felt very queasy afterwards. It took a while but I discovered that the Meanie Greens and me do not get along well. Though I can eat the yellow, red and orange ones without incident. Which I find odd. After talking with various members of my paternal family I have decided it must be hereditary. Because my dad, aunt, and several cousins have the same issue. Weird huh?

I still occasionally eat them, but they are definitely not my first pick! Down with the Meanie Greens!

Jessism of the Week: Lady Hugalot

I'm big on the hugs. People have even taken to terming it a "Jess hug". I have some simple rules when it comes to hugging.

#1 If you're going to hug someone, hug'em like you mean it. There is nothing worse than getting a half-hearted hug. It's basically like giving someone a limp handshake.

#2 The tighter the squeeze, the better. Please take into account the human pain threshold. It took me a few years to adjust my hugs to that effect.

#3 Be an equal opportune hugger. Hugging people from behind is just as effective as the traditional hug. However, this may be considered a sneak attack, so I would save this for close friends and relatives.

#4 Hugging perfect strangers is ok. And can yield surprising results, especially if they look like they need it. I can't tell you how many times I've been in the ladies room and some girl has come out of the bathroom, mascara dripping down her cheeks, eyes red looking completely miserable and in desperate need of a hug. Of course in those instances I usually ask if they could use a hug. Although occasionally they spontaneously burst from me. Read here about how this got me into a rather comical situation once.

Being a non-hugger is just not a possiblity if you run in my circle. I have no respect for personal boundaries when it comes to hugging either. I can remember making new friends in highschool and one new friend in particular, let's call him Mr. Pants. He had an anti-hug personality. Not to be deterred I hugged him every chance I got (once a day to his discomfort). Wouldn't you know, by the end of Senior year, he'd turn to me and say, "Hey! Where's my hug?" if I walked by without giving one. I think he's a happier guy for it because now he's one of the biggest huggers I know.

Hugs make the world a much better place, period. 

Jessism of the Week: Marathon Runner

Ok, so maybe I don't run your normal average marathon. I'm more of a movie marathon runner. I run my own personal marathons on a regular basis. Whether it's watching an entire season of Bones, or maybe all eight Harry Potter Movies. I love Lie to Me and Bones marathons. And of course the dramatic world of Sex and the City. That show was just designed for ladies nights in. Most recently I did re-watch the entire Season 2 of Lie to Me and we watched all three of the Lord of the Rings movies( the extended versions).

My current obsession is with finishing Buffy. I started watching Buffy a long time ago with a good friend. I used to come over and we'd have dinner, watch three or four episodes and then I'd spend the night on the couch. Yeah this started when I was...25? Sleepovers just never get old. I think I just enjoy escaping into a world I enjoy for long periods of time. Like when you are enjoying a really good book.

Jessism of the Week: Serial Dialer

I used to be a serial dialer. I'd call and call and call people until I finally got ahold of someone. My roommates at the time used to kid me about it. I used to talk to people for hours on end. I'd also go through my entire phone and text everyone on holidays. I kept up with people who I know for a fact didn't keep up with me. I called, or emailed, or even sent cards on people's birthdays who never ever remembered mine. Even though you'd think it would be hard to forget.

I suppose you could say I used to be a people person. I think all of this finally stopped when I started dating Mr. Mine. I think I finally realized that I didn't need people in my life who really didn't care. And I needed to spend alot more time on the ones that do. So thankful for the friends and family that I DO have, that DO care about me. Who always go out of their way for my birthday. And who call ME!

I love when people make an effort and I am trying to get better about acknowledging them and loving them more for it. Because unfortunately when I stopped, I pretty much went Cold Turkey. I just stopped calling people altogether. I'm working on getting better about making the effort again.

Frankly, I think I just finally burned out. But I have to say, these days there is no need for me to call 15 people to try to talk to someone. And I am both grateful and thankful for that as well! So three cheers for being reformed! 

Jessism of the Week: Water Snob

I am a water snob. I admit it. Whenever I go swimming in a natural body of water I always compare it to the crystal blue waters of Sint Maarten's Mullet Bay. It's an unfair comparison I know. But I can't seem to help it. I love being able to see the bottom clearly at least 100 ft out!

Jessism of the Week: Movie Sap

I am a complete sap. I cry during movies sure, lots of people do. But I also cry during kids shows, cartoons, and animes. In fact, I cried through the last third of The Muppets, as well as several Sailor Moon movies. I cry at happy and sad movies.

I'm also one of those people that jumps during scary movies. I mean out of my seat knocking my knee on objects in front of me kind of jumpy. My best friend Mrs Sunshine loves to watch scary movies with me because she gets a kick out of it. I tend to scare people more than the movie does.

You remember that scene in Ace Ventura Pet Detective where the shark jumps out of the water? The one that was in all the trailers so you KNEW it was going to happen? I still jumped, in fact when I jumped I flung out both my arms which hit both people sitting next to me and nearly gave both of them a heart attack. Needless to say it took me a few years to live that one down. 

Jessism of the Week: Leftover Lover

Ok I will admit it, I LOVE leftovers. And I would say that 9.5 out of 10 times I eat them cold. No re-warming them for me. Nope. Although I have noticed that ratio has gotten a lot greater since we no longer have a microwave. Although if I am not being lazy, the convection oven works just as well. And hey, sometimes they're just a dish best served cold!