Bed Side Story

I wish this was my bedroom...
I really wish I was in Bali with Julia...
Riding a bicycle...

Enroute to a date with Javier Bardem - miam, miam

But watching EAT PRAY LOVE in bed is not a bad alternative...

And I can paint onsite here in bed as well!

Jane in New Zealand of Sparrow Chatter kindly sent me her amazing picture of tarts of local cafe La Cloche...

It's on my desktop where I can gaze at it endlessly...

Next project is to paint these lovely tartes - wish me luck.

If I want a taste of Paris (my laptop is on the floor by my bed) I can visit with Inez de la Fressange

Her video jaunts around Paris are good for your accent and a delightful vicarious adventure. Do VISIT!

When your mattress is on the floor, you get a different perspective and long to re-arrange your walls etc. I did move things a bit yesterday :)

THANKS SO MUCH! for all your well wishes and curative suggestions.

I'm making a long to-do list once I'm able to tackle yoga and tai chi etc.

I heard from Rivera, one of the EMT guys at Station:

'Carol, I hope you are doing better than when I first found you! I can tell you first hand when I saw her drawings I was absolutely astounded at how spot on they were! I am sorry I have not gotten around to this sooner, but having you as a patient was absolutely the highlight of my day! One of the best patients I ever had. I actually printed out the sketch and I am trying to show everyone I know at every opportunity!You are extremely talented and I wish you the best. I forget how many readers you told me you have... but add one more in me!'

What an adventure this had turned out to be! I'm off to the Doc shortly to find out what's what with my left leg.

BONJOUR BED SIDE STORY!

Sciatica

Round #1 - the tarte wins. Lecon learned. Do not speak ill of local tartes if you value your health.

So how did a tarte put me in the back of this vehicle yesterday?

Granted I am now permanently in love with FDNY EMTs! New York's finest are the greatest and the cutest!

Firstly I haven't been to the pool for months. Secondly I sit A LOT, but I get up frequently. Evidently not frequently enough. Lastly my two encounters with drawing New York tartes onsite on Sunday and Monday did me in. I was so focused, so nervous, so fraught I sat drawing for 2+ hours straight and forgot to get up at all = not good for sciatica. Tense as a cat grappling with these damn tartes, my brush was my weapon. Another lecon learned. YOU MUST RELAX!

On Tuesday an old sciatica nerve injury complained.

Photo by Sarmdmemt On Wednesday I started doing exercises on YouTube = bad idea when you're in pain. Wait until the pain goes away for before exercising! On Thursday I woke up in worse pain and my left leg caved like a strand of over-cooked spagetti. I had to crawl around the apartment. Time to call 911.

A friend suggested I bring books and sketchpad to the ER.

How right she was! 

It's been a long time since I've sketched onsite except for said tartes, but this was fun and a distraction from the long wait (3-4 hours). The final diagnosis - bed rest, rehab, pain killers and a cane. 

C'est la vie. I've been checking in with a few of artist friends who sketch onsite ALL THE TIME. Rick Tulka draws everyday at Cafe Le Select in Paris and has no back pains to speak of.

My cousin-in-law, William Ternay is never without his sketchbook. Bill said to me:

"You must bring to this new experience "Beginner's Mind" Give yourself permission to be uncomfortable, make errors and go with the old flow! . Easier said than done".

Time to go back to Drawing With The Right Side of The Brain - all about loosening up. Going with the flow whether you draw regularly or even draw at all!

 

Two drawings by a fourth-grader - before & after! This book used to be my drawing bible and I just reordered it. I need to relax and enjoy the process of drawing -

"Don't worry, Be Happy"

Tartes, I'm not done with you yet, even though you knocked me out first round, I'll be back soon and in a better frame of mind.

BONJOUR TARTES!!

Do The French Do It Better

More snow today. No NYC yellow cabs to brighten the view.

I was thinking the French own the tarte. This Pain Quotidien tarte is lacking in je ne sait quoi

.Just put it next to the French version of a framboise tarte.

A NY tarte from Financier Pastries looks pretty Frenchie

Parisian Secco's tartelettes.

The French love their REDS.

Count all the RED in this picture.

So why not a touch of RED on these chocolat minis?

Dalloyau does lovely RED tartes.

Gerard Mulot Berry sketch #1

Gerard Mulot Berry Sketch #2

A no-name Parisian corner patisserie makes them every day of the week. They get lots of practice. THANKS for all your kind comments and support for my new adventure - the Pastry Sketch Crawl 

Bon Appetit!

Pastry Sketch Crawl Chez Moi

More tarte adventures today - the pastry sketch crawl continues... It's a SNOW day in New York, so I thought I'd paint pastry at chez moi... Last Sunday the plan was to paint onsite at Cafe Petrossian on 7th Avenue

But they were just closing so I bought the berry tarte above...

You can find candy caviar at Petrossian...

As well as the REAL thing...

You know you're in the 'Frenchie' area when you look across the street and spot La Parisienne Diner...

Then again you know you're in New York City when you get nearly run over by giant hounds...

On Monday I met a friend at another Pain Quotidien...

I thought perhaps having company onhand whilst painting might aide and abet the outcome...

No such luck malheureusement...

So today I dragged out the Petrossian tarte and went to work at home - my still life setup.

My not-so-hot results. Evidently it will take MANY tartes before I figure out how to paint these puppies. Why does that teapot look pregnant? :(

Oh dear...not there yet.

"Once more into the breach, dear friends, once more"

(many more attempts are required before I get the better of these %$#@ tartes. I ate this one. Vengence is mine! It was superbe)

One good thing about sketch crawling at home, I can get up and change my paint water frequently. And I can check the refrigerator contents - oh perhaps not such a good thing after all.

"Out, out damn snow!"

BONJOUR PASTRY SKETCH CRAWL CHEZ MOI!