Arizona On My Mind

This last February  we were in England for a family funeral. It was a difficult time as you might expect. There was also lots of down time.  

To stave off boredom and not dwell on the situation too much, I picked up my iPad and a stylus and started drawing.

It was so much fun — the drawing not the funeral.

No great expectations were floating around in my head because I hadn’t done much drawing on the iPad up until then. It was only to pass the time.

Turns out I really enjoyed drawing on the iPad. My hands didn't get dirty, there was no washing up afterwards and I didn't get chastised for getting paint on the floors / walls / ceiling / anywhere it wasn't supposed to be. I have to tell you, if you have a the slightest bit of Alizarin Crimson oil paint anywhere on your body it will show up in the most unlikely and unwanted places. Then you end up having to scrub the sheets, the floors, and your body with paint thinner. I wasn't a very popular person that day. 

It was exciting to get used to how the stylus did it’s thing against the iPad. Learning mode is fun. 

Have you ever heard of an artist called David Hockney?  He’s pretty well known. Hockney was part a gaggle that slummed with Andy Warhol at his famous “Factory” in the 1960s.  

He says he draws something on his iPad every morning and sends it to his friends.  The inspiration to draw on my iPad came from his practice. 

What a great idea!  I started out doing a drawing a day.  It lasted about three months and then became a bit much. 

Plus, I got side-tracked a bit.  

My dad’s getting on in years - he’s got 89 of ‘em stacked one behind the other right now. Inevitably, at that age, things start to go a bit haywire.

We're in the process of moving to Sun City Grand in Arizona to be close to dad and help out if needed. 

I’m lucky I can pick up and move here to be closer to him. 

Over the last couple of months I’ve started settle down a bit and have got back on track with the writing, drawing and postings. It feels pretty good to be back in the saddle. 

My goal is to post a drawing and some thoughts once a week. That seems sustainable. I guess sometimes they’ll be more complex than others but I hope they’ll all be enjoyable. 

Sustainable, to me, is better than something that I might burn out on.

This little drawing is inspired by Sun City Grand. 

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