Friday, April 26, 2013

Friday-10:15am

Well, the crazy numb leg stuck around yesterday and my normal stretching wasn't alleviating the pain.  Finally googled and searched--all the symptoms and descriptions fit perfectly--I think it's sciatica.  So, I also searched out some different new stretching exercises I could do for sciatica--and tried those off and on yesterday.  Seemed to help and I could sleep last night--hurray!  Today I can walk better and the sharper pain has lessened...and I am doing the extra exercises.  Leg and my behind still feel quite weird, but things are looking up.  :)
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So--since I couldn't walk or stand well yesterday...I worked on the Zendala Dare for this week.   

This time I actually took out my Tangles Binder...
...and used efilys, 2-N-5, and beadlines. 
I decided to participate in the APR challenge for this week, too.  Jennifer woke up with this childhood song playing in her head--the one that goes "Head, shoulders, knees and toes"--and we were supposed to somehow incorporate that into our art this week.  Body parts--OMG!
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Well, the next line is "Eyes, ears, mouth and nose"...
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As a rule, I don't draw people or animals because I know I'm just not good at it--but I decided to grab this journal page where we had wiped off the brayer from the gelli plate playing (so I would be intimidated by a white page)...and tried to paint a face over it.  You can laugh.  But at least I bet your recognize she's human--LOL!  My first face.
Well, my first painted face.  Have attempted to draw them with pencil a few times over the years (I truly lack hand-brain coordination) and was actually forced to draw a self-portrait in pastels for a college art class (which is why I knew I needed to use my little table easel so her head wouldn't end up all kittywompus and looking like one of the Coneheads from Saturday Night Live).  I have little clue how to shade with paint and am almost a virgin when it comes to acrylics--but, regardless, this is my "eyes, ears, mouth and nose" contribution for the Artist's Playroom.  Her ears are hidden under her hair--(be grateful you were spared)--but she actually looks fairly proportional!  So, for me--she counts as a success--LOL!
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Dagan stopped by with the non-scratch scrubber last night.  When I can stand at the sink again I can promise you that I shall scrub those dang stencils until they look brand spankin' new!  ;)  In the meantime, I think I shall work on writing letters.  That's a most delightful sitting-thing to do on a spring-like day that's supposed to be our first day to maybe hit 60--whoohoo!!  I even have the porch door and windows open (already almost 50!).  Glorious, only-breezy, resurrected-flies-on-the-porch day!  Oh, and I've been so busy puttering this week that I haven't even watched Call The Midwife and Mr. Selfridge from last Sunday yet! 
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Take care!  Be well!  
See you again soon.  :) :)
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"The right time is any time that one is still so lucky as to have...Live!"
Henry James

29 comments:

TexWisGirl said...

good luck with the sciatica. truly a terrible thing.

love the tangle and LOVE the painted face! beautiful! lovely, deep pool eyes!

Janie Junebug said...

I love the painted face. It's beautiful. The Hurricane had to paint a self-portrait in a college class. It hangs in my bedroom, directly across from the bed, where it pleases me exceedingly.

Love,
Janie

Anonymous said...

LOVE those eyes...

Intense Guy said...

For someone that says she can't draw people - she really can!! You've got a lot of talent - and such an artistic ability!

You need to get "discovered".

GrandmaG said...

I am very impressed with your face. Beautiful!

Anonymous said...

I once had a slipped disk which pinched my sciatic nerve--felt like I had an UNSET broken leg!! Good luck to you!!

DJan said...

You did a great job on that face if you ask me! And the weather it is a-changin' I would say, Rita :-)

Jenny Woolf said...

That is a wonderful picture, you are too modest, many people would be delighted to have done something so good :)

And, I am glad your leg is improving.

Beth said...

Excellent job on the painted face!!

I am glad your leg is better today.

Victoria said...

HUgs friend, hoping you feel all better real soon..no fun..get well!!
And wowness..beautiful face..she is gorgeous..deeply soulful and full of spirit..such magical eyes..I love her..exquisite! and LOVE the sun emblem..amazing wavy energies..you are so gifted!
Thanks for adding magic to my day
Victoria

Dana said...

You draw very well. I wish I had your artistic talents.

I hope your leg feels even better tomorrow. Have a lovely weekend. ☺

Akannie said...

Hi honey~~~ I thought the drawing was fabulous ! You blow me away with your art...

Sciatica does indeed suck. I used to get it a lot when I worked in restaurants (concrete floors), but I went to a massage therapist who could fix it every time. Sometimes the pain was so awful I could barely stand up.

C'Mon Spring !!!!!

Anne's tangle blog said...

I think you did very well painting this face; I like it a lot! So Rita, you are much (and more) to hard on yourself.
Your zendala is great too.
Hope you recover soon.

Anonymous said...

Wow - that painted face is beautiful.

Paper rainbow said...

I love your face study! Good idea to start on some sort of background, white paper is very scary. :)

Sherry Ellis said...

Your face is a lot better than anything I could ever draw! Hope you feel better!

Debbie Jones said...

Hope you are feeling better. My mom suffered with sciatica and finally got some help from a chiropractor. I am glad the exercises are helping. That face is REALLY good. You should not feel like you can't draw people because you obviously can! You are so very talented. Thanks for sharing with all of your friends out here in blogland! Have a good weekend.

Beverly G said...

I have chronic back pain so sending sympathies your way and good luck with the exercises sounds like they are working. Now onto your art--just fabulous, if that's your first painted face I believe I'll start following you and watch you only go forward from there, she's a beauty.

Friko said...

considering that the painting is your first ever of a face you’ve done well.

Carry on and who knows where you might end.

Hope the gammy leg stops troubling you too.

Funny in My Mind said...

I haven't had any spare time for commenting or blogging. I have a lot of good posts in my head though! Thank you Rita for thinking of me!!
I hope your leg feels better soon (I would love to know those exercises since I sometimes have the same back/leg/hip issues.....
Did you try to spray some 409 or other all purpose cleaner on the stencils, let it sit a while and then scrub?

Queenie Jeannie said...

A wonderful painting!!! HUGE success!! Love your tangle as well.

So happy to hear that your weather has shifted for the better. Figures - ours takes a nosedive and yours gets better, lol!! Enjoy!

Cindy Lane said...

That is one impressive face Rita! I want to see more please!
Hope you're feeling better soon and a tickle under the chin to Karma.

Dee said...

Dear Rita, I've been away for a while from posting and also from reading the blogs of friends--you among them. So I'm sorry to learn that you continue to have health issues beyond the fibromyalgia. That's enough to have--or so it seems to me.

The zendala is gorgeous. I so like the shape that you started with and your additions make it pop off the page. The face makes me wonder what she's thinking. She seems serene.

Take care of yourself. You didn't mention Karma in this posting. I hope all is okay with her. Peace.

Furry Bottoms said...

My sister is currently having a big issue with her back. They've been focusing on her hip, pelvic and sciata areas. Pain in back is getting better, but her leg is still weak... she can't even control it to go up the stairs or to walk. Its terrifying her. I just read somewhere that it would be a pinched nerve in the NECK thats causing leg numbness. The body is just so weird. I am glad you're going a mite better!

Far Side of Fifty said...

You can draw and paint a face real good! Nice weather!! Hope you are all back to normal soon. How about letting those stencils soak..:)

AliceKay said...

I'm glad your leg is feeling better. Hope it continues to feel better daily.

I think your painting of the face is pretty darn good.

Have a good week!

Zue said...

Your First face is amazing. She is beautiful and has character. Bravo!
My dad had a remedy called Sciago..not sure which natural ingredients were in it, but I think it was a plant extract. It worked for him.
Sciatica is so painful, I had it when I was pregnant, long time ago. Glad the exercises helped you.
Love your zendala :)
Greetings from a sunny and still cold Oxford.
Xxxx
Sue

Farida said...

The drawing is great, I think :) and the doodle too is very creative. I hope Karma is doing well. Please take care, Ms Rita!

Sarah Leonard said...

She's absolutely lovely I think. A real kindness to her face - I like her :)

Sarah @ A Cat-Like Curiosity