April 02, 2004
Waiting
I drew this while waiting for a doctors appointment. I felt quite lucky to be drawing, as the man was drifting off into a catnap and maintaining perfect posture. I imagine many things about him. I think he is slow to talk, in a thoughtful, introspective way. I did get to see his open, expectant smile when his name was called. He revealed himself to be older than I had imagined, it seemed that perhaps the world was just a tad further away than it might have been just five years earlier.
I guess I should explain, I think getting older is a bit like being birthed in reverse. I think the world closes around you, protecting and sheltering you for your next passage. Maybe this is a fantasy, something I would like to believe. Either way, I love to look into old eyes and wonder. I have always been attracted to old folk. I have photos of myself as a child near an elder person I had obviously fallen in love with. Most of my friends are quite a bit older than me, I find I am often the youngest in my chosen groups (quilt guilds and such).
-----If anyone who reads this page knows of a decent fixitive that isn't too toxic, I would love to know what you use and why you like it. I sometimes work in pencil in my journal but find that I don't like the smearing that occurs.-------
You are right about the elderly being 'birthed in reverse'! My father, at age 75, is becoming more gentle and playful than I have ever seen him in his life.---have you tried 'hair spray' as a fixitive, assuming it is still manufactured. It's what we used...'back in the day', with charcole and pastel.
Posted by: Libby at April 2, 2004 11:53 AMOne more commonality we share! As a child one of my favorite songs (and still is) was Simon and Garfunkel's Old Friends particularly the taped voices and then the orchestral interlude. I visit my great aunt (79) , my beloved maternal grandmother's(90 in august!) sister, every other weekend... I love the cadence, of their voices especially, there's so much meaning in the sound....
Posted by: andree/a at April 2, 2004 12:44 PMMelly - After years of searching, I've come to the conclusion that Fixatif Delacroix by Sennelier is the best. While I'm afraid they're all somewhat toxic and should be used outside or by an open window, this stuff is, at least, in a pump spray bottle instead of the usual pressurized can and the smell is much less deadly.
Posted by: Hugo at April 8, 2004 02:31 PM