Sunday, 8 October 2023

This Week's Sunday Seven

I like reading various blogging buddies' weekly summaries of their activities, so I'm starting one of my own using a "Sunday Seven" format --

1. SAW: Went to the Art Gallery of Alberta to see the pop art exhibition "From Warhol to Banksy." I've seen lots of art by Warhol, Lichtenstein, and other 1960s pop artists over the years but this was the first time I saw the more timely Banksy works exhibited, so I enjoyed them the most.

2. HEARD: Attended the first concert of the season by the Alberta Baroque Ensemble. This is the first live concert I've attended since the pandemic (sheesh). The music was a balm to my soul! Plus I had great catch-up conversations with a friend from law school and one from tai chi.

3. ATE: Pumpkin pie! Canadian Thanksgiving is tomorrow and I've been indulging in an early, private, shameless Pie Fest all this week. Appropriately enough, here's the Thanksgiving card my sister sent me --
4. CELEBRATED: So happy this week to see Wab Kinew, leader of the Manitoba NDP, elected as the 1st First Nations premier of a Canadian province!

5. ACCOMPLISHED: Went for my biennial mammogram this week. All is well with The Girls.

6. ENJOYED: The gorgeous autumn colours which are at their peak now in Edmonton!

7. LEARNED: How to render a realistic caucasian skin tone in coloured pencils. We did an ear, so here it is in all its glory.  Please disregard the terrible shadow behind the ear which would have looked more realistic done in shades of dark blue or indigo, not the dark browns I used.


[Art & photo of art © Debra She Who Seeks, 2023]

33 comments:

roentare said...

This is a powerful way to express ourselves. Love it. It reads so fulfilling.

Bob said...

Love the card.
Still awaiting our Fall colors.
Love the election of the 1st First Nations premier of a Canadian province.
Good ear!

jaz@octoberfarm said...

happy thanksgiving! that ear is great!

NanaDiana said...

Well, first off--that artwork is AMAZING! Other than that-what a wonderful week and I love this idea of dividing your week up into memories. Love your sister's sense of humor. She's a keeper! Happy Thanksgiving. xo Diana

Travel said...

A great week, well described.

Ellen D. said...

Great job on the ear. Happy Thanksgiving!

Bea said...

Have a good holiday! The rendering of the ear is super, btw.

Liz Hinds said...

What a great positive idea and what a lovely week you've had. Wonderful ear.

Pixie said...

That sounds like a wonderful week. That ear is amazing.

We're having Thanksgiving supper today or tomorrow, not sure. The turkey is already cooked but I want to spend time outside, not in the kitchen. This weather is too nice to waste.

If you want any homemade pie, head on out to Sherwood Park. We have enough to share:)

Mistress Maddie said...

It's gotten cool here this week, I suspect we'll still have some warm days.. our foliage has not yet started changing just yet. I love pumpkin pie too but I have an indulged in a slice yet, although I have started my apple cider I can go through a gallon of that a week!

Old Lurker said...

What a sassy idea! I wonder who inspired it?

Shameful confession time: I had not been paying any attention to the Manitoba election at all. Good for Wab Kinew, but boy howdy does he have a lot of weight on his shoulders now. I am also glad to see the PP-like tactics backfire on the Manitoba PCs.

Glad to hear the Girls are doing well. Please be careful as you venture out in the world -- there are some pretty nasty bugs going around, as well as this season's fashionable strains of COVID.

Cleora Borealis said...

I live in El Paso, TX, so my fall colors are ecru, beige, and tan!! But the desert has lots of advantages...the smell of rain on desert plants is incredible!! And, the blue color of the sky is different...an artist friend of mine is always hearing critics elsewhere tell her that her blue skies don't look real. I agree...they're beautifully surreal!! Happy Thanksgiving!!

Mike said...

So THAT'S where Van Goghs' ear went! Into your collection of art objects. What else have you got of his?

Marie Smith said...

Happy Thanksgiving, Debra. Enjoy a turkey nap!

Moving with Mitchell said...

Good caucasian skin tones. Remember when Crayola called it “flesh”? Your sister must be so much fun. I'm craving pumpkin pie... and that pop art exhibition.I wouldn't go for baroque.

Debra She Who Seeks said...

@ Moving with Mitchell -- Oh yes, I remember the erstwhile "flesh" colour. For this, I used primarily Peach and Light Peach Prismacolor Premiers.

Parnassus said...

Hello Debra, Your ear is an admirable addition to the canon, but frankly they have been done. Here is an Egyptian ear stela with forty-four ears (be sure to use the enlarge feature on the image, which on my computer pops up rather small--you know they say that little pictures have big ears):
https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/Y_EA1471
--Jim

Leanna said...

You've been so busy. Happy Thanksgiving tomorrow.

Janie Junebug said...

That's a great ear. I'm sure it hears everything. If I tried to draw an ear, it wouldn't even begin to resemble an ear. I have seen one Banksy, but it was in the wild, so to speak, in San Francisco. I was so excited I didn't want to cross the street. I wanted to stay and stare at the building on which he'd left an image.

Love,
Janie

Debra She Who Seeks said...

@ Janie Junebug -- Lucky you for having seen the Holy Grail! The exhibit included a short film about Banksy, which talked about his "American tour" in which he caused havoc in the USA about his "vandalism."

Debra She Who Seeks said...

@ Parnassus (Jim) -- Oh, those darn Ancient Egyptians, always upstaging everyone!

angela said...

Love the drawing.
And the card is adorable.
We don’t have thanksgiving here. But I have celebrated one usa thanksgiving with a friend from the states who now lives here
She was all alone,as her hubby was away for work. So I cooked a turkey dinner and she brought the pie.
It was delicious

River said...

That's an excellent ear drawing.

Kirk said...

Unlike Charlie Tuna, that pumpkin pie looks like he's (if it is a he) willing to put up a fight before being consumed.

e said...

Sorry for the late response - life getting in the way of living.

That ear is amazing. What a funny appendage ears are! You have conquered this one, 'flesh' tones and all.

I like the weekly summary format. I was always a fan of bullet points. Lol.
cheers!

This N That said...

Fortunately for
me I can ignore pumpkin but there is always something else to pig out on..
Love the card..
Your "ear" is great.. shadow or not..You are very artistic..

Ur-spo said...

a good list indeed, especially about the girls.

Sassybear said...

I love these lists, too. Nice to get a peek into our week! That ear looks amazing!

Busy Bee Suz said...

I also enjoy these types of posts--they give us a little slice of your week.
I love your sisters card and Happy belated Thanksgiving, you sweet pie eating artist!

baili said...

Oh i so loved this new weekly update system dear Debra
i Love to learn such things about my blogging friends and here you are ,THANKS .
glad you saw ,heard ,celebrated and learned so much everything good and nurturing indeed
i am always touched by your details and loved the ear amazing job like always :)
happy thanksgiving to your sis and happy fall hues

Richard said...

That is a shapely earlobe. Thanks for the updates.

The Blog Fodder said...

That ear is awesome. Van Gogh would have had you draw him a new one.
I love your Sunday Seven.

Adam said...

🦃🦃🦃🦃