Outside the Lines Chat Topic ~ April 2021

[frida]

It’s raining here almost every day. Arghhh!

I actually sat in front of my drawing board and drew for a little while. My right dominant arm didn’t give me any trouble, in spite of the plate holding on the humerus with screws. The long rest imposed on it since 2014 to allow me to put more time to care for my dear hubby can slowly reverse, I am sure. I find my stride improving by making sure I walk the steps I regularly increase around the main floor every single day, and… no mask needed!!!

Raquel from Toronto, CDA

[frida]

It is a beautiful, sunny day, 12 C here right now. However, it is a “Pandemic Mood Day” in my heart, trying to feel stronger during this long world event that is touching everybody’s life and has more questions than answers… :grouphug:

Keep well!!!

Raquel from Toronto, CDA

[frida]

I took photos this morning of our Toronto Spring in April, but when I posted it up it showed negative in this new platform, so I “converted” the photo to negative hoping it would show positive. If not, sorry! I see them all right with the black screen!

These are my growing Daylilies…

PS – went back to my original!

Raquel from Toronto, CDA

[frida]

If you watch Netflix, a series is just starting with David Attenborough, Life in Color… I just put it in my list because, as usual with his gems, the photography is first class, and I can take ALL the colour anyone offers me as an incentive to move to that sad drawing board of mine and all those dusty coloured pencils waiting for some action!!! Not that I am idle, mind you…

Heikki – For the first time in my life I will use a real UK expression…: I was gobsmacked enjoying the details of your model trains in their surroundings!!! I have seen many dioramas at competitions, but the details in your work are astonishing. Never mind when you made them.

I was especially interested in the sprinkling flour to visually soften the surfaces. And those rails…! Creative things like that captivate me, after  seeing how crafty some people can be when working with models, like my husband mixing talcum powder with water to make a gap-filling paste, or using a light floor liquid as the ideal finish for the perfect sheen on an aircraft. He decided I was his “Colour Consultant”, and I felt quite honoured.

PS – not one snowflake remained on the ground by bedtime yesterday…

Raquel from Toronto, CDA

[ManedWolf]

Raquel, thanks for the David Attenborough tip! It’s produced by BBC which means that our national Yle will probably show it too in next autumn or winter. May Sir David and the wild nature live forever.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000stys

Thanks also for the comment about my models! In that diorama the two 1950s cars were the only things built by me; everything else is by somebody else (the track is bought ready-to-run and just ballasted). I was quite a productive car builder in the 80s but eventually colour pencils won and now I’m rather inactive in the model railway scene. On the other hand my rolling stock has been shown in probably more than 25 exhibitions during these 40 years until the covid19 shut everything down.

My only Finnish loco is based on Roco’s 1:87 model of a (West) German class 290 diesel – the bogies / trucks are almost identical, the differences in length and wheelbase are negligible and the mechanism works very smoothly so I only had to build the gangway / walking deck (what’s the proper name for the flat gray part you walk on?!) and the main body. My model was first shown in 1987 1988 and it’s been a reliable workhorse even though it still has no handrails and window glazing … but a Finnish engine pulling a Finnish freight train is so impressive that most people don’t even notice the glassless windows! This is a real Dr14 in scale 1:1 (from Wikipedia):

In the good old days our VR (Valtion Rautatiet = State Railways – not Victorian Railways as in Australia!) really used sand on car roofs. First the wooden roofs were brushed heavily with some mass or mush or paste (there was a recipe) and then sprinkled heavily with sand; this was done twice and the result was a very durable roof. I may take some photos of my models when we get more sunlight – right now it’s very cloudy and we may even get some snow.

Heikki, Hyvinkää, Finland

 

[frida]

I found a very exciting competition or Challenge with great close ups of Hibiscus to use, but I tried to find it again without result. Has anyone else seen it? The “traffic” in this new WC is scary!!!

Raquel from Toronto, CDA

[ManedWolf]

******* (that’s about **** in English)! The latest info about Melissa & Doug’s plush cheetah (two images on previous page) tells that it’s “currently unavailable” and nobody knows when or if it will be ever produced again. Looks like it has been produced long ago and sold out long ago but still advertized – some weeks ago it was advertized as “coming in early May” (or sth) but in fact it’s most probably not available anymore anywhere. A pox on M & D.

No, I’ve got no credit card and I won’t touch dealers like ebay even with a six-foot pole. So there will be no decoration cheetah in this household after all, damn it. I think I’ll go back to sleep (it’s about 3:30 pm here).

Heikki

[frida]

Sorry you won’t be able to have those stuffed companions… I have never got anything from ebay, and no interest to start! I am even having trouble to get something from WalMart, a popular online merchant in Canada as well… Their service sometimes is inexcusable!

Raquel from Toronto, CDA

[frida]

I wasn’t happy with today’s coming events… Workers would turn the power off at 8 am (“dawn” for me) to do some needed repairs to electrical equipment, and hoping to be done by noon. The cold wasn’t a problem, and breakfast routine could be changed. Just something else to add to this difficult pandemic life we are living!

But I owe deep gratitude to those workers who were finished by 11 am, and brought back to life light, music and computers!!! Contacts, friends, family…

I had my list of so many things I have been neglecting due to the worry and apathy about these days, and the first on it was CP CP CP, so I sat down and did a bit. My back was OK, but my fingers were cramping around the pencils. I shall keep at it. I need that kind of colour and creative work in my life again.

PS – Do your fingers cramp? Any advice?

Raquel from Toronto, CDA

[ManedWolf]

Why won’t anyone else write in these monthly topics? I’ve slowly coming to the conclusion* that most people think that these are practically of no use; to me it would be easier to write my notes in my paper diary.

I won’t begin the May monthly chat even though it seems to be May today.

* The outcome or result of a process or act. A decision reached after careful thought. “The board has come to the conclusion that the proposed takeover would not be in the interest of our shareholders.” (Wiktionary)

Heikki

[Pingpongfan]

You’re right Heikki. It is mostly you and Raquel who write. I do enjoy reading your dialogue but, it would be nice if a few more artists joined in. Many who used to participate in the forum seem to have dropped out. I don’t know what the solution is. All I can think of is not to give up on the forum and just hope that gradually a few more cp artists will join in.

We have a sunny day in Nanaimo.  A good start to May. The rhododendrons are starting to open up. We have had blossoms on the trees for the last month. I do love spring with all the new growth and spring flowers.

Stay safe everybody and get your shots. I had my first one on April 1. We have to beat this.

Vena

[frida]

TO HEIKKI AND VENA: I just started the May Chat with a special message to you two…

Stay safe and happy!

Raquel from Toronto, CDA

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