Cuppa Tea Time: A scheduling error!

May 2, 2016 | 6 Comments


Those of you that know me well will have worked out that yesterdays post was a mistake. Why?

1. My Last Week series normally comes out on Monday – or if I am really busy a day later, but never a day earlier.
2. Sunday is my day of rest and worship and I don’t switch on my computer, let alone write a blog post.

It is very tragic – I was so pleased with myself on Saturday evening that I have prepared Monday’s blog post and scheduled it. Pity that I didn’t get the date correct, hey?

So anyway, if you were puzzling whether I had changed my standards, now you know that it was just a scheduling error. I can tell you that it was a horrible shock this morning to see that my post went up yesterday – a feeling that I’m sure my friends who also hold Lord’s Day Observance dear will understand.

As for this teacup sketch – it was completed on Friday night over supper with friends, and it is a Shelley. I really felt out of practice with sketching complex teacups in public – it requires a slightly different approach than when I am home and in the zone. I found myself a little out of control both with the shapes and the colours, and also at the same time trying to be part of the conversation. So I think that I will need to do it more often by either making special trips with friends to fancy tearooms that use fine china, or do more visiting to friends’ homes, especially if they have a collection of teacups. There is something special about being served tea in a cup that has a personal association. Oh! I think that just came out wrong… just for the record, owning fancy teacups is not a prerequisite for friendship!

One final note for all the lovely people who get my posts via email:
We have been trying to work out what is causing the mysterious code that has been appearing in my text. We think that we’ve found a solution (if the apostrophe in that ‘we have’ has appearing correctly then it is fixed – yay!) It is going to involve a different way of working for me, but that’s ok as long as those crazy characters disappear!

6 Comments

  • Kate says:

    hey Liz, you mentioned “in the zone,” does that mean switching left brain to right brain – analytical to creative? I’ve wondered if that is something you have to deal with – not just in sketching, but as an architect too – I mention it because I’m trained as an engineer, and I have a hard time sketching in an analytical environment – IE, with analytical people around

    • Liz Steel says:

      Thanks Kate – great question. When I am out sketching with friends I have to rely on reflex sketching – in particular my eye-hand coordination and my muscle memory in terms of mixing colour. When I am in the zone I am fully concentrating on my work. It is a bigger topic than I can address in a comment, but basically fully concentrating on my art uses BOTH left and right brain. Radical – hey? I use my left brain A LOT (the key of the Constructing Volumes way of seeing) but I am using it in tandem with my right brain. I am able to use my left brain in a visual way…there is the danger that it will take over but it helps. eg. I think perspective has a big left brain component to it. Hmm, will have to write more about this soon!

  • Hi Liz, the coding glitch is fixed! All seems to be ok and as it should be – just thought I’d let you know.

    As for being ‘in the zone’ – I’m amazed at how you manage to sketch brilliantly (I especially love this particular teacup) AND talk (presumably coherently) at the same time – because it IS a right brain left brain thing, and many people including me find it stressful and/or well nigh impossible! But the ‘zone’ is often a mental space of relaxed attention and that’s something I associate with being at home, or alone outside – so I understand this very well.

    • Liz Steel says:

      I am glad the glitch has gone… but it is something that I will have to watch carefully for each post…sigh!
      Great comments – please refer to my reply to Kate as well about using left and right brain together! And sketch while talking is a hard task but I skill I have worked on… training your eye-hand coordination is the biggest part of it. I do a lot of crazy sketches when I am multitasking but that is part of the fun. I prefer to have a go and have some record than only work when I think I can control the outcome.

  • Linda Warskin says:

    Sorry you had the date glitch . I’m impressed that you are able to forego a blog post for the Sabbath day. I tried to eliminate my Sunday blog post and then decided to write a short piece based on scripture.

    I do so enjoy your blog and enjoyed the two on line classes. I’m looking forward to
    your bew course.

    • Liz Steel says:

      Hi Linda, lovely to hear from someone who understands what I am aiming for. The concept of rest in order to worship is my guiding principle…and it is also the way I have been brought up so I couldn’t imagine ‘wasting my day’ with work… that is how I see it. Not working is such a positive thing for me. Trying to switch my work brain off is hard enough. I do wish my Sundays were more like what heaven is going to be.

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