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Painting the Dinosaur
I got a little carried away. The gold, the bright green, the dark green, some red, the result was a mess, just a mess. So I took her into the bathroom and washed her off in the sink, which took forever, and now she is so bright and clean and sitting on a piece of paper towel and I think that’s her natural state. No more painting for now. Some things you have to actually know how to do. And I don’t want to know. I watched a YouTube video by a real artist about how to make a face out of clay. Lots of measuring. It was a really good face. But there was nothing crazy going on. No surprises. It was kind of depressing. I didn’t make anything for three or four days after that.
Made another turtle.
My daughter Catherine wants the white creature with her baby! And the newest turtle which I think is actually a frog. Making another right now.
I have been experimenting with just finger dents for nose, for mouth, for eyes, and if it works she will be just so lovely and so understated. Terra cotta. Finally had to use the knitting needle for her eyes, though. Just a hint.
Outside is every shade of green in the world.
Found an old letter from Chuck. Had to sit still for a long time.
This morning first thing I did was to check on the experiment, and oh god, I love her. She reminds me of when you’re trying to remember someone you knew years ago, but you can’t quite picture the face. That’s what she looks like, a sort of dim memory. She is just lovely, but she’s just about to disappear. I can’t stop staring at her. Then later I made a man’s face with the white clay, which is still slippery but I’m getting used to it. He is austere, and smart, and I left the tiny leak of terracotta slip that came off the needle when I made his left eye. It’s just a trickle of blood, it suits him not to wipe it away.
A head appeared complete with ears and a sort of Geo Washington wig thing going on with his hair so I made him into a bust, just for fun. His head is flung back, nose in the air but joyous and playful, not a serious bone in his body. Which he doesn’t have one of, of course.
I gave the shiny silver mouse to Paul for his mother (she likes mice) and made three more as soon as I got home. With every passing mouse, the next gets bigger and more menacing. Almost ferocious! It’s so interesting. As if I am in charge of the evolution of the mouse so it can take over the earth and make a better job of it than we have.
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