I saw a movie today. Julie/Julia with Meryl Streep and Amy Adams. An excellent movie with depth and a message but also a thoroughly enjoyable watch. My cousin Rose and I sat there laughing and getting a little teary eyed as Ms. Streeps Julia Child showed us how to 'bloom where you're planted' and make lemonade out of life's lemons. She was unable to have kids and it obviously hurt (when here sister became pregnant even moreso), but she lived with such joy, loved her husband with such passion and cooked with gusto. But the best thing about this movie (and hopefully it was true to the real Mrs Child), she was unashamedly real. She didn't give two thoughts to waht other's thought of her, but she was kind and real and in the words of her husband, Paul, she brought out the best in everyone, even the French. She loved Paris, loved to cook, loved to make love, and loved life. The sheer joy of this movie has stayed with me all afternoon and I have nearly finished another painting - (a taupe kombi van!) hopefully photos uploaded tomorrow.
Now to my next project, well a simulaneous project; my book. Entitled - From there to here: Via Paris. I am in the process of an epic edit and re-write. Re structuring the whole book away from my survival of illness and the loss of my first husband more towards a joyful tale of my trips to Paris (past and future!!) - the adventures I had there in the past as a young, single woman, as a newlywed and as a mother, and in the future as an artist and mother of a musician. I want to bring people joy and lightness and happiness and beauty and passion and laughter and brightness and love and did I mention joy?
Below is one of my life drawing sketches done with Charcoal and pastel. I am quite proud of the energy in this one. It was a quick sketch - probably a 5 minute pose.
