Beware of Sugar Free Gum

Last night was long and scary. When I went to bed last night, my dog followed me as usual, but was restless. I let him back out of the bedroom thinking that he needed to go out, and my husband who was up late working on a project would let him out. I dozed off and at some point the dog came back and was curled up on the bed when my husband came in and woke us up. He had found a chewed up box from Orbit gum under the dining room table. Now my dog gets into things once in awhile, but sugar free gum is dangerous. The sweetener Xilitol can cause their liver to shut down and they pass into fatal hypoglycemic shock. We know this because we had to have his stomach pumped once before for this very same thing.



Anyway, we discovered that the wrapper had come from my daughters backpack, so we had to wake her at one am to find out if there had been any gum in the pack. Thank goodness it had just been an empty box he took out of the open front pouch. He regularly inspects her pack because she carries lunch in it and he must have found it. Although she assured us there was no gum only cardboard, I simply couldn't get back to sleep with the thought that I might wake up with a dead dog asleep at the foot of the bed. Happily that didn't happen.



So if you have a dog or two, be extremely careful, xilitol is in gum, toothpaste, and chap stik type lip balms. All of which my dog is very attracted to, I swear he can tell when it is there as good as if he could read the label. Even small amounts can be fatal.



To bring this back to Art, it has me thinking that I should do more than a small sketch now and then about my dear doggie. My last pug didn't get onto a quilt until he was gone, I shouldn't let that happen to this one.

Highly Prized

The theme for this month is Highly Prized. I posted some drawings and thoughts on this subject in my last post, but the theme has me thinking on what things I really prize in my life. One thing that has come up is the enjoyment I get from sharing the creative process with others, teaching. Especially with kids, as they have a fearless kind of energy and enthusiasm that the more grown up student often suppresses. As an example, I did a sewing project with my daughters girl scout troop. These worry worts are based on the ones in Socks Appeal. It took them the entire meeting to get them done, but they did it and as you can see in the photo, the resulting creations had lots of personality. The girls really had fun making them and their response was so good that I am now working out a possible after school program for upper elementary level kids. I think it could be a good thing for the neighborhood youth. The ability to make things is something that is being pushed aside in the wake of the technology based world we now live in. By the time this young generation reaches adulthood, the ability to actually make things will be highly prized, so I feel that it is my obligation to pass on what I know to them. My skills that I highly prize, may just get to be highly prized skills for them too.

Sketchbook Challenge

The theme announced for the Sketchbook Challenge this month is Highly Prized. My first thoughts are, my hubby and daughter, and my dog. Well, I almost never work figuratively, so I guess the dog is my subject. He was very obliging to take a nap in the middle of the living room floor so I could sketch. I used a graphite stick for this, it makes big smudgy marks that allow for tonal drawing. When getting the drawing muscles going again, not having to commit to a hard edge is comforting.

Ok, so I am reasonably happy with this. So next I started thinking about other items that I find fascinating, and are for me highly prized. The stuff that I collect. One thing I have a really nice collection of is entomology specimens, - bugs and insects. so I did a quick sketch of some beetles. This was done with a mechanical pencil, the more linear material forces you to be a bit more decisive. Even though you know you can erase, you also have to make your marks with a bit more commitment. ( It is also the most common tool at hand in my life )

SO here you have three beetles. They are all in the same specimen box. The large one is a giant Dung Beetle, it is 2 inches across. The other two are much smaller, but both bright green metallic. The color is stunning, and eventually I will do some color drawings of them. Right now I am busy getting the lead out and simply drawing with no real other need than drawing. You know, for a topic that had me stumped at first, ideas are starting to flow.

I am also interested in fossils. I have a slice of an ammonite that I find intriguing. One side is rough, as you would see it if you found it in the ground, the other has been polished and you can see the structure inside the shell. The actual shell part has been replaced with a mineral that looks alot like hematite, and the soft parts of the organism have fossilized with other minerals. I didn't have it to hand at first, and based on my memory of it I did the top drawing. I think it would make a great stamp, I may have to carve it. But then I got out the actual object and did a "from Life" version. I used a black brush pen for the hematite part, and pencil for the rest. Interesting differences between the imagined drawing and the from life versions. Notice also that I felt strong enough to use an unforgiving mark maker like a brush pen for some of it. The biggest part of getting back to drawing for me is getting back the fearless factor. A sketchbook is a private thing, it will only get shown to whom, and when I decide to share it. There is no need to be afraid to make a mark. There is no need for perfection. The value in the sketchbook practice is in the thought process that happens when you draw. But more on that at another time.