Hi, it’s me! I haven’t been here for a while. Art has not been happening. Music has. I’m sure I’ll be doing a cartoon or two about this situation, but those take time, and time is what I have not got at the moment. So I am squirrelling away random and not-so-random thoughts (I keep a list on my desktop for comic ideas) for the future when I once again am able to get into the studio.

Today I took a brief time in between rehearsal and other tasks to make a quick colour chart of my Prismacolor markers. They were on sale this month down at Opus Art Supplies, and I wanted to get some before the end of the sale. Which was today. How did it get to be the end of the month already?!? Spurred on by the imminent departure of opportunity, I spent about 15 minutes happily putting little labeled swatches on a large piece of paper, folded it up, and headed down to the store.

When I got there, I pulled out my chart and started picking out the colours I didn’t have. Apparently not many people do their shopping that way; I attracted attention from a number of people! One fellow said “now THAT’s organized”! I admit, I preened a bit. But really, I don’t see how I could have done it any other way!

The thing is, I really like to make colour charts. Every time I get new paints or pencils or markers, I make charts. I find it kind of meditative. I’m not terribly organized with the way I structure them or file them, but they come in handy, especially with the markers, which not only don’t have a good colour key on their exteriors, but look different on the paper until the solvent dries.

I brought my colours home, and put them away in my studio before rehearsal. But I could hear them calling me, saying “come play with us”, all through the music. I had other things to do, but I wanted that feeling of putting colour on paper, even if I wasn’t actually making Art. So I heeded the call, marched up to my studio, and spent a blissful, stolen 20 minutes or so getting to know my new colours. Aren’t they beautiful?

Prismacolor double-ended markers on Paper for Pens, a lovely, smooth, very white, drawing paper that works really well with markers, enabling crisp lines and bright colours.