New Day, New Year

Happy New Year!   This is my last sketch of 2023 not the new for 2024.  I did it midday yesterday and then never posted it.  Sigh.

I suppose it is time for an annual review and some new resolutions.  I think I will skip that and just go for the best day I can have every day.  Saving up for the future is not great advice at my age.  We never know what tomorrow will bring.  

I planned to do a pastel yesterday.  Gene was going on his  trike for his last ride of the year.  He rode 8.59 miles for a total of 812.56 miles for the year.  Wow!  He did well.  His goal was 915miles,  one more than the year before.  He only got to ride 122 days so not a bad total.  He laughs about his health.  A few years ago he decided to sign up for some health trial.  The last question on the application was, "In as few words as possible, tell us what your general health is."  He quickly wrote down, "Excellent!", and sent it off.

A couple of weeks later he said to me, "I've had 3 heart attacks, Parkinson's, and prostate cancer.  I guess that isn't excellent health!"  He did not make the trial.  :-)

Anyway, I was going to do a pastel.  I got my easel to set up on the back porch.  When I went out the wind was whirling.  Not good to have an easel set up in the wind. I thought Gene would be coming back early as he always says that when it is windy he has a headwind no matter which way he is riding. 

I came back in and got out my Canson mix media sketchbook, 9 x 12 inches and went to the screened in porch and sketched with a Micron 03.   It was beautiful after a short time, wind stopped, Gene rode on and I finished my sketch for Hunt 97.  

https://creativespark.art/threads/scavenger-hunt-from-life-97-dec-30-jan-7.6431/

Number 3 cottonwood - no cottonwood trees in this area, substituted these two oak trees back of our yard.  They have grown a lot in 12 years here.

When I finished I decided to add some color with watercolor.  

I like both versions.  Can't decide which.  The watercolor is permanent so can't go back to the black and white.

The leaves on this type of oak seem to hang on and on.  I think the green buds will start before all the leaves turn really brown and fall off.  I will try to remember to check.

We are having "cold" weather this week.  It will stay in the high 50s and low 60s (F).  Not bad but no trike riding for Gene to start the new year.  He will settle for the inside bike and some exercises.  A few years ago when we were going to Angel Fire we were excited to sit on the porch there and have our coffee at about 45º in the morning.  No way now.  I guess our blood has thinned.

Did you watch the ball drop in the Big Apple?  We went to bed about midnight.  The shooting and fireworks were very loud until after 1:00 a.m.  Dick Clark's party was on ABC and we don't have that right now on DirecTV.  So.....

I hope 2024 is good to all of you, well all of us! Back soon with new sketches and some paintings.