Over the years I’ve come to take “differences” seriously. I take “complexity” seriously too, which makes sense…to me at least. At the same time, I’ve noticed that there are those who fear or even hate “differences” as well as “complexity.” I prefer conversations with them to be either already short or ultimately shortened.
Elsewhere on this illustroblog, HERE IN PARTICULAR, I’ve referred to my work at the Enrichment Center (EC), where I’ve taught iPad art to adult artists with developmental disabilities since 2015. The pandemic put an end to our in-person classes and studios, but we’ve continued to meet online a few times a week. On Fridays we meet for timed drawing exercises. Some use traditional tools, e.g., pens, pencils, markers, paper, etc., and others use iPads. We’re shown an object or a photo, we’re given 3 minutes to draw it, and then we take turns showing what we managed to crank out. I have over 60 digital images, and here are a few of them (all done in the Sketch Club app):
Click on video to experience the digital transformation.
Since late February 2021 I’ve been a Community Teacher on an online platform called iTalki, a Chinese company headquartered in Shanghai. You can visit my profile page by clicking on the following link: [CLICK HERE TO VIEW MY iTALKI PROFILE PAGE]
To date (4/14/21) I’ve completed around 75 online lessons with approximately 35 students. It’s conversation-based learning, so I target students who can already speak English at intermediate and advanced levels of proficiency. Each “lesson” is about an hour. I currently charge $10 per lesson, although I may increase that once I reach 100 completed lessons. Some students purchase packages of 5 lessons at a slight discount.
The conversation topics are completely open ended. Occasionally, I pause the dialogue to provide feedback on pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and expressive, interactive style. So far I’ve had students from Russia, Estonia, Korea, Japan, Brazil, Peru, China, and the list is growing. It’s a remarkably eye-opening and rewarding experience.
If you know anyone who might benefit from such a learning experience, please help them book their first iTalki lesson with me or any number of other qualified teachers. Thank you.
By the way, did I mention that I’m often blown away by folks who use our conversations as an opportunity teach this old dog new tricks? Yes, it happens; and that makes me the luckiest person on my cul-de-sac!
I was in a slump and felt overwhelmed by all the revelations that politics as usual is all about acquiring and retaining power. It happens on both sides of the aisle, but Republicans, I’m convinced – because they’re wealthier and have more to lose – are better at it. And that was before RBG died (see an RBG post from 2014 with video), prompting Republicans to activate their pituitary glands once again for the world to see! So, I sketched out one of my stock, bald-headed “establishment” guys in Sketch Club on my iPad. I copied it, flipped it, added some more details, tweaked it a little in iColorama while recording the “movement,” and then finally editing the video with a soundtrack in Videoshop. As I did this, I realized I was working through an insight, or at least a suspicion, that we attach ourselves to mental constructs, even our sense of self, with whom we dance and dance and dance, as reality goes on in the overlooked background. It’s so hard to detach or let go, but very little acceptance can occur until we do.
Use the link below to help Meri Walker (aka the iPhoneArtGirl), who lost her home and all her belongings in the fire that ravaged Talent, Oregon on September 8, 2020 – an unimaginable loss. This tragedy follows upon a year during which Meri also suffered significant medical issues from which she is still recovering.
Those of us who know and love Meri, believe that her indomitable spirit will help her get through this. But all of us, her friends, need to help her, financially, emotionally and spiritually, during the weeks and months ahead, so that she can replace some of her belongings, buy her medicine, and figure out her housing. And most importantly, so that she knows she is not facing this alone.
Please, be the change you want to see in the world – one life supported, one burned house rebuilt, one helpful shoulder to lean on at a time.
Click on this link: Help Meri Walker Rebuild After Devastating Fire
or try the following:
I saw a photograph of Colin Kaepernick on a meme that called my attention. I liked it enough to want to draw it free hand in Sketch Club. The meme’s below. The painting took 1 hour and 10 minutes, and I applied 2,895 brush strokes, 65 undos.
This one’s thematically related to a rather fundamental icon here at portfoliolongo.
Last week I noticed that the Tayasui Sketches app had an update. I was hopeful that the update would finally allow us users to reduce the canvas size while drawing without closing the drawing; and it did. There are some cool features in Sketches. My favorites include the “ink” and “watercolor” tools, as described here: https://tayasui.com/sketches/tools.html
Also, the “fill, pattern, text, object” tool, as shown here:
I used iColorama to sharpen and add vibrancy to the image.
I saw an interview on TV with Jay Rosen, who had written a compelling piece, brilliantly arguing that 45’s plan is to have no plan at all! It’s the ultimate commission by omission in some ways, and it’s been diabolically effective on those who’ve sadly been marginalized from education and hope. He’s a sociopathic prankster, the magical answer to some people’s hollow prayers. Some say he has a mere learning disability; but no, it’s not that simple or partial, as his own niece suggests in her book. He has an aversion to learning, and he’s become the patron saint for all those who decided to show up for the exam without cracking a book. He sows discord. He creates chaos. He will destroy others while he destroys himself.
Disgraceful; however, about the illustration: I initially painted it in Sketch Club, used Procreate’s liquify tool to wiggle his nose while doing a screen video record, which I then resized and trimmed in VideoShop and then saved it. I opened it KinoGlitch, which I think I got through iColorama. In KinoGlitch there are several video effect editing features, and I believe I used Pixelate. Hope that helps. Let me know if I can clear anything up.
I’ve been thinking a lot about tremendismo lately even though it’s been years since I read La Familia de Pascual Duarte and La Colmena. I’ll set aside the politics and philosophy and focus instead on Cela’s beautiful face.
