Archive for the '‘The Hubby’' Category

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Sketch: Rattie under a lantern… and blogging rocks.

Published on March 15, 2009 in 'The Hubby', Lined Paper, Ratties and Sketch. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , .
Kat Johnston Sketch: It's a rattie. It's under a lantern. He's cute!

Ok, first off, the sketch today. It is a little rushed, a little hurried: my husband’s birthday was yesterday, and today has been officially charged as one for recovery. That said, the party went off well, and everyone seemed to like the little pacman cupcakes I baked. They were fun!

It certainly doesn’t help that I’ve had a nasty case of the flu for the past few days, either. It has truly just knocked me down, to the point where I was laying on the cool tiled surface of the kitchen floor, moaning pathetically with my arm upraised as if in a last, desperate attempt to cling to life. It was not a pretty sight. Luckily it seems to have only been a short bout – it should clear up within the next few days.

I did not get the position I was interviewing for… I think I tanked on the interview! I had a horrid case of mind-blank, where all thoughts flee in the face of any sort of question. Damn the infernal terror that is the mind-blank. That said, I’m glad that I even got that far, and there is always next year. In the meantime, if anyone knows of an awesome arts-related position open somewhere, you know I’m the gal for it!

Now, onto the ‘blogging rocks’ part of my title for today’s post. You may recall that just a couple of days ago I made a few comments regarding Karl de Waal’s artwork, ‘Quilt for Melanie’, which is featured as part of the Temperature 2 exhibition at the Museum of Brisbane. I don’t know how he made his way to my site, but I actually got a response from him regarding his work! You cannot imagine the smile on my face when I clicked to open it.

I’m kinda a recluse: I find it a bit hard to get out and about and socialize in the arts scene, simply because it is all a little intimidating to me. Blogging, and getting involved online, I have to say, has been one of the better moves that I have made. To actually get a response from an artist after talking about them here… well… now that’s just something brilliant. The digital age… who’da thunk it?

Sketch: See? Sketching -is- good for you!

Published on March 4, 2009 in 'The Hubby', Bunnies, Interesting Links, Lined Paper and Sketch. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , .
Kat Johnston: Random sketching -is- good for you. I told you so. You didn't believe me, but its true!

Aha! Many seem to look at me dubiously when I proclaim that I am better focused in classes due to my sketching, seeing it instead as a certain sign of my unattentiveness. However, as I have surely mentioned before (though I won’t dig out the post now, seeing as it is after midnight), I think that sketching actually helps me focus better. Its a zen-like thing – you sketch, letting your mind wander a little in one place, while the rest of it works at absorbing whatever it is you are meant to be absorbing on that particular day.

My hubby called shennanigans. He thought that it was just a lot of hokey, and that I was pulling his leg. Well, this morning he sent me a link to this little article which proclaims the same. Yay! Now I apparently have science to back up my wonderful theories. I’m glad someone got around to trying to prove it. I wonder if I inspired them?

So, in honor of this particular article, I dredged up one of the pages of one of my writing books, which I’ve dragged along to a lecture or two. This is a class… though I am entirely unable to recall which one. It was a while ago, after all. It features my gorgeous hung bunny, which I think hasn’t been properly introduced here in its original form until now. Yes, there’s the bunny in the moon (featuring the same bunny), but this was the way he was originally imagined, though not the first sketch of him, I assure you. My hung bunny rocks.

Alrighty ya’ll, I think I’d best get to bed before I stay up all night! Throw some congrats my way… I got an interview! Yayyyy!

Bernice is happy happy!

Published on November 11, 2008 in 'The Hubby', Lined Paper, Portraits and Sketch. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , .
Bernice is happy happy... which is a wonderful change from the recent duldrums.

Finally. A nice, happy character after days of ‘not quite there yet’. Her name is Bernice, and she’s a cheerful little poppet today!

A rather short, unrelated story. Last night, James, my loving husband, came downstairs with a coffee for each of us. He spoils me rotten by making me coffees and teas on request, even though… and I am somewhat (sorta) ashamed to admit, I don’t make quite so many for him in return. Last night, he bought down a packet of doritos as well. While coffee and doritos may not seem like a logical pairing, they certainly work if you happen to be hungry… and like coffee too. He was not so forthcoming with handing them over though. I was polite. I was nice. I got no chips, so I must admit, I got a touch snippy. The resultant conversation went something like this:

Me: Hey, give me my chips.

James: Those aren’t your chips, they’re my chips.

Me: And you’re -my- husband. Give me my chips.

Needless to say, he folded under the brilliance of my flawless logic. Yay for chips!

Vivid yellow dandelions… mmm, a dandelion daydream.

Published on October 27, 2008 in 'The Hubby', dandelions and Photos. 0 Comments Tags: , , .
Vivid yellow dandelions, a pure, pleasurable treat to the senses. A pox upon those who see this precious flower as a weed.

So… the hubby reads the post of yesterday and disappears from the house for a few minutes. I wondered where he had gotten to. He really is a rather nice ogre, after all, all things considered. I peeked my head outside the front door to see what he was doing, only to find him pottering around on the lawn, snipping up the dandelions to make a little bouquet for me. He had to mow the lawn soon anyway, so he thought he might as well save them and give them to me to enjoy for a few days more instead of pulverizing them with the mower. Isn’t that sweet?

So, rather than putting up a drawing today, I present to you a photo of some of the wonderful dandelions that adorned my front yard, scattered amongst the green. Still fresh, vivid in their pure, wonderful yellowness – a weed to some, visual and imaginative bliss to me. Van Gogh had his sunflowers, I have my dandelions. I love ‘em to bits. I can probably tell you why, too, but perhaps that is a story for another day. Thank you for the dandelions, sweetie.

I might go through the photos in a little bit and pick out the best, to put up on flickr. I’ll let you know if I do! Oh, and I’m adding a dandelions category too… its about time, really.

Edit: No James, I really don’t want all your ogre babies. Pfft!

Rest in peace, sweet dandelions…

Published on October 26, 2008 in 'The Hubby', dandelions, Plain Paper and Sketch. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .
Ogres are annoying... especially when they go trampling my dandelions.

Another very quick, very rough little drawing (its Sunday… what can I say?) to make sure that I’ve got today covered in the ‘creative product a day’ vein. This one has a story.

Since last week, I have been craving a particular type of strawberry flavoured chocolate (this one here) which I can only obtain (in bulk) by getting in a car with my lovely husband and driving over to the other side of town. So, this morning, the conversation went something like this:

Him: So, what do you want to do today?

Me: Go to Sunnybank.

Him: Why? What do we have to go way over there for?

Me: Candy.

Him: But there’s a supermarket less than five…

Me: Candy.

Him: But the…

Me: Candy.

Him: Just down the road, supermarket, full of can…

Me: Strawberry chocolate candy. Here’s your keys.

And thus, the rather quick, rather immature battle of the wills was won. Sucker.

Our car is parked out the front of the house, on a little brick drive-way thingie that curves through the front yard. I was admiring the field of dandelions we currently have taking up most of our excuse for a front yard, as I danced blissfully towards our awaiting chariot to take me to the mythical candy.

For those that haven’t been reading for a while, you might not realize that I rather like dandelions. Whether dandelion clocks (which rarely tell the right time), or full bloom in their pretty little yellow glory, these unappreciated flowers are just gorgeous to me.

James knows I like dandelions. He also knows that he is going to have to drive. For over an hour there and back. To get candy.

I jump into the car, blissfully unaware of his evil scheme, my eyes wide and shiny with wonder at the wonderful world around me, all full of potential and greatness and cuddleyness and dandelion fields. I turn to my loving husband, with all his grumbling and his moaning, gently stroking a hand by his knee as I quietly whisper with downcast eyes, ‘Thank you so much, sweetheart, for driving me across town. I really do appreciate it, you know. You’re so wonderful, and sweet, and kind.’

He flicks the ignition and the car growls into life, its sound harsh against the twitter-tweet of the blue birds perching on the tree-branches close by. With that, James turns, a maniacal look glimmering deep in the recesses of his wild, bloodshot eyes as he jerks the car forward to crush my precious dandelions, singing ‘I’m an ogre, I’m an ogre, no dandelions for you!’

‘Why oh why did you crush my dandelions, my love?’ I whimper, as I look towards him with glassy, tear-filled eyes.

‘I’m a ogre. Its my job to crush dandelions.’

With that, we drove away… and I got my strawberry chocolate candy. But at what price? So many pretty dandelions, so ruthlessly murdered under the tires of a rather vengeful ogre’s car. AND I still have to live with the damn ogre, who will live to crush again.

Where oh where is my prince, to save me from the ogre, sweep me off my feet and avenge the deaths of so many innocents? Or at least get me strawberry chocolate candy on demand without having to crush dandelions needlessly in the process?

Disclaimer: events may have been changed just a teensie weensie bit for dramatic effect. Eg, my eyes weren’t so tear-filled, and my fist may have just connected to his arm at that point. Other than that… all true, promise. Especially the blue birds. Blue birds rock.