Saturday, September 12, 2009

EDM 166 - Draw a Fish



After several medical tests earlier this week, I think I am about to be diagnosed with borderline high blood pressure. So goodbye to alcohol, salty snacks, ham and cheese sandwiches, and those extra 20 pounds. I will learn to love brown rice, bulgar, beans, and the varied species drawn here. I will swap fish for sausage (apparently it's better to die of mercury posioning than heart failure). Seriously, if I do everything the doctors tell me, I should live forever! And I'd also be perfect (and we all know how much fun perfect people are!) I wonder how many people can actually be the perfect patient - the one who only eats the right things, exercises the right way and never misses a workout, has no vices or weaknesses, practices perfect preventive hygiene. It seems to be an impossibly high standard to achieve. The whole thing has made me feel very self-indulgent and ashamed of myself for enjoying some of the finer things in life - like a medium rare steak and margarita. And I admit, I'm a little resentful of that. However, I'm hopeful that within a few months, I can again enjoy those occasional treats without guilt (or with only a little guilt).

These fish were drawn with my new dip pen and ink, a medium I've never used before but I think I like it. It takes a bit of practice to get a smooth line, but I like the effect. I colored them in with watercolors pencils, as this Robert Bateman sketchbook doesn't like water very much. The saying came from a T-shirt I saw.

13 comments:

Marina Montanaro said...

Hi Cordelia, nice trouts, excellent for a drawing and for a diet! Especially if with fresh salad and a couple of potatos seasoned with olive oil...Now a couple of technical questions:
a)which ink did you use?
b)Were the trouts fresh from the market?
I ask the latter because often I buy with the eye, draw first and cook later, and it makes the meal tastier...

Love and spaghetti!
(Spaghetti every day, and you'll be slim and happy. I'ts more than a mantra, is Mediterranean reality ;-)

winna said...

the fish page is so well done--I love them....I imagine people are on vacation like I was and when you 'return' there is a lot to do bit by bit, day by day... then you evenually get back in the swing..

Peachtreeart said...

Well it seems you are on your way to a healthier lifestyle kicking and screaming :). I like your composition and enjoyed your post!

Alex said...

Nice drawing! I like it a lot.
I hope things are alright, and that you're getting better and the pressure goes back to the healthy level soon.
:) Get well!!

Patty Ruthe said...

Love the compostion!
Watching fish swim in an aquarium is suppose to lower your bp....
Any studies done to see if drawing fish also reduces blood pressure?

Anonymous said...

Cordelia
Marina's "Nice trouts" says it all.. otherwise, there are fish oil capsules for those of us who don't like to eat it. :)

Shirley said...

Great fish! Can you email me the pen nib type and size you are using? shirley@queso.com
I keep buying nibs to try out and hate all of them.

Unknown said...

Excellent fish! And excellent colors!

Timaree said...

I don't like fish so I tend to eat vegetartian and even vegan with the occasional bouts of guilt-filled burgers at McDonalds. Oh the spirit is willing but the flesh (mine at least) is so weak! I love your drawing and your words! Good luck on the new diet. Really, if you eat the fruits and veggies you'll be hungry. I know that doesn't sound good so do add that rice even if it's the white variety and baked, unbuttered sweet potatoes are super as long as you bake them till they are very soft. It turns them sweet and moist so nothing is needed to make them yummy. It does take some getting used to but you will feel better. I bought meringue cookies for the occasional sweet and also graham crackers - they are low on fat so are a guiltfree treat as long as you don't succumb to the whole container! My son told me to make sure good for me snacks are at hand or I'd reach for the bad stuff and also make sure you are drinking enough fluids as not enough makes you feel hungry. Good luck. 20 lbs in exchange for good blood pressure isn't too bad.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the comment on my blog, and your 'fish' and Thank Cod is so funny! You made me laugh outloud!

Leigh said...

Hi Lynn,
I can't find an email for you...thanks for stopping by and leaving such a nice comment. I really appreciate it..
Leigh

Kelly said...

Cordelia; Your writing is awesome... you are very funny. I hope that you can live up to the 'perfect' things your doctor wants you to do. My sister was just diagnosed with high blood pressure and it's not fun.
I LOVE your drawing and saying around it! What a funny saying! Thanks so much for sharing it! By the way... I think we all enjoy the finer things in life... we just have to be stealthy about it I guess! LOL.
Thanks for your comments on my blog. I used H20's by Luminart, they are metallic watercolors. Have you ever heard of them? They are great. I have heard so much about these dip pens but I don't really know what they are?

Shalini said...

Lovely fish.. I love the colors and the way that you have composed them..