December 25, 2009 | Christmas Day | 1:15 a.m.
THE SLOT HAS just been shut and in my hands I have an apple and orange. Merry Christmas. Feliz Navidad and Joyeux Noël. Breakfast will be here in another two hours or so, but for some reason, we were just woken up and given our Xmas fruit. Guess I will rest now. No, I can’t rest because I’ve got things on my mind, but I’ll choose to concentrate on my loved ones foremost. And, well, I have some painting to do to. Join me? OK, I’ll admit something: I am anxious to paint. I have a drawing board, have made brushes and mashed colors into paint. I am debating on what to paint. I’ll do a second edition of my third attempt at painting; it’s the “Venice Skyline” at sunrise. I should admit something else: Although it may be my initial attempts at painting, I have been drawing, on and off, for years. I hope this next one does not embarrass me.
December 25 | Christmas Day | 7:30 a.m.
WELL, HOW AM I going to do this?! I’ve already set up shop! This table is too small to work on, so I have cleared off my bunk and have organized my paints, which I mashed and put in (cut out) milk containers. My brushes are ready to go and the drawing board is prepped and ready. I have decided to do the “Venice Skyline” using techniques I’ve learned from this book and from the mistakes of my first examples.
The sky and water below should be first, but before that, I need to sketch the cityscape on the drawing board so that I have some thing to work on. OK. The sketch is done.
Everybody is beginning to wake up. And the cold Christmas trays are about to be passed out. What’s a cold tray? Well, on Thanksgiving and Christmas, we are fed better and two trays are required for this purpose. The cold tray will contain . . . I’ll describe it when it arrives, so excuse me a few minutes while I communicate with somebody special .. writing someone.
9 a.m.
THE COLD TRAY? A piece of strawberry cake, piece of chocolate cake, apple cobbler, peach cobbler. Three sweet pickles and five black olives. The “hot tray” is yet to come and before that I should spread some paint on this board. The sky is first. Beginning with the rising sun… No, that’s wrong. The sky does come first. Then the sun…
2:20 p.m.
THE HOT TRAY came and went! It put me down for the 10-count. Knocked out! Ha Ha. The hot tray consisted of a slice of brisket, BBQ hot link, stuffing with gravy, potato salad, corn and beans. Can’t wait for next year to come around! Well, I also got the sky, sun and the city (generally) painted on the drawing board. The paintbrushes have worked surprisingly well. Who would have thought?!
How is your Christmas? Hope your is enjoyable. Merry Christmas, once again. Smile. OK, now I should concentrate on painting or I will never get done! You judge the result. My friend Juan will be the owner, if he accepts it! Hope your new year is a prosperous one. Happy New Year!