Lost Treasure

First day back at school after holidays. Child home sick with fever. Lovely.

And I should be working on airships, but I have still been looking for the lost references (giving up for the time being). And sorting through art stuff in my workroom.

There is a large folder which I thought I knew what was in it, so I haven't opened it in ages. Lots of painting exercises. But I decided today to check (maybe the loose sheets were in there? No). The painting exercises were there and it was fun going through them, looking at how my technique had developed, critiquing each one as it came out. Cringing at some. But there were other things too. A whole lot of sketches, some going back to high school, some from a series of masterclasses I took at the AGNSW (George Gittoes and Wendy Sharp, amongst others). And up the back a stack of blank paper. Canson coloured papers (not bad), something indeterminate but quite nice. Something vile that was yellowing badly and seems to have induced spotting on the neighbouring sheet (that's now in the recycling bin), and a whole pile of Arches drawing paper.

Really good quality, properly watermarked, 30 inches. Creamy, lightly textured. Very nice. About ten sheets or so.

I have no idea where this paper came from. I certainly didn't buy it. I wouldn't be able to afford that much of paper like this. But there it is. In my folder.

Back when I was sixteen and doing school by correspondence I had a number of friends I knew through the Blake's Seven Fan Club (so sue me). A couple of them were local, and when my health would allow we would get together for a quiet day. Nice girls, Kathy and Simone. I have, unfortunately, lost touch with both of them. They knew I could draw and paint (I did enough illustrations for the club newsletter), and one day Kathy suggested we meet at her cousin's house. Turns out her cousin had been a book illustrator but was getting out the game (don't know why). So I got given her supplies.

There was a beautiful box of brushes - sable and squirrel mostly (squirrel brushes are lovely to use). I remember there were some pencils too (long used up). Maybe the paper came from her? Seems unlikely.

I also inherited a number of items when my mum's brother died nine years ago. Uncle Jack was a fantastic artist. He could have had a real career at it, but chose instead to be a draftsman (it's all tied up with the Depression. Just the way things turned out). When he died a number of his supplies came to me. His paint box, his metal palette (with the dried paint from his last painting spree on it. I am not using that. I would have to clean it and I don't want to). His Schminke watercolours in their lovely metal box. Maybe the paper came from him? Uncle Jack was quite tight with money, but he never scrimped on art supplies, so that's possible.

Either way, no matter where it came from, the paper is now mine. And I have plans, at least for one sheet. Currently it is out in the meals room, taped to a board, waiting to be tinted a pale, pale yellow ochre. And when it is dry it is going to be introduced to the Golden Mean Spiral.