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Drawing Faces Ink and watercolor wash Life in general Painting People Self Portrait Sketchbook Pages

Coffee and Me

Coffee with Pre-Trip To Do List
Coffee with To Do List

I’m back from my fantastic, amazing, intense week-long portrait workshop with Rose Frantzen, the best teacher I’ve ever had, in Scottsdale, Arizona. I will share my experiences once I have fully processed them and recovered my blogging mojo.

Meanwhile, I’m going through caffeine withdrawal again. After months with zero caffeine I needed extra energy to paint 8 hours a day on little sleep for a week. First it was just a morning cup of green tea, then black tea, then an afternoon diet Coke, and by the last day,  a morning cup of bad coffee AND the diet Coke in the afternoon. Now, after two days of withdrawal migraines, hopefully I’m over the worst of it. And it was worth it.

Self portrait with grey sweatshirt, ink & watercolor, 7x5"
Self portrait with grey sweatshirt, ink & watercolor, 7x5"

I felt like sketching and the mirror was handy so why not draw myself, cozy in my gray sweats. My grandma Gertie had a “house dress” she wore all the time at home and out back to hang her laundry. Just a yellow cotton smock that snapped up the front. I have my “house sweats” that I wear when I’m at home. So comfy and warm.

19 replies on “Coffee and Me”

I can’t wait to hear more about your workshop. It sounds great. Like you, I need a little help to get through a workshop day. Coffee – strong and black – in the morning and I like Ginger Ale in the afternoon…and a little chocolate, of course. Great Portrait…and I have my house sweats as well – except now I wear yoga pants.

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Thanks Linda. I should get a pair of those yoga pants. My sister wears them all the time too. The only problem is that they’re black and I have two cats who shed in every color but black and I’m sure yoga pants would be fur magnets. Grey sweats seem to hide the fur better. Jana

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Jana, next time wean yourself off slowly. . . just 1 morning cuppa, maybe 1/2 cuppa in the afternoon, then after a week, drop to 1/2 morning cuppa only. No need to suffer, my friend!

My g’ma NEVER wore pants and she was a great gardner, cute as a button in her housedresses. 😎

Nice self-portrait. I can’t stand looking at myself in that amount of detail and for that amount of time! I commend your confidence and maturity.

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Thanks for offering caffeine help. I’ve tried that method before but it always led to me being tired for days and then going back to the coffee. It’s better for me to go cold turkey and benefit from the suffering by using it as a reminder not to do it again! Not sure about the confidence and maturity but it definitely requires acceptance. And I was happy about a new haircut. Jana

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Great sketches.
I’m with Jana Botkin, slowly reduce the caffine and it’ll keep the cafiene migraine away.
I tend to have my pj pants on on weekends until I have to leave the house 🙂

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I love the idea of PJ pants. I see people wearing them out and about and need to find some that don’t look as much like PJs as my old flannel ones. Re the caffeine, I’ve found it better for me to go cold turkey and suffer the consequences to get it over more quickly and to use the suffering as a reminder not to do it again. Going the gradual route hasn’t worked as well for me since it means weeks of being tired and then giving in to “just one cup” and then before I know it, I’m back to a regular coffee habit. jana

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Jana….this is a phenomenal self-portrait! and my eye caught your mention of your Grandma’s name (Gertie). My mother’s name was Gertrude! I always say that if/when you hear that name these days, you can be pretty sure of the advanced age of the person. But, like everything else, it will probably cycle around again sometime. I clicked then on your “Breezy” digital painting from a few years back. The picture was neat, as were your comments about your Grandma. I have never gotten to the point of digital painting, but I agree with how you were thinking, as I would have gone the same route.

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Thanks Rita, it was definitely better than my previous self-portrait sketches. My Grandma Gertie’s name was Gertrude too. Gertie seems to be one of the only “old fashioned” names not being recycled these days. Although a friend has a wonderful dog named Gertie. Jana

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This was the best self
portrait you have ever done……guess the class made you happier! besides having a mother I have a cousin named Gertie….guess it was common many years ago.

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