low blood pressure beasts and tattooed sea monsters

It is now lunch break, so I can brave the Beast that is La Salle WiFi and do the art post I wanted to do last night but didn't have the energy for.

My blood pressure for the past few days has been at 90/60. Found myself stumbling with humiliating clumsiness through a maculele session yesterday, and I felt groggy for several hours during the day. I know how to alleviate high blood pressure, but what about low? 

On the other hand, this is the first month in two years I am totally cramp-free. Not a twinge! *dances...slowly...and...sleepily*

In other news, I have had mermaids on the brain. I had a spare bit of canvas board, so I decided to reacquaint myself with the painting habit.

'Face Less'. Oil paint on unprimed canvas...not a great idea. I also got a little lost doing the shadows on the face, as I had no live model or reference.

'This One Looks Kind Of Like My Friend Lyra'. No seriously, I can't stop thinking of that as the title. This is when I switched to acrylic. I like the hair, but was very clumsy with the rest of it, especially the blue shadow.

'Fish Face'. Acrylic. Pretty much gave up on realism for this one, which I think actually helped. I could relax and have fun with her skin and mask.

'Jellyfish'. Acrylic. Fun with light and dark! I don't say 'chiaroscuro', though it's one of my favourite words, because...this isn't it.

You'll notice that none of these have anything that identifies the subjects as mermaids. They're only mermaids because I say they are. I think this is one of the things I most like about art.

And some work in marker, which I like even more, just because I feel much more comfortable and confident in this medium and so I can go to some pretty fun places in terms of technique.

'Yakuza Mermaids'. Faber Castell brush pen markers on Moleskine paper.

quietly go through the door

From The Alchemy, issue 7.

Old Lady: Then I saw that there are doors. And through the doors are rooms of knowledge. Like different rooms in a house.

Each room has a different story happening in it. Like it is a different life. Like you are in a book of doors. 

If you haven't learned everything you were supposed to, you have to go through another door so you can learn more. Or so someone can learn from you.

I passed by many doors and looked through them. It was like I could see into other people's lives. Like each life is a little story happening in this book at the same time. 

I passed by these doors until I came to a door I could not see into. It was closed. I had a great urge to go into this door. But when I tried I could not pass.

And then a voice said that I do not have enough knowledge to pass through that door. I was told that my work in my current room wasn't finished.

And then I woke up in the hospital. I had pulled through the surgery. 

I've had two surgeries since and that has happened every time. I get to the door and I can't pass through. And then I wake up in pain. In this meat suit. In this silly human costume. 

When I wake up, I always think that next time it happens, I hope I have learned enough to pass through the door.

Kabuki: I wonder...

Old Lady: I'm tired.

Kabuki: I wonder if that is what...

Old Lady: I'm taking a nap now.

Kabuki: If that is what my mother went through.

And she was gone. She had passed. She had moved on right before my eyes.