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Hi Geoffrey,
I love the sense of humour behind both the artistic creation and the title you gave it.
Best wishes,

Alan

alanm wrote:
>I love the sense of humour behind both the artistic creation and the title you gave it.

you are kind to me, alan - thank you. as those close to me know, i not only draw, but am also a nail tech. a lot of people don't realise how important it is to have a regular pedicure and manicure. if you do not wish treatment by a specialist i recommend the 'beurer mp84'. it is quite expensive, but battery driven so no cables to get in the way during use.

truth is i am also interested in fragrances, just like leonard was. men, of course, use cologne - much weaker than the amazing scents created for women. however, there exists unisex perfumes, such as 'eilish #2' (the black one) and ariana grande's 'frankie'. i am known in all of the cosmetic shops here, so i get discount with every purchase.

stay well, alan, and feel free to ask should you wish to know anything about nails, perfumes or even the pictures i make (i enjoy telling how they are made). meanwhile, a quick before breakfast sketch to start the norwegian morning. happy wednesday dear friend https://youtu.be/QmSC4Y85jRI

From Health online (which is a very reputable and reliable source for medical information due to all articles being reviewed by certified medical professsionals).

What To Know About Smell Sensitivities: For some people, scented products may trigger migraines, breathing problems, and even neurological effects.

https://www.health.com/condition/allerg ... th-effects

The article in the above link points out that studies have shown that as many as one-third of the population may experience negative health issues as a result of exposure to scented products, with many of those people suffering severe reactions.

I happen to be amongst those who are extremely sensitive to and even allergic to many scented products, and I find perfumes and colognes to be the greatest offenders, causing instant headaches, watery eyes, breathing problems, itchy skin, nausea, dizziness... I cannot walk past a perfume counter at a shop nor be in close proximity to a person wearing "fragrance" without becoming physical ill/distressed (other strongly scented products -- esepcially those with a perfumy type scent, also affect me in the same way). If the studies are accurate, about 30% of my fellow humans may experience similar misery from fragrances (and possibly many of our non-human animal friends, too!).

thank you for writing, lisa - and also for the interesting link.

fragrance sensitivity was known to me, but i did not realise such a high percentage of people were affected. nobody in my circle has mentioned having this problem, so it is a condition with which i have little experience. it makes me thankful to have been spared such an allergy, because for me the various scents open a wonderful universe unattainable any other way. therefore it seems grossly unfair that not everyone can enjoy this experience. let us hope that one day a solution can be found that will hinder negative reactions to perfumes

I see you are well aware of the mindset of the English Pointer.
Or is that a Norwegian breed that I am not familiar with?

Alan

p.s. Ending a sentence with a preposition is perfectly acceptable in English.
The horror of such an act is a left over from Latin.
What about Norwegian?
Is ending a sentence with a preposition a foul deed?

AlanM wrote: ↑Thu May 11, 2023 11:15 am I see you are well aware of the mindset of the English Pointer.
Or is that a Norwegian breed that I am not familiar with?

Alan

p.s. Ending a sentence with a preposition is perfectly acceptable in English.
The horror of such an act is a left over from Latin.
What about Norwegian?
Is ending a sentence with a preposition a foul deed?

dogs are something i have not spent a lot of time studying, alan - though i doubt there is such a breed as a norwegian pointer. when drawing, i often look at several images to get a basic idea, and then just make my own version. the 'pointer' in my picture is pretty much a standard example.

i believe ending a sentence with a preposition is more or less the same both in english and norwegian. it is possible to do so, i guess, but it's not the alpha/omega of correctness. salinger's holden caulfield is a good english language example

great to 'hear' from you.

Geoffrey wrote: ↑Thu May 11, 2023 3:09 am ...it makes me thankful to have been spared such an allergy, because for me the various scents open a wonderful universe unattainable any other way. therefore it seems grossly unfair that not everyone can enjoy this experience. let us hope that one day a solution can be found that will hinder negative reactions to perfumes

Thank you for your concern and sympathy, but it is rather misplaced, for I have never considered my sensitivity to noxious chemicals to be a handicap, and thus I do not share your hope for a cure. After all, increased sensitivity goes both ways: the unpleasant and the pleasant are intensified equally! Therefore, having a heightened sense of smell is actually a wonderful thing when it comes to natural scents and aromas: walking in the woods, a beautiful flower garden, the way everything smells after a rain, delicious food being cooked (and eaten), etc., are all an absolute delight for my overactive olfactory senses, and I wouldn't want to experience the world in any other way!

LisaLCFan wrote:
>Therefore, having a heightened sense of smell is actually a wonderful thing when it comes to natural scents and aromas: walking in the woods, a beautiful flower garden, the way everything smells after a rain, delicious food being cooked (and eaten), etc., are all an absolute delight for my overactive olfactory senses, and I wouldn't want to experience the world in any other way!

thank you for writing again, and what a lovely response! i take your point, and the fact that you see your scent allergy with such positivity was good to know. i have heard that there exists organic perfumes that claim to be created using no chemicals, but how true that is i have yet to investigate. vegan cosmetics do seem to be more and more popular these days.

just yesterday i was studying a type of nail polish that i hadn't seen before, called 'london grace'. it was the fascinating range of pastel colours not found in other brands that attracted me, and i then noticed the word 'vegan' and took a picture to remind me to google it when i got home. i opened one of the small bottles but could not detect any particular scent.

Geoffrey wrote: ↑Thu May 11, 2023 7:19 pm ... i have heard that there exists organic perfumes that claim to be created using no chemicals ... vegan cosmetics do seem to be more and more popular these days...

"Vegan" simply denotes that the product does not contain any animal ingredients -- it does not relate to the presence or absence of chemicals. I applaud both initiatives, but "cosmetics" have actually never been an interest of mine: nail polish and makeup, scented or unscented, have never appealed to me and therefore I do not use them. However, some of those nail polish colours in your photo are quite stunning and would make lovely paint for a picture or arts and crafts project!

In fact, I recently painted a small picture using metallic acrylic paint, which is somewhat similar to some of the nail polish I've seen, but I suspect that my paint was probably considerably less expensive than "London Grace". Since I've not posted any art for a while, here it is (the photo underplays the lustre of the metallic paint). Cheers!

'beautiful', no other word better describes this image. very thick paint, it looks like, and onto some kind of fine-ribbed material (cloth?) if i am not mistaken. i know from your earlier works - 'turtle' and 'valentine' - that you prefer vivid colours, and use them with full effectiveness. i was given a box of metallic paints ages ago but have yet to use them, so maybe this has inspired me.

making pictures is something you and i have in common, but my pencil efforts of faces and people are so drab in comparison to your shining depictions of nature. for a while i did use your watercolour hummingbird as a background on my mobile phone, but a little girl has since replaced it with a cuddly kitten.

regarding nail polish: i do not use it either, but unlike you it fascinates me, and i so enjoyed the colours in the 'promising young woman' movie. it is gradually becoming fashionable for men to use polish on a single finger, something i have not started with at the current time, but who knows! false nails are not so interesting; they have to be the real mccoy.

from the library one can borrow books on nail art, and a lady with whom i am acquainted sometimes paints miniature flowers and abstract designs on her nails. she uses 'dotting' tools. in earlier times make-up and nail polish were to attract a partner, but in these days of gender equality i believe it has evolved more into an artform - which is probably why i am drawn to it.

thank you for showing me your superb picture. this 'gallery' was desperately in need of some colour

Geoffrey wrote: ↑Fri May 12, 2023 8:56 am 'beautiful' ...thank you...

You are welcome, and thank you! I am glad that you like the painting, and I am happy to provide some colour! It is painted on basic canvas, and the paint was, indeed, quite thick and I used it liberally, deliberately leaving visible brush strokes, etc., to create texture for the background and on the bird/flowers.

I am very touched that, for a while, you used my watercolour hummingbird for your mobile phone background -- that's so cool to know that somebody did that with one of my pictures!

Geoffrey wrote: ↑Fri May 12, 2023 8:56 am ...a lady with whom i am acquainted sometimes paints miniature flowers and abstract designs on her nails...

Hmm, little paintings on fingernails -- I actually rather like that idea! Perhaps it is time to abandon my apathy for "nail polish" and get creative!

lisa. as well as books, there are a number of youtube videos dealing with nail art. it is pleasant exchanging messages with you and alan
(big thank you again to dar for the huge package of ancient books and periodicals )
----------------------------------------------------
"𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘵 𝘴𝘮𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘣 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘭𝘺𝘯 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘳𝘰𝘦?" -'𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙛𝙪𝙡 𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙨'

Geoffrey wrote: ↑Sat May 13, 2023 3:01 am lisa. as well as books, there are a number of youtube videos dealing with nail art...

Thank you for the tips, but having done some research into the painting of one's nails, I shall stick to painting on canvas, paper, etc., for I would be concerned about the toxicity, health hazards, and nail damage involved with applying those substances to my nails. As a classical guitar player, I have encountered similar issues with nail products made for classical guitarists to repair or enhance one's nails for playing, many of which can end up causing more harm than good -- au naturel is the best route for nails, I think!

LisaLCFan wrote:
>Thank you for the tips, but having done some research into the painting of one's nails, I shall stick to painting on canvas, paper, etc., for I would be concerned about the toxicity, health hazards, and nail damage involved with applying those substances to my nails. As a classical guitar player, I have encountered similar issues with nail products made for classical guitarists to repair or enhance one's nails for playing, many of which can end up causing more harm than good -- au naturel is the best route for nails, I think!
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a wise decision under the circumstances, with which i could not agree more.

now, i find myself in need of some nourishment this early morning, and intend to prepare a breakfast of poached eggs followed by oatmeal with herbal tea. yesterday i attended a classical music evening, a wonderful concert by a young left-handed guitarist, and - should time permit - will post a simple pencil sketch souvenir of the occasion. meanwhile, may i wish you, and anyone else who happens by, the nicest of weekends

[. . . short while later] [. . . later still]
for those of you following my posts who are interested in having healthy and attractive nails, i neglected to mention that one should beware of putting one's fingers into those little UV (ultraviolet) gel drying devices that have become so popular. they are not completely hazard free. melanomas (skin cancer) developing in the nail matrix can occur - despite what the sales person might say. as a nail aficionado i know what i am talking about. i do possess such an item, but use it only for 30 seconds at a time after applying either nail strengthener (a must for a serious string instrument musician) or, in my case, w7 rapid growth nail treatment with matt top coat.

[the following day . . . ]
monday morning sketch. have a nice week, everyone! old sketch revisited. never let anyone borrow an antique book!

G, I really like your Monday morning sketch a lot. It's not like it is a novel pose, but it is the likeness that comes to my mind when thinking about him. Don't think I created anything Monday morning except a dirty frying pan and dishes.

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