One would think that being retired and in my early 70s I would stop worrying about what I would be “when I grow up,” but apparently not. The whole “job of the future” thing got started for me early in grade school. They gave us “aptitude tests”. You answered a bunch of questions, undoubtedly drawn up by psychologists and other related professionals. The answers were then fed into what had to be early computers and the results decided the job best fitted with our “aptitudes.” I was slated to be a forest ranger. I think I was in also in the midst of reading the novels of James Oliver Curwood, all set in the wilds of northern Canada. But I’m sure that had no influence on my test defined “aptitudes,” wink, wink, nudge, nudge.
A variety of ideal jobs followed my life, world famous thespian, renowned architect, etc., before I settled on university professor. Worked out well for the most part. However, back at the turn of the millennium, I began to think I really missed the boat by not pursuing a career more aligned with my art, which was claiming more and more of my free time.
Then Christine and I took a few weeks off in Italy - Venice and Florence. I think it was in Florence. In a large side gallery of the Uffizi, a couple of art restorers were working on a large canvas. They were behind a rope barrier, but you could watch. I was like Toad from Wind in the Willows, encountering his first motorcar. “There! There is the perfect job for me!”
It is a feeling I have clung to since. However jobs in the field tend not to welcome applicants with my resume. I choose to believe that it is not my maturity that discourages them, but rather the fact that I have neither training nor experience in the field. Perhaps it was an “I’ll show them!” attitude that led me to explore finer detail in my own images. I would use Druids, a version of which I believe I have posted here, has always been one of my favorites. The original is 24 x 19 inches, and is very detailed. I’ll jump over and see if I have a copy of that. Nope, the image is Photoshop and blogger doesn’t like that.
Anyhow, so I decided to do an 8.5 x 11 inch very tiny version of the original to demonstrate my detail versatility. This image is a detail from that smaller version. It is about 4 x 3.5 inches:I had to use Sharpie Ultra Fine Points to add the color. I’m fine with how she came out. But I was exhausted, even after just working in bursts of a couple hours, naps, reading and beverages in between.
Maybe I ought to give that forest ranger thing some thought. Neat views from up in those towers, and I’m not that afraid of heights. You think they have put elevators in by now?
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