Picasso? Non!

The Invalid was up and off to work today earlier than normal. Things To Do. Which meant - yes - a cuppa in bed and a peaceful time browsing the iPad. I read the papers, including the NZ ones. Mostly bad news, mind you. I also read the blogs for TV shows I follow - at the moment it's Homeland, which isn't as good as the Danish ones, and anyway, I still need subtitles when Americans mumble!

The National Gallery runs lots of wee arty-farty classes and I've been to a few. It's mostly Ladies of a Certain Age who just fiddle about and have a laugh, and we had a delightful young tutor who always enthused about everyone's attempts. Emboldened by this positive feedback, I ventured into a Life Drawing class, but it was immediately obvious that this was More Serious, and that all the others were Proper Artists. (I suppose it's hard for them to get someone to sit with no clothes on for them). The tutor was there to give critical feedback, which is not really what I was ready for, and I spent more time watching his progress round the group and dreading him seeing what tentative marks I'd done since last time he'd been round and poured scorn (I exaggerate only slightly). Then we had to pin our finished attempts up on the wall at the end for all to see, but I was delighted that there was one other person who was even more completely hopeless than I was! Mind you, if Picasso had been there and done one of his wonky-eyed portraits I would have said the same. What do I know?

And so it was that I attended the sketching class this afternoon. The tutor actually DID provide constructive criticism ie what was wrong AND how to fix it (which of course wasn't always possible because he made it sound easy and it wasn't). I hadn't reckoned on the crowds of tourists who stood around watching, though. I hope they didn't think this was the standard of Scottish Artists at the moment! A bunch of French students stayed for ages. They were very cheery. At least, they kept giggling all the time. And they couldn't have been laughing at our endeavours... or could they? Our tutor was very sweet and eventually persuaded a few of them to sit down with a board and try for themselves. That kept them quiet. I think it's great the National Galleries do such courses - one of the joys of living in a city!

I knew thought that I wouldn't be able to take a photo in the gallery, but I asked a young steward who said it was all right. I did get a really really good photo of the easels all set up (and you'll have to take my word on that, heehee). Then the lady in charge said photos weren't allowed, so I didn't want to get the young girl in trouble! There might be some Edinburgh blippers who work for the Gallery.

I took this one on the way. And it IS meant to be sloping - I'm a stickler for horizontal horizons! It (nearly) fits on to this one. I had to wait ages for a cyclist! Normally you have to keep a very sharp eye out for them whizzing up behind you, but where are they when you want one?