Old Lady Reading

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While time marches inexorably onward, I’m still busy regaling you with the results of my March determination to get back into some sort of artwork – any sort of art work really – my abilities having somehow mysteriously atrophied due to non-use over the previous couple of years.

So, sometime towards the end of March I spent a couple of hours one evening drawing and colouring while listening to Juliet Stevenson read me more of ‘Middlemarch’ on Audible.  Eventually I produced this

Feeling quite delighted with her and vaguely amused with myself I sent a photo of the drawing to a friends and family group on Messenger with the message ‘today I drew a self portrait. ‘

My eldest daughter responded almost immediately: ‘That’s a lovely picture but I’ve never seen you in a hat like that.’

‘Picky, picky’ I responded

She came straight back ‘It’s a lovely hat! The whole ensemble is gorgeous and I especially love the shoes!’

There followed other comments about the shoes from other members of the group then we segued off to shoes in general and ended up with the death of Scott Walker and rodent stories quickly followed by cat stories and many, many photos of cats.

I eventually went off to my bed and as I settled myself down to sleep I realised NOBODY had said  ‘Hey, that’s not a self portrait!’  😀

Thanks for coming by today, I love that you did.

77 thoughts on “Old Lady Reading”

  1. Hi Pauline,
    it’s such a lovely character sketch, love the pose – I find it fascinating that noone challenged you about it being a self portrait. Why is the question. If the artist says so, does it make it so? Food for thought!

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  2. It is a beautiful picture and I love the old lady. Would certainly like her meet her. It’s definitely not an image of you, but for me she does exude that beautiful gentle loving nature you have, so maybe that’s what your daughter saw. However whatever she saw I think your eldest should buy you a nice hat like that, so you do have one 🙂

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  3. Love the drawing Pauline. It reminds me of the poem “When I Am Old”, mainly because of the reference to purple and the purple hat society which sprang from it. X

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  4. LOL. Maybe your family really thought it was you – and you drew yourself so well without realising it 😀 I like the light coloured shades, giving the piece a graceful feel 🙂

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  5. So difficult to make – or get – jokes by text or internet isn’t it.
    The drawing is delightful, but, for the record “that is not a self portrait”!
    Will you do a self portrait – an expression of the energetic vibrant you?

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    • You are so right Sandra! I must be more careful in future 🙂 I appreciate your understanding 🙂 I find portraits really hard to do – I tend to draw what I call ‘soul pictures’ which embody all that is great about someone and represents their special qualities without being a necessarily photographic likeness. But, never say never!

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  7. I love her hair and the angle of her face looking down – you got that perfectly. Yes, it does serve you right for being a smart aleck when you showed others your work. Ha ha!! I’ve got a couple of self-portraits and one looks angrier than the other…I must look angry when I’m concentrating on my art. HA!! So of course I’ve not shared them with others.

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    • Hello Crystal – lovely to see you again! Thanks for coming by. I’ve never actually tried a real self portrait – I’d probably frighten myself
      😀 Which fact maybe makes me think I should……. I’ve been trying my hand at some less whimsical/perfect faces with hilarious results though. I think they are due to be seen in a post or two…….

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  9. I wish I could leave you a poem like your other friend did!!! She is very charming! I didn’t think she was a self-portrait, though until you mentioned that, but maybe she is in the way that all our characters are part of ourselves?
    The more I look at her the more endearing I find her, by the way!

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  10. Kudos, Pauline, for returning to drawing. Self-portrait? Who knows? To be engrossed in a thick book outdoors–though I would choose a more comfortable chair–is quite appealing to a book lover like me.

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  11. The dapper little lady
    Would like it understood
    That she really is quite happy
    Sitting with her book.

    She isn’t misanthropic
    And loves a little natter
    But when buried in the pages
    It’s quite a different matter.

    She really would be grateful
    If you’d manage to refrain,
    From interrupting her reading
    By asking her, her name.

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  12. What a lovely drawing. I would love to have a pair of purple shoes and a fabulous hat for a little outside reading time. 🙂 I’m glad you’re being creative, Pauline. Your posts are a joy. ❤

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  13. Love the drawing. I don’t see it as a self-portrait but as a picture inspired by the book you were listening to. I love your art work. More! More! More!

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  15. Pauline, I love this little old lady. I think she’s perfect in every way. I especially love the hair. I didn’t think it was a self portrait, but I certainly saw my future self in this work! I hope one day to wear purple shoes and have loosely pinned up silver hair and to be able to sit quietly and read a book on a small red stool in my garden. Lovely. ❤️

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    • There we go Cheryl, she is aspirational – we’d all like to be like her when the time comes. I love the straight back, mine definitely gets a curve to it when sitting on a stool – that must be the ‘Middlemarch’ influence.

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  16. I *immediately* thought “that’s no self-portrait! Pauline is no old lady!” Don’t get me wrong–I like the drawing and think it’s very evocative but you have way more style than this lady does! I’m enjoying, very much, seeing your artwork–I hope you keep creating and sharing!

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    • And that is the correct answer Kerry 😀 My daughter omitted to mention I also don’t own a dress like that – the entire ensemble may well be ‘gorgeous’ but doesn’t exist in my wardrobe. She is a very cute little personage though and I enjoyed drawing her. Thank you for the encouragement to keep at it 🙂

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  17. If someone tells me its a self portrait who am I to argue! LOL!! I guess not to hurt your feelings I’d agree! :o) I’d hope my daughter’s would correct me, but I’ve noticed my last group of teen girls just nod politely too! ;o) while I pull their leg!
    She is beautiful who-ever she is Pauline!
    She reminds me of my mother, now 86. She’s so tiny and she looks younger to me now rather than older! If you know what I mean! In her 70s she “ran” here and there (she doesn’t drive) and if I’d see her (as I was driving and she never asks for rides!) my first thought was why does that young girl have white hair!
    I love your art. I love the colors, the “stories” it tells, different to each of us!

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    • Hello Eliz, lovely to see you pop by again. It serves me right for making smartass throwaway comments doesn’t it 🙂 Your mama sounds very energetic and young at heart and that is the perfect way to grow older!

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      • I’m confused Pauline? Did you comment on my blogs? I closed down my blog about my boys. Too many solicitors wanting to make $ off it. And I closed down my “making” blog because I had several turn of life events that toppled my world upside down, and have spent the last 9 months trying to find the ground again with my feet.
        So I kept my Uncontainable Joy Blog which started off as a blog for my youngest Teens, but I’ve highjacked it since they are bored of it!! I saw no awaiting comments listed anywhere??!! And I did/seem to have so much trouble with blogger over receiving a notice of a comment from anyone. :o(
        Last January work doubled its requirements of me and I am just now trying to read/visit/comment on my favorite blogs again. If indeed you said anything smart ass to me I would have loved it, I’m a sassy kind of gal you know! Can’t have 21 children, (12 of them grown and terribly opinionated, hmm wonder where they got that from ;o) and not be a sassy old gal!
        (((HUGS)))

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        • Ha-ha, so sorry Eliz – I meant my smartie remark to my friends about ‘my self portrait’ that I started this post with. I haven’t seen anything from you for so long and now I know why. I didn’t know you had so many blogs – I can hardly keep up with just this one – and I only followed your making one. I hope I didn’t send you off on a wild goose chase looking for my non-existent sassy comments 🙂 I’m sorry to hear life has been challenging and I hope you have found some ground to stand firmly on again.

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  18. That’s a lovely little drawing. My eyes went straight away to the purple shoes which says something about me I suppose but I never once thought it was a self portrait. Kids eh! 🙄

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  20. The old lady reading is very cute, Pauline. I wonder why everyone believed you when you told them it was a self-portrait. 🙂 She is rather gorgeous! I hope you had a marvellous Easter.

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    • To be honest Norah I think she rather got lost in the general chitchat and sharing that followed – I was more amused by my reaction at the end of the evening at not having had my ego stroked by caring family and friends 😀 She is rather cute and I may make a painting of her yet. We had a lovely long weekend here thank you and the weather was kind too. How was yours?

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      • I’d love to know what she’s reading. 🙂
        A painting would be delightful. How about a series of cards in her honour – sharing ‘old lady’ wisdom. (You’d have to do a bit of research for that though *wink*.)
        We had a lovely wet weekend – just what we needed. 🙂

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  21. I LOVE this drawing, Pauline. A self portrait is how you see yourself. I think you have an alter ego self as many of us do. Parts of us that are unexpressed before others. I thought she was such a sweet and delightful lady and my daughter agreed. She was looking at it from the side of me. 🙂 Her purple shoes are inspiring and making quite the statement. Do more of her. Please. 😉

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  22. This looks to me more like a character from Middlemarch than the artist Pauline – except maybe the purple shoes which are quite sassy. The drawing is lovely and the hat reminds me of the one Eliza Doolittle wears in my fair lady in the opening scene in Covent garden. It’s definitely a period piece.

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