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First Day In School

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Crusher

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Sep 21, 2005, 12:27:18 PM9/21/05
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Attended my first art class (drawing) at Ohio State University this morning.
As expected the students were young enough to be my grandchildren and the
teacher, an attractive young lass, was younger than my son. She asked us to
get together in pairs and do a simple bio of each other. One of the
questions she asked was why we were taking the class. My answer was that in
the 50 or so years I worked there had never been a year when I didn't attend
a training session of some kind on some subject or other, whether it was a
sales meeting, a convention, a seminar, a college course or a management
meeting. Being retired did not change a thing- I still need to learn
something new all the time.

Learning to draw means learning to look at the world a different way- paying
new attention to shape, color, light and texture. I've always drawn for
engineering and some for the fun of it, but it will be interesting to see
what new approaches the course (and the teacher and other students) have to
offer. The contrast between engineering drawing and drawing for art
surfaced almost immediately. When the teacher asked how we look at things I
told her, "With calibrated eyeballs," a standard engineering answer. Taken
aback, she asked for an explanation. I explained that it meant measuring
the proportions among the things we were drawing- visualizing shapes and
their relationships. She understood but just wasn't familiar with the term,
which she found amusing.

She then asked us to make 50 "gesture drawings" on 8-1/2 x 11 paper, in 50
minutes, and to work live. "What kind of gestures," I asked, thinking about
contortions in front of a mirror. She explained that the term simply meant
quick sketches of the things in front of us, not physical gestures, a term
I now found amusing.

Which brings me to a point I've had to relearn many time over. The first
step in learning something new is admitting to yourself that you don't
already know it.

--Bob--


Arch (TX)

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Sep 21, 2005, 1:03:45 PM9/21/05
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Very interesting Bob. I would love to take some courses in archeology
but my body will no longer support any of that sort of physical
activity, i.e., digging, getting down on hands and knees, etc. So, I
intend to photograph some of their activities in our area. There are
quite a few old missions which undergo such studies. My cousin, quite a
bit younger than me, volunteers with their digs. He has given me the
names and phone numbers of people to contact about where they will be
digging in the near future. So, I will try to join them just to
photograph their work. Should be interesting and perhaps others would be
interested in seeing what the archeologists actually do and what they find.
--
Arch (San Antonio, Texas)

My Photo Galleries:
http://www.pbase.com/aanzjr

Val Adams

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Sep 21, 2005, 2:17:46 PM9/21/05
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Crusher wrote:
[...]

>
> Which brings me to a point I've had to relearn many time over. The first
> step in learning something new is admitting to yourself that you don't
> already know it.
>
> --Bob--
>
>
This part made me HOWL! I am trying to learn a new web editing program, and
keep reaching for things where my old one used to keep them! Fortunately, I
also got a BIG manual!

Val de Confused

numac

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Sep 21, 2005, 2:52:34 PM9/21/05
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In article <RngYe.1652$0m6...@newsread3.news.pas.earthlink.net>,
aan...@earthlink.net says...
Go for it Arch sounds fun. and you are very good with that camera
already.
Numac

numac

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Sep 21, 2005, 2:54:55 PM9/21/05
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In article <RrmdnQI4udh...@adelphia.com>,
nospam...@adelphia.net says...
Bob, that is why I have hesitated to take courses at The Ohio State the
age difference. Don't think I would find much common ground. let me know
how it works for you.
Numac

gruffydd

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Sep 21, 2005, 2:54:28 PM9/21/05
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Crusher. what a coincidence. I too started today at art class. it is only
a 10 week course to learn drawing and painting. I have not done any since
1952. However teacher set up a still life group of two bottles[empty] some
oranges and bananas [all full] I managed the two bottles
"Crusher" <nospam...@adelphia.net> wrote in message
news:RrmdnQI4udh...@adelphia.com...

Crusher

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Sep 21, 2005, 4:13:01 PM9/21/05
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"Arch (TX)" <aan...@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:RngYe.1652$0m6...@newsread3.news.pas.earthlink.net...

> Very interesting Bob. I would love to take some courses in archeology but
> my body will no longer support any of that sort of physical activity,
> i.e., digging, getting down on hands and knees, etc. So, I intend to
> photograph some of their activities in our area. Arch (San Antonio, Texas)

The purpose of a hobby isn't really the hobby itself; it's that it keeps you
alive and enjoying living. San Antonio can get really hot in the summer
(been there) so I can certainly understand why any older person wouldn't be
able to dig in that climate. Photography and darkroom development was one
of my hobbies once but haven't done much lately. Fun, but not strenuous.

--Bob--


Crusher

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Sep 21, 2005, 4:16:13 PM9/21/05
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"Val Adams" <va_a...@pacbell.net> wrote in message
news:ethYe.882$Ur....@newssvr29.news.prodigy.net...

Yes, I know. Just set up a new computer last week and had a helluva time
configuring a later version of AutoCad than I had been using on a new
computer with a new OS- all at the same time. You definitely need to slow
down and find out how the new stuff works.

--Bob--


Crusher

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Sep 21, 2005, 4:22:00 PM9/21/05
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"gruffydd" <colin....@virgin.net> wrote in message
news:E%hYe.12306$ws4....@newsfe5-win.ntli.net...


> Crusher. what a coincidence. I too started today at art class. it is
> only
> a 10 week course to learn drawing and painting. I have not done any since
> 1952. However teacher set up a still life group of two bottles[empty]
> some
> oranges and bananas [all full] I managed the two bottles

> "Crusher" <nospam...@adelphia.net> wrote in message
> news:RrmdnQI4udh...@adelphia.com...
>> Attended my first art class (drawing) at Ohio State University this
> morning.

>> --Bob--

My course is just drawing. Signed up for a composition and design course
also but it was full. Lets hope we learn something and don't let the kids
show us up. We start drawing Friday. Course is 9-12 MWF so nine hours a week
plus about five hours/wk homework will take some effort. Hopefully there's
enough talent somewhere to justify the effort. I'd hate to turn out to be a
hundred pound weenie trying out for an NFL lineman. <g>

--Bob--

Crusher

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Sep 21, 2005, 4:26:00 PM9/21/05
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"numac" <m...@mac.com> wrote in message
news:MPG.1d9b76865...@nyc.newsgroups-download.com...

>> Attended my first art class (drawing) at Ohio State University this
>> morning.
>> As expected the students were young enough to be my grandchildren and the

>> teacher, an attractive young lass, was younger than my son. >> --Bob--


>>
>>
>>
> Bob, that is why I have hesitated to take courses at The Ohio State the
> age difference. Don't think I would find much common ground. let me know
> how it works for you.
> Numac

The common ground is an interest in the course itself, and in just learning.
The young people don't seem to care how old I am, and neither does the
teacher.

--Bob--


Val Adams

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Sep 21, 2005, 4:30:01 PM9/21/05
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Crusher wrote:

Oh, HORRORS! My OS is stable, for the moment (that thumping sound is me
knocking on keyboard with wooden head!) but I can remeber going thru
something like that once when Mark bought me 3DS max and a new system all at
once..he was sorry later..I made sure of that!

mj

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Sep 21, 2005, 6:40:13 PM9/21/05
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"Crusher" <nospam...@adelphia.net> wrote in message
news:RrmdnQI4udh...@adelphia.com...

How great you are doing this. I would have been thrown by the "gesture
drawings". Never would I have guessed it meant the immediate things around
you.

mj


Stan

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Sep 21, 2005, 6:59:01 PM9/21/05
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>
> "Crusher" <nospam...@adelphia.net> wrote in message

>>


The contrast between engineering drawing
>> and drawing for art surfaced almost immediately. >>

>> --Bob--

Congratulations on starting school. I agree we should learn new things all
our lives. When I read your contrast quote it made me think of Da Vinci. He
did both. Most engineers that I knew personally were quite good at drawing
for art. Good for you! Have fun!
Stan


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