Tuesday 22 January 2013

Every Day Matters Challenges

I did all of (well, most of!) the Every Day Matters Challenges a few years ago, but having seen both Emma and Jenna working their way through the list, I figured that starting from scratch wouldn't do me any harm at all, and would be an easy way for me to get back into the habit of daily drawing again.

So, without further ado, here is the first.

EDM #1 - Draw a shoe

A Croc.

Of course, now I'm looking at it on a computer screen, I can see LOADS wrong with it. Bah. Oh well. As I said, it's been a while, and I'll get better the more I do it (I hope!)


I have a love hate relationship with my crocs. Love because they're so easy to wear, they stay on without needing to be tied/strapped up, don't make me fall over just by being on my feet (happens with flats a LOT more than you'd think with me!) and because they appear to be indestructible. They don't care if they get muddy when I am gardening, or covered in paint when I am painting - and more importantly, nor do I. After all, how can you get precious about a pair of crocs? And yet I do. Get precious that is. In a way. I would hate if someone told me that I could never wear them again. I might even cry. Even though I hate them too. I remember the first time I laid eyes on a pair, announcing that they were the ugliest shoes ever. (and they were. This particular pair belonged to my very good friend Miffa (aka Emma), and were the most lurid, bright lime green you can imagine!) When I eventually got my own pair last spring - a good 6/7 years after seeing the green monstrosities (I was bored of having to put my wellies on to potter in the garden when it was dry and sunny. Because it was for a while last year believe it or not!), I swore I would never wear them out. And yet I bought another pair on holiday in Italy later in the year when my trusty converse had turned my feet into 2 ginormous blisters that just Would. Not. Heal. And they not only didn't aggravate the blisters, they allowed them to start healing at last. And ofc, I swore I would only wear *those* in the house as well. But I've sat here today drawing this one, and it just dawned on me that I've also worn them to pottery, and to the co-op down the road, and and and... I've probably even worn them to Waitrose *shockhorror*.
But I'm not ashamed. I wear them out in public. What of it?  I love my crocs.
Even if they are fugly ;)

I'm (im)patiently waiting for a delivery of canvasses to arrive from www.Greatart.co.uk at the moment, which will get me back painting again, although I won't be able to blog about what I'm doing until after two certain people decide to make an appearance, and have been given their very first piece of original art. Because their soon-to-be-mums might see it, and that'd ruin the surprise! So I'll try to keep you going with drawings for a bit instead ;)

4 comments:

  1. I was also a latecomer to the Croc brigade: like you I thought they were supremely ugly at first, and also couldn't conceive of wearing plastic shoes when it's hot...

    ... but bizarrely I was always a fan of Cloggies for summer gardening. Maybe because they've got a cotton insole. Who knows.

    Anyway, my first pair of faux crocs (from a Carrefour, would you believe) were, like yours, an act of blistery desperation. I was in Indonesia and my feet were really suffering from flip-flops, so I tried a pair on... and then wore them to death. They went up two active volcanoes, visited umpteen tourist attractions, and trudged around many malls. They finally gave up the ghost after about a year (we suspect the volcanic ash may have caused the soles to wear through a bit quicker than normal...), but I have a new pair to replace them and I do love them to death.

    Also very good for scuffing the carpet to get hair/fluff out of it. Tip courtesy of Anna over at http://funky1a1a.wordpress.com/ ;)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I was half expecting you to tell me off for wearing them whilst gardening Hedgie! Steve does - he's convinced I'm going to stab my feet with a fork and not notice (because I can't feel my feet) and seems to think standard wellies offer more protection than "rubbish plastic pretend shoes" somehow. But the really stupid thing is I don't even USE the proper fork, because I can't! I make him do all the hard stuff, and do all my gardening sitting down - far more civilised I reckon ;)

      Delete
    2. I wouldn't wear my crocs for gardening because of the holes, but I live in my Town & Country cloggies in the summer - much lighter, and I've been gardening all this time and never stabbed myself in the foot. Dropped things on it, yes, but not stabbed ;)

      There's no point in wearing big boots for gardening unless conditions require it, otherwise you're just sweating for no good reason :)

      Delete
  2. You little monkey!! I knew they'd get you in the end, everyone hated them at first but now (including the farmer men) everyone owns a pair :)
    3 flippin days to go Croombs!!!

    ReplyDelete