I’m
tackling a one thousand piece jigsaw puzzle of the famous painting, ‘Mona Lisa’.
Sifting the pieces into piles of colour brought home to me how limited Da Vinci’s
palette was for this masterpiece. Sky, flesh tones and distant landscape are
three distinct colours in a range of shades but even those are pale and muted.
The remainder, probably fifty per cent of the canvas is basically dark brown
and black.
I raced through the edge pieces and the head and shoulders, slowed on the landscape and sky and have ground to a dozen pieces a day on the rest. To add to the challenge, my board accommodates the puzzle with just millimeters to spare resulting in frequent expletives as I nudge sections onto the carpet.
However I will persevere and eventually see the whole picture. I seldom if ever give up on a task I have set myself and will do it thoroughly and completely. I say completely but it remains to be seen whether all pieces are present and correct, this puzzle having come second hand from Value Village!
I raced through the edge pieces and the head and shoulders, slowed on the landscape and sky and have ground to a dozen pieces a day on the rest. To add to the challenge, my board accommodates the puzzle with just millimeters to spare resulting in frequent expletives as I nudge sections onto the carpet.
However I will persevere and eventually see the whole picture. I seldom if ever give up on a task I have set myself and will do it thoroughly and completely. I say completely but it remains to be seen whether all pieces are present and correct, this puzzle having come second hand from Value Village!
***
My
time in Canada has flown fast and already I am eligible to apply for citizenship.
Today I collated the necessary forms, documents, fees, cards and photos and
sealed them in an envelope bound for Sydney, Nova Scotia. The forms came from a
limited monochrome palette and the envelope was a drab beige.
***
The
Prince Edward Island marathon is on 14th October. I have stuck steadfastly
to my training schedule and feel in good shape. There’s a nagging ‘but’ lurking
here and it’s making me wait until nearer the time to register. Last weekend’s
eighteen mile run found me in some trouble. I was exhausted and reduced to walking
for a couple of two minute, uphill stretches. At home I felt nauseous, light
headed and was running a temperature.
There
is a chance this was just a dose of whatever the young girls had last week but
more worryingly it might be symptomatic of the wrong diet and insufficient
hydration, both issues I thought I had dealt with. At the risk of boring my few
long-suffering readers I will continue to run, eat and drink and try to come
out the other end somewhere.
***
It’s too dark to tell the dark black pieces from the merely black and as I’m very tired today, I’m heading for an early night.
3 comments:
The problem you have with a printed facsimile representation is the image will have been compromised by virtue of having to represent it with pantones. Variances will occur even if the printer in question is off top quality. I imagine with this that because it is only a puzzle and not something produced by a fine arts litho printer the colour may not be as it should. Having said that, you are undoubtedly right; the palette Leonardo used would not have the range of spectrum we are able to produce today. In a funny way that makes his art all the more wonderful.
As for the run - take care and have Michelle drive near you just in case.
PS. I was thinking for insurance purposes that if you fall over Michelle could finish you off by driving over you!
That way she, and the girls, will be financially sorted!!!
(Only kidding!)
I know what you mean about print quality. You do see it everywhere to some degree. Allowing for that, this painting is quite faithfully reproduced down to the myriad of hairline cracks in the surface varnish.
Yeah there'll be a Barton turnout on the day at a couple of points on the route where open roads bisect those roads closed for the day. Maisie is convinced I am going to win!
Don't give Michelle any ideas. She's perfectly capable of coming up with ruses of her own!
Post a Comment