Tea time - 30

Hi...didn't post yesterday. I'm finding work difficult...it's not the subject...it's not a lack of ideas...but there's been so much fantastic tennis on the TV from Wimbledon. Some phenomenal matches! Added to that my Power Walks are averaging 5 miles each morning. I really enjoying them and planning the routes I take each day is part of the enjoyment. My weight loss is going very well and I'll be reaching my target soon. I then intend to continue walking but on a less regular basis. I am however now that the weight is almost gone, intending to do some toning work..I've ordered a DVD which should fit the bill and provide me with the right aerobic session work and a little boxercise!

I've done some work today as you can see...I'm having a rest day tomorrow so I should do a little more...thanks for the continued patience...it'll all be worth it in the end!!

The changing face and body show!

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 2.

 3

Thought  you might like to see the ongoing results of my fitness regime. Photo number one was taken as part of the series for my present picture. It was taken just over 8 weeks ago and shocked me...I'd never been so out of shape and weighing in at 16.2 stones, I'd never been heavier. So I resolved to do something about it.

Photo number two was taken after about 3 weeks of daily walking and following the F2 diet by dietitian Audrey Eaton. Power Walking was something I'd heard of and after lots of youtube watching and google reading, I began to incorporate Power Walking into my daily walk.

Photo number 3 was taken this morning after I'd returned from a 5.31 mile power walk. I've lost nearly two stone and I'm feeling fitter than I've done in many years. All it's taken is a desire to improve my health, a bit of studying and a good pair of trainers.

There is still some way to go...but I'm getting there.....one Power Walking step at a time!

Tea time - 29

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 I never know how faces are going to turn out...sketching them in with pencil first creates a good basis to work upon...but it's only when I erase the pencil after the initial first few dots that the face takes on it's own personality.The girl on the left is progressing quite well...but as I told you two days ago, I've struggled with girl number two. however, I've got this far and that's how it's going to be...so I shall press on and develop them.

 I had a nice relaxing day today...I intended a rest day from  my exercise routine. this was a smart move..I now feel rested and ready to return to pounding the streets tomorrow. I also managed to watch some great tennis from Wimbledon. I think the highlight today was the match btween German Sabine Lisicki and Li Na of China. Li Na won the French Open a few weeks ago and was expected to do well on the grass. But Lisicki beat her in a thrlling three set match.

Tired!

Sorry no work on 'Teatime' today...I did a six mile walk this morning and much of it was uphill. I think I've over estimated my abilities this week...I'm exhausted. I also had the temptation of some wonderful tennis matches from Wimbledon to watch. Saw a remarkable match between Venus Williams and Kimiko Date - Krumm, which Venus managed to win though sorely tested.

I'm going to have a rest day tomorrow, so hopefully i'll get some work done!

Tea time - 27

I've added the two girls...in pencil. The girl on the right does not have a mouth as yet...I've tried so many times to get it right but to no avail. I'm going to leave it until tomorrow and have another go. I'm really pleased at the moment with their poses...I designed the pose on the left then traced it , flipped it over and transferred a it to create an exact opposite. The faces are obviously different. The girl on the left flowed into being quite easily..but number two is causing the problems. Oh, and if you're wondering...each girl is holding two tennis balls!

Tea Time......tennis and walking.

I started the day by being driven out of the city to the countryside...a local boating marina . I power walked my way home from there along leafy lanes and fields until I got back to suburbia. It was so nice to be away from the city streets. A car drew up and winding thew window down was my friend Allan...it was so encouraging to actually meet someone who knows me and able to witness my walking. Some people I explain power walking to don't realise what I'm doing...it's true that power walking uses the same amount of calories as running...the only difference is that if you're running, you finish exercising earlier...I can go on for much longer than many runners.

I'm now regularly walking around or over five miles in my session... always walk early in the morning and count it as walking to work. the benefits are to my health. when I weighed myself this morning I had lost one and a half stone ( 21 lbs ) in the last six weeks. I'm looking and feeling fitter than I've done for around 10 years!

Today also saw the start of The Lawn Tennis Championships at Wimbledon. I've been following the ATP and WTA tour for years now in the press , on TV and online, but nothing compares to the prestige and refinement of the grass courts and atmosphere at the All England Club. Of course my fascination and fetishisation of the Ladies game, history and fashion is familiar territory for long time readers of this blog, ...I continue to be influenced by that and my work represents and reflects it.

So to my work...Having completed the Cancan girl...I've worked on the drawings on tracing paper of two more figures...they will be women who are  holding up the skirts of the Cancan dancer...they are ready for transfer now and will be added tomorrow....in between watching the tennis...and power walking...
Bye for now!

Tea time - 26

 Please excuse my posting of these images yet again...but work on my Cancan dancer is almost finished except for the blank patches on the outer and uppermost edges of her skirts. I'm now as happy as I'm going to be with things so far...

 I've tweaked one or two things that became apparent when I viewed the work on in this format...perhaps you might spot the changes if you compare yesterdays post to today's.Below is a super closeup which actually (now I look at it) reveals some pencil lines that I haven't erased yet!...I'll attend to that next time. I am now ready to push on to the next stage of the composition.

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 Knees are so difficult...they don't have a definite form...they're all bumps, creases and suggestions of contour...and showing them under nylon highlights their form..that's why I decided to include a close up for further inspection. I might have to widen her calf's slightly...seeing them here makes them look too narrow...easily remedied.....see you tomorrow.

PS...I had a rest day from my walking today..my 5 miles took it our of my yesterday...but rest assured I'll be back pounding the pavements tomorrow!

Tea time - 24

Walked 5.35 miles in one hour ten minutes this morning!! but still managed a full days work on this!! I'm now able to incorporate my exercise routine into my morning without needing the rest of the morning to recover! The five miles was this week's aim, but my overall target is to restrict my walking session to one hour or four miles. But it's great to see how far I can push the limits every now and then!

I've completed basic work on the frills of the underskirt today...now I'm increasing the amount of shading..you can see the effect I'm after by looking at the frills falling in front of the lady's face...I've completed two layers with one to go. I've also begun work on the shading either side of her legs which you might be able to compare with the layers I've not yet started on further up...the extra shading gives a more photographic effect and seperates the layers slightly.

Tomorrow I hope to finish the underskirt then move on to completing the stockings and then the frilly knickers!

Tea time - 23

I imagine most readers will be getting fed up of this by now...progress appears to be slow. but it's coming along nicely in my eyes. I do sometimes wish I would be quicker..but I often look at work done by my favourite artists and every detail is lovingly rendered...and to be honest, I'm not up against any deadlines...so I may just as well concentrate on getting each small area to the standard I want. So if you're getting impatient, you have my absolute permission to only come back on a weekly basis..that way it'll appear to be flying by!

Today I worked on the right side of the underskirt, and made preparations to add in the other figures and steam engine!

Tea time - 22

I've spent my time today working still on the underskirt frills. Entirely on the left hand side, I'm adding and deepening the shadows and shaded areas...

in other news..my walking sessions continue..today I walked 4.55 miles in just over an hour.I'm also amazed at how many people seem to find power walking amusing....I comfort myself knowing that I leave people with a smile on their faces as opposed to a grimace! I'm hopping to extend my distances up to 5 miles in a session...I'm feeling and looking fitter than I've done for many years!

Tea time - 21

Thought you might like to see how my figure relates to the Cancan girl.I'm still not altogether happy with the skirt...well, at least it will give me an opportunity to get it right on another occasion. Keen observers amongst you might notice a line travelling horizontally behind the Cancan girl's head...a bridge maybe?

Tea time - 20

Work on the underskirt frills continues to perplex...i've redrawn them a few times. Please remind me next time to find someone to model for me !!...any volunteers?

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Here I can reveal a little more of my cancan lady....Looking fairly straight forward so far?...more surprises yet to come!

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Slowly learning how to incorporate my daily power walks with work. It's getting easier as I get fitter..today I felt as if I could have walked a lot further, but having done an hour, I needed to get home, shower and get to work.

Tea time - 17

Still don't now what I think about her expression...it's the way it happened, so that's the way it'll be! Spent ages today working on these frills...difficult since I'm not working from any resource..the trick ( i'm noticing) is not to make them all the same but add some randomness in.

Tea time - 16

you've no idea how close to disaster I came to with this picture tonight. I came back from the bathroom having washed my hands, and decided it was time to take today's photograph for my blog. I firstly noticed debris from the use of my eraser...as I brushed my hand across the page, the dampness on the back of my hand smudged the ink over this lady's face.A fair amount of remodelling has happened and I also had to scratch away some of the areas of paper that were turned grey .Only close observation could betray my accident, but for a moment I thought it was the end!

I've spent ages researching the folds of the frills on the underskirt.There are hordes of photos online of cancan dancers, but I have not been able to find a picture depicting the fall of the ruffles when the dancer is standing still. OK, so I have also trawled through hours of youtube footage of cancan dances which is actually not an unpleasant task, but on the whole, any views that do seem to match the stance, are generally of poor resolution. So from what I've seen and using the 'feel' that drawing such folds creates in my instincts, I've pressed ahead hoping it will look right.

On other fronts, my continued commitment to Power Walking is producing pleasing results. Approaching the end of my forth week, I am walking for 50 minutes each day covering just under three and a half miles. My goal is to extend walking time to 60 mins and cover four miles.I intend to keep my regular walk within that time frame and lessen the need for daily sessions once I've shed the weight I have accumulated. I'm on target to have shed a total of 14lbs in the four weeks I've been exercising which will be the end of this weekend...my weekly weigh-in is always on Monday morning so I won't know until then.

I'm rapidly turning into a diet and excise bore, so I'll bid you farewell until tomorrow!

Tea time - 15

A bit of tweeking and she's looking like she's a bit cheesed off...maybe you would too...?