Jana Matusz on Site

And cold. Temperatures in the 50s and low 60s again. The rain held off most of the day, and I was able to get one drawing done. It’s a good day for reading and being lazy. Today is the first day of the Cesky Krumlov International Music Festival, so there are lots of limos and important people in town.

Since I love drawing from the top of the tower, I went there again this morning. After the first drawing the intense rain drove me inside, so I drew from one of the little round windows half-way down. More drawing in the square and with my kind guitarists filled the rest of my day.

Weather is really important when you’re painting outdoors. It did indeed warm up a little today, and consistent sunshine made an appearance in the afternoon. I painted all morning and afternoon, and just took a slow walk this evening. There’s always something interesting to notice in this town…

Riverside Houses (20×16″)

If you must have grilles over your windows…why not beautiful ones?

I returned to the tower today. It is such a pleasure to draw the town from up there. (Yes, it was cold again but I wore every layer I had and worked on the lee side.) The town was lively today, with vendors and musicians and lots of tourists.

A discouraging day for my work since I was displeased with both my drawing and painting attempts. The weather cleared up by evening, but it was still cold. I think it will warm up and brighten up soon. Meanwhile, it was interesting to watch the progress at the river construction site. The new channel has been opened.

Brrr! Cold and rainy here. Today’s high was only 60 degrees. And the rain keeps on coming. It’s impossible for painting, difficult for drawing, and I’m sure those rafters aren’t having much fun!

Sometimes you just have to make the best of the situation. In this case, having a treat at the Zlaty Andel was just the thing to do. Tease time, Marta! Mmmm. Blueberries.

I painted in the morning, overlooking the town. The day started with clear sky, but  the weather did its usual change every 5 minutes, and the rain finally drove me away. Under my umbrella, I was able to finish. The high point of the day was definitely the concert given by Simon Veis and Helena Veisova at Vlassy Dvur (Italian Courtyard) hall. Exquisite music, world class, and the final piece by Martinu blew me away. I feel so fortunate to have been there.

Town at River Bend (20×20″)

I did some drawing, had a 10-minute ride on a Segway (my very first time), and attended a piano concert given by Middle Eastern students who were attending a summer program here.

Here are some paintings I’d been working on.

Zoom Town (20×20″)

War Paint (16×16″)

I worked on a couple paintings, but I especially enjoyed drawing today. Again, it was a treat to hear and draw Jindra Capek and Radek Interholz who perform at the Restaurant Konvice. (Jindra Capek is also a famous illustrator, by the way.) I finally started my precious larger sketch pad and got out my inks –my sketches so far have been 9×9″ but now some may be on the 11×14″ paper.

You lose some. This morning’s painting was a disaster. I’ve already painted over it. In the afternoon I escaped into some drawings, which were both calming and challenging.