Welcome
Last week I mentioned finishing my Artway Doodle sketchbook so here is the Premier, the 1st of many sketchbook reviews I hope, as this was quite a large journal this will probably be the longest one.
Hope you like it, I do rush through it fairly quickly, honest. If you get to the end of this newsletter I would really appreciate a share or recommendation if you have enjoyed any part of it, so I put this here as a reminder
I know people talk about urban sketching, plein air, creativity, subject matter, colour mixing, palettes, techniques like wet on wet, dry brushing and they all have a place and a time if you want to expand your skill and knowledge. I’m sure I will focus more on certain aspects as I grow my readers. At the moment my advice to take home is just enjoy the feeling of creating and doing something you like. It doesn’t have to be ‘standard’ - whatever that is. I like to think no one is going to judge you for not finishing that ‘plein air’ urban sketch back at home or going too heavy with the lines or colour. Take each one as a chance to improve your understanding, but more importantly just enjoy it and have fun 😉
Health
Now for a complete change of direction as I mentioned my heart a couple of times in that video.
The pictures below show a defibrillator installed in a repurposed telephone box. They are a game changer and becoming more and more prevalent around the UK in community centres, churches pubs and even telephone boxes! It prompted me to make it a subject for a sketch and a reminder of the trauma of an eventful day in September 2023.
Whilst laying on the floor at home having what I now know was a heart attack (or Myocardial Infarction, to give it the proper medical term).
I remember my son running to the local hall to get the defibrillator. It wasn’t the actual one in the picture but one a little closer on the village hall wall. He still had to sprint like Usain Bolt down a hill and back up again. I even joked he may need it first, as he came back gasping and out of breath like me! Thank you son, I love you for that and many more things you can’t even begin to imagine.
As it happened my heart didn’t stop and so it wasn’t needed, but the knowledge of CPR and defibrillators is something that is so so important in society, particularly with this growing epidemic of heart disease. Teach yourselves and your young people about the signs of heart failure and the first aid response and CPR, as some day it may just save your life. With prompt intervention and my proximity to the local hospital being only a 10 minute ride away my outcomes were greatly improved as I can accurately testify 10 months later. The struggle to breath and get oxygen into my lungs came out of nowhere one Friday morning at 8.30, as I was setting off to work on the motorbike. Within two hours I was sat up in the intensive care ward having had coronary angioplasty or percutaneous coronary intervention with the stent being fitted in my right coronary artery somewhere near the right acute marginal artery (going in through my right wrist). From this point on my life was never going to be the same again as I also needed the left side arteries bypassing pretty sharpish, and so the wait (and the worry) for surgery began.
I have dropped snippets of my story into my previous newsletters and do so realising this may not be to everyones liking as the title of this newsletter may suggest a little bit of ‘false advertising’, for this I apologise a little bit. ..But I hope it may be of use to at least one person to take their heart health seriously. If you value your life and want to stack the odds in your favour, find out how you can do that by removing all (or at least most) of the risk factors that are loitering in this modern society of ours - your Heart will thank you 💜. This week saw my regular blood check for all the bodily functions that living with heart failure can affect. They are fine. The surgery was carried out in November 2023 and this week is the 37th week I have lived following the triple CABG surgery (Coronary Artery Bypass Graft)
Fact stop: Heart disease: The worlds biggest killer
This process of writing and sketching has helped me try and focus on other things as the trauma of the last 8 months plays its ‘merry’ little tune in my head. The drawing and painting process can actually lower the heart rate and distract my thoughts. With pen in hand it can regularly drop into the low 60’s or high 50’s, where the running , walking and cycling gives it resilience at the other end. However, the mind is a different beast, somewhat changed with probably some mild post traumatic stress (at least that's what two healthcare professionals recently told me). It is ok to talk about it and I find all you lovely people here on Substack help with that, thank you too.
So if you like the pictures below and the other ‘off topic’ ramblings you may be in the right place!
Chat
If you’ve made it this far don’t forget I have an active chat thread which will have regular prompts should your artistic well run dry from time to time. It will be encouraging and should have some tips to keep you active. Come over as a subscriber and say hello. We are at #12 but you can join in any that are still open and I promise to read and view all content.
Finally
Thank you for reading, I’m always happy to hear from fellow enthusiasts in the comments👇 Anyway ‘till next time, happy sketching. CJ
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(Sometimes, I may not be able to trace you back to your Substack name from Kofi)
Watching your sketchbook reminded me of when I first started with painting, testing out all options to see where I might end up. Also, re your heart surgery, I am happy to read this as my brother had the same surgery nearly twenty years ago, and you are explaining how everything operates, unfortunately for him due to being a smoker and doing heavy manual work on a sheep farm he passed away 5 years later. So you make sure you follow all of your doctors and wife’ s orders , yes we can be bossy too. 🤗
I enjoyed the tour around your sketch book, thank you 🙂…I have always enjoyed sketching, and I appreciate your non intimidating approach and encouragement regarding having a go. Having more experience of detailed pen work, this really helps my aim of loosening up and using watercolour more effectively, and more sparingly. I also appreciate what sparked your sketching and the heart health awareness promotion, and wish you well.