I was on Zoom with six friends from our critique group. I began to sketch one of them as she was focused on by the computer software. Soon another friend began to speak and the software shifted its focus to her. I continued sketching, using the second friend as inspiration, but the focus shifted again. And so it went until our session was over and I had this amalgam sketch of all six friends.
It was overcast and cool, but this did not discourage the dog beach enthusiasts from enjoying the beach!
Our Tuesday night Zoom model was great. First of all, she is beautiful and that alone made her fun to draw. But second of all, and more importantly, her expression was really interesting. She seemed as though she might be considering sharing her thoughts, and I was eager to try to capture this look with my drawing.
In addition to gouache on black paper, I used a Stabilo product, the Woody color pencil, which is water soluble. It easily goes on the paper and dissolves well. I like the textured look and the fact that you can work rapidly with it.
Our house has been full of family again. It is wonderful to look up and see someone else across the room, in this case, my son.
Our Tuesday night Zoom model took a reclining pose for the evening. Perhaps because I was at the beach today, she reminded me of a sunbather. So I filled in the background accordingly.
We drove home on Interstate -70, first through Kansas, then on through Colorado, Utah, Nevada, and Arizona, arriving home in San Diego after three days of early May travel.
I got a kick out of seeing the variations of this spring season along our route. Western Kansas had green fields but few leaves on trees. Climbing out of Denver, we saw skiers in the snow of the Colorado Rockies. Eastern Utah was striking in its canyon reds and dry grasses. And the green grasses and trees of the Southern Nevada landscape were lovely in their fresh green look.
Here are four ‘passenger sketches’ that I painted in my lap as we sped across the western states.
We stayed two weeks with my sister and brother-in-law in Kansas City. It is wonderful to be with two people who love each other deeply and to be included in their warm and caring circle of grown children, grandchildren, and friends.
Their place is across the street from a park that is greatly enjoyed by families of all sorts, including the little family of geese. At first the goslings were fluffy little beings who swam and walked close by their parents. By the end of the two weeks, their long legs were taking them further afield and they were keeping their parents busy with all their running, diving, and fluttering. Meanwhile, in the nearby playgrounds, something analogous was going on with humans, from the smallest baby in a buggy to the most adventurous playground climbers, swingers, and sliders.
Here’s to parents everywhere, and especially to all the wonderful mothers, Happy Mother’s Day!
Deliberate Sketching 