I walked up the hill to Trader Joes’ two weeks ago and, among other items, bought a bouquet of flowers. They were so pretty, especially in the transparent vase, and I kept telling myself that it would be fun to paint them.
But my days sheltering in place have been oddly busy and I never got to it. Today, though, I noticed that one by one, the petals were falling to the table, until there was just one left. It was clear that if I wanted to sketch them, it had better be now.
I have been on a roll with my sketchbook, drawing what I want and getting a kick out it.
I started this sketch with my husband’s head and worked toward the left. Then I wanted to show more of the scene, especially my husband’s legs draped across the coffee table. So I opened the sketchbook and continued on the left side. This time I began with the feet, moving back towards the right.
I really needed a few more inches in the middle to make the figure proportional, but I like it anyway. It celebrates the bizarre fact that we are doing our bit for public health by watching old movies. Being a couch potato is suddenly the right thing to do, who would have guessed?
Like others, we have been talking on the phone or Skyping more often in the last few weeks. This evening when our son called, I had my sketchbook in hand and was in the midst of a drawing. I just kept drawing throughout our call, alternating between paying attention to the drawing and the conversation.
Coronavirus dominated our talk and think I caught a bit of the discomfort we all felt as we compared thoughts about the rising rates of contagion, unemployment, racism, and sheltering in place.
Early in March, I sketched at the Torrey Pines tidal pools just north of San Diego. I liked my sketch but thought I could do better. Since I also took many photos, I was able to use these along with the original sketch and make another pass at this subject.
Both versions are on the small side, 8 x 12 or 12 x 12. Eventually I’d like to make a larger version, after working out a few of the problems in these first two.
Over the last some forty years, we have played our share of competitive Scrabble. Along with a fire to offset some unusual cold and rain, vying for the best plays helped pass day 9 of sheltering in place. We are fairly even players and allow the use of a dictionary, but not electronic word finders. Our games can take quite a long time, so the other player has to be prepared to supplement with other activities, such as sketching or crossword puzzles. Sadly, I lost, the second time in two days.
I wanted to show the coziness of this room and I also had fun with all the different geometric shapes.
This is a gouache sketch on black Bristol board.
Funny how playing with the hula hoop makes me feel young. And funny how seldom I got it out in the bustle of my ordinary life. I am rapidly improving my technique, I can walk across the patio and even go up a few steps before it inevitably falls. And, I am definitely getting more nimble as a result of doing my part to slow the spread of coronavirus.
I wanted to show how hula hooping makes me feel so I painted myself much younger, in an outfit I don’t have and probably wouldn’t wear if I did, and gave myself back my teenage hair.
I used Procreate, an app on the iPad to make this sketch.
We spent the last six days at home, hiding out from the coronavirus.
A definite upside to social distancing is regaining a sense that we have all the time in the world for whatever we want to do here at the house. No appointments, get togethers, volunteer activities, gym classes, or commitments, just time here at the house. I think I recognize that I once had a similar feeling of owning my own time during my early childhood summers, and I am glad to have regained it a bit, even though it is such a tough time for people across our world.
This sketch shows my husband working to set up a solar panel, a project he has been meaning to do for several years. I reorganized my art supplies, cleaned closets, and played with my hula hoop. And who knows, maybe I will even weed that bed of nasturtiums you see in the background.
Deliberate Sketching 