The Nigerian Model

Sometimes I attend a Monday's drawing group that has costumed models. The woman who runs the session very enthusiastic about finding models and creating a staged presentation or themes once the model arrives in our old barn of which is our art league's head quarters.
   I receieved text from her about a young Nigerian woman posing for us this Monday and she would be wearing a traditional African clothing. When I arrived with my portable easle I was asked to help to set up the model, and I did.
      The model was a lovely young women with dark complexion wearing a purple out fit, whether it was authentic or not I don't know, but I liked the color arrangement.  Once settled into her pose we all started to draw, but there was one flaw and that was the model kept nodding off (sleeping) while we drew her. I asked why and she said she was up all night, doing what I didn't ask,  sometimes had I asked her to open here eyes.
   Below is the pastel drawing/painting I did while there.

Creatures for another World

What?,  that strange and familiar...I once took a ceramics course at a local two year school with an outstanding professor from Sardinia Italy. He was big on teaching his students on  how to fold the clay properly to get the air out and things like trying to get a consistent wall thickness in our pottery. We were tested and took notes in our own notebook of which we were required to keep. He also encouraged us to come up with new designs to explore other possibilities in clay.
That challenge made me think of my high school biology days when we were given the challenge of coming up with imaginary creatures on imaginary planets that had physiology that would help them survive the nature of our pretend planets.
     I tried that mind experiment again in hopes that it help me come up with some new ceramic designs.
Below are the creatures from my ceramics notebook.

Where I Once Worked

I once worked driving a shuttle bus at an airport. It was mostly a game of waiting and being at the right location to to pick up the most passengers (you could tell they were UN-eased or a little panicky about making their flight) for the most tips, funny it seemed that the families out for the revered family trip would always tip the most, and the well dressed frequently traveling business man would always tip the least. Every driver knew about being in the right location so, there was always some tension during flight in and out times. Besides that it was a job that I needed and not wanted, so I found myself imagining other things like when I completed a degree I could start doing my art, or work in place that was more fascinating. I wanted to explore the sciences, but while there between the spouts of rest I would draw myself. Below is a pencil and pen drawing I did while in an airport parking lot.

Macy Gray at the Infininty

Sat with a few artist friends yesterday at a local restaurant in Windsor CT. two of them had just came from giving a great artist talk at the town's art center. As we sat talked one of them mentioned that he and his wife would be attended the Macy Gray performance at the Infinity Music Hall in Hartford tonight. He caught my attention because I had a complementary ticket for eating there a few times and wanted to see someone I recognized. Got to the Infinity Hall it was a small intimate theater seating about three hundred people that had great views just about any were you sat. I sat and listen to the intro band playing a kind modern soft rock until Macy cam on and lit up the audience. I had my sketch book and drew two small pen and ink sketches quickly as she performed . Below are the sketches.