Voting, Figures and a Bookmark

Here in the US Tuesday was election day. Thank heavens the election is over for a couple of years, the political ads on TV were starting to drive me and I think everyone else here in the States crazy. Wish there was some way we could shorten these election cycles, this last one for President lasted 2 years and that is just plain crazy, nothing gets done in the Congress while everyone focuses on the Election and what may happen.

OK I have vented, not knowing what to expect at the polls I took a sketchbook with me. Good thing I did as the line was long and I had time to do some sketching while I waited. Top is a quick sketch of 4 others in line waiting to vote. Middle is a quick portrait of an older woman sitting in a chair waiting for the line to move to where she would be almost next in line. My voting location is in a elderly community complex, the old one was in a school but it moved several years ago. The advantage is that most of the pole workers don't have to travel too far, and it is easier for the residents to vote. Not that I think that is why they moved the location, but it might have been a factor. The last sketch is of part of a decoration in a fish tank in the lobby of the center. Not wonderful drawings but not too bad for just quick sketches. I should do more of these.

Otherwise I haven't been doing a lot of drawing, not entirely sure why, just haven't felt able to sit down and concentrate on any of my animals, weather has been a factor we have had another storm with lots of wind, rain and even some snow. Thankfully where I am the snow is only sticking to the grass and not to pavement, but some communities got about half a foot. The weather forecasters really messed up with this one, people aren't going to be happy.

I did manage to work on another bookmark. Free form daisy's drawn in ink with added color pencil. Not real flowers of course but it was kind of fun to do and didn't take a lot of concentration.

This past Monday I was back in the Studio for my weekly figure drawing session. This one is semi OK, not my best work but much better than last weeks drawing. Lighting was from the floor which makes it easier to draw the features of the models face. Pose was a bit tricky and the model had a bit of a struggle holding it for us.

I finished what I wanted to do on my graphite drawing a bit early Monday night so pulled out my sketchbook and did a quick pen sketch. Lots of errors and not a lot of detail, but I suppose in a way it might be a better drawing, more energy. You can see from the pen sketch how much the pose had shifted by the end of the evening. In some ways I didn't mind, but with this pose which I laid out in the first few minutes when she was more upright there was no way for me to reality check the neck length. I have a feeling it is a bit too long in the graphite drawing, but it is what it is and I will just have to try again next week.

I pulled this photograph out from a group I made last month at Daniel Webster. The berries are Asian Bittersweet. It dries well and makes a pretty addition to fall flower arrangements  However it is an invasive species and not good for the native trees as it tends to wrap itself around tree trunks eventually killing the support tree. There is a native species which isn't quite as aggressive and so does less damage.

That is it for today, hopefully our storm is almost over and I will be able to get back to working on my animal drawings. The Morning Dove is almost done, and I would like to have it finished for my next post. In the meantime comments are welcome and I hope everyone reading is warm and dry.