PEN & INK SKETCH

This series of sketches was done from a wonderful image in the paper this morning of an elderly black man after voting for Obama. I loved the photo and wanted to capture the pose, hands and face. I don't believe in erasing but prefer to draw again and again until I feel I have what I was after. I started on the right, then left, then down. You can see how accuracy begins to show up eventually. I do like the feel of the first one but the head was way off.

I collaged the background of my Frenchman today using the paper towels that absorbed excess paint for the Japanese papers I painted the other day. I separated the 2 ply paper and had two usable pieces but it stretched pretty badly when I was "gluing" it down. The color is wonderful, however. I'm not sure how this will workout with such low grade paper collaged on, but nothing ventured, nothing gained.

I was hoping to get more work done today but we wound up dealing with a major plumbing problem. The Rotor Rooter guy actually has a camera on the end of the "snake" and they make a video of the inside of your pipes! Who knew plumbing had gone so high tech. He wound up digging up the front yard but found the problem (roots had invaded the pipe and created a blockage) and removed the nest of roots without having to replace the pipe and dig a longer trench. That little camera showed that the rest of the line was clear. I will not soon take for granted the luxury of indoor plumbing. It's one of those comforts we don't appreciate until it disappears.