Federal Courthouse

Sketching with Miz Dee today and a new sketching recruit, Miz Betty. Security was tight at this courthouse. Lots of permissions had to be granted beforehand and lots of meetings and introductions made once we arrived. We were finally allowed into the courtroom just short of a full body cavity strip search, the promise of five years indentured servitude, and the surrender of a firstborn male child. Sheesh!

In the courtroom I was in sensory overload. Exquisitely detailed moldings and marbles were everywhere! I halfway expected to look up and see this:



Had a hard time settling down and deciding what to draw. There was so much eye candy in here my head was spinning. Decided to start with a small warm-up sketch of the alcove behind the judge's bench.


Then I had to capture the chandeliers.


There were four in the courtroom and they were huge, maybe four or five feet across. I was surprised that they were completely opaque. The light was reflected off the ceiling only. No warm glow through the globes. Maybe they were marble also. What a concept!

We got a late start and wrapped up rather early so I only got these two little sketches done. Must go back! There's a month's worth of sketching to do in this room alone much less the rest of this magnificent building!