Friday Night Highlights

I actually got out of the house two whole days in a row. It's a record!

Went to the Ashley County Relay for Life event. I, of course, took Implements of Sketchification to occupy my time in the solitude of the bleachers while my companions ratted and chatted in the crowd.



I was struck by the shear number of people in the stadium. At one point you couldn't see the track surface due to all the folks walking. (I grew tired of drawing all the little stick figures, so please use your imagination to fill up the track.) It appeared that all of Ashley County had turned out in a show of support. It was pretty awesome.

I could have stayed and sketched all night. Having live, willing sketch victims still awake at 2:00 am would have been like manna from heaven. But alas, no, Hubby declared we had to leave in search of grindage.

We ended up on the town square in Hamburg, a nice spot with cool old buildings and a gazebo. I saw lots of things I wanted to draw but it was dusk, the light was fading and supper at the steakhouse beckoned.


Sawyer's Steakhouse is in a neat old building with high tin ceilings and lots of old fixtures. There was a grand mirror behind the antique marble soda fountain, along with several of grandma's fancy cake plates and parfait glasses. I could have sketched all night in there too.

We waddled out an hour later, all full as seed ticks.

I definitely want to return to the square and this restaurant for more sketching. Woot! Must dream and scheme a road trip in the near future.

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2:00 am - Still wound up from drawing today. Brain is hung up on whirled peas. Had to poop them out so I can get some sleep.

Courtyard Fountain

Journaling:

A wonderful afternoon of sketching and visiting in a quiet courtyard downtown. The weather was perfect, the company excellent, and the drawings divine!

Met Miz D. for the first time today. It was like we had known each other all our lives and just had to catch up on the last 30 years. She draws and paints beautifully but it's hard to convince her of that.

She is passionate about illustrated journaling and is trying to spread the gospel. Well, now there are two of us. "For where two or more are gathered together..."

Squee! We might be on to something big! Woot!

EDM #12 - Draw Your Dinner

Journaling:

Cranberry Glazed Pork Loin

• Slab o' pork loin w/ cranberry, apple & BBQ glaze
• Yukon Gold mashed taters -n- gravy
• Greek seasoned French-cut green beans
• Sourdough garlic toast
• Salad with lettuce, tomato, croutons, cashews, and Ranch dressing
• Pepsi

It was Experimental Cooking Night at our house. My sister sent me the recipe and I've been planning, discussing and dreaming about this meal for days.

Hubby inhaled it without taking a breath, then started talking about all the possibilities for leftovers.

It was a big hit!

You bet I drew this from a photo. I wasn't waiting around letting it get cold while I sketched it!

EDM #11 - Draw Your Glasses

Journaling:

#1 - The Distance Pair

- stylish, sleek, slitty
- bifocals
- expensive

Can't see for sh*t wearing them. Discovered they give me headaches.

#2 - The Reading Pair

- clunky
- single vision
- cheap; $40 total

Love these and wear them 98% of the day. I can see the TV across the room better with these. That ain't right!

I kept telling myself that I just needed a little more time to get adjusted to the new bifocals, but I'm pretty sure something is just wrong with them.

I sit about twelve feet from a big screen TV and the scrolling channel guide lettering is fuzzy. I don't think I should be squinting to see that. Plus, if I wear them more than an hour I get a headache.

I should have painted them yellow because they are lemons.

Argggghhhh!!!

EDM #10 - Draw Some Hands

These are the hands of my triplet great-nieces who just turned 2-years-old. Their little hands are into everything these days!

Gratuitous triplet pic:

The girls need some little gay minions to help them out with hair and wardrobe, doncha think??? Those dog ears could use some product.

EDM # 9 - Organized Chaos

Journaling:

Computer Nest - Art Space - Business Office - Supply Closet

When you live in a little bitty house, all spaces must be multi-functional, and they must be organized.

This is the most chaotic spot in the house. Everywhere else is spartan by comparison.

There was so much stuff in there I got tired of drawing and left things out. Then I got tired of painting and just called it done. Sheesh!

The St. Christopher Saga - EDM #8

EDM #8 - Draw your watch or other piece of jewelry

Journaling:

In idle conversation with my mother-in-law (she seems to make an appearance in my journal quite often, doesn't she?) I mentioned I was looking for a St. Christopher necklace but couldn't find one I liked. They were all small with delicate, dainty chains. I would destroy a dainty chain in a matter of days because I'm hard on my jewelry.

The next time I was at the farm, Mammaw Speck said she had a surprise for me.

Squee! A beautiful, chunky St. Christopher!

That night I took off my new St. Christopher when I took my bath and left it by the sink in the bathroom. That was the end of my new St. Christopher.

Mammaw Speck noticed I wasn't wearing it the next time she saw me. She was worried I didn't like it.

"Oh no," I said, "I liked it just fine. It's hanging around your son's neck. He stole it from me the day you gave it to me and he won't give it back."

...and she smiled a little smile I didn't understand at the time.

A few weeks later she said she had another surprise for me. Squee! Another St. Christopher! This one was larger and more intricate.

She told me she had liked this one better but her buddy had talked her out of it, saying it was too large for a girl.

She was most happy to have a reason to go back and get it.

I put it on right then and haven't taken it off since*. Hubby's not getting his hands on this one.

*Except to draw it tonight. Hubby is safely in bed.

EDM #7 - Draw a Bottle, Jar or Tin from the Kitchen

Journaling:

Looked for something interesting to draw. Most of the stuff in my kitchen was boring.

Found the olive oil in the back of the top cabinet. I don't use it much for cooking, only for making salad dressing. When I cook with it the food has a weird taste that just seems wrong. Maybe it's the cook that's wrong, not the olive oil.

Next to the olive oil I found this little squeeze bottle of honey. Oy vey. I have no idea how long it's been up there. I have no idea how it got in my cabinet either. That's a scary thought.

It's going to live in the trash can now.

If I revisit the EDM challenges each year, I'll work back around to this one and clean out my pantry cabinets on a regular basis. A win-win situation.