Shirt Guy

The third of the three little portraits. Ugh. His face looks like a plastic mask. And I haven't done anything about the "Ferocious" topic for Illustration Friday.

Woman with Jacket

The second of the three little portraits I started the other day. It's a gorgeous afternoon, and I should be grading exams. Alas....

Coat and Hat Man

It so feels like fall, and fall is the time of opportunities. It's 72F in the afternoons, and 48F at night, perfect sleeping weather and perfect going outside weather. Yesterday after school, I swam laps, walked the dog in the woods, did some yoga, and started three little portraits. They all made me really happy, even though I don't think this turned out all that great. It was the PROCESS that made me happy.

Skewed Sketch #16--Mesmerizing

There are several things I consistently find mesmerizing. One is drawing, making cross-hatching, watching the patterns emerge, the black of the ink against the white of the paper, watching the images emerge and develop, as the thing I'm drawing comes to life.

Another is watching patterns in nature--water going down a stream, leaves in trees, the ripple of grasses when the wind is across them.

Another is watching children. I never tire of that, even though my own kids are grown now. Perhaps it's a good thing that I'm a teacher, although I don't really think of teenagers as children.

And then there's reading. I can't even contemplate how much of my life I've spent reading (a whole lot less now than I used to as a child, young adult, and not-so-young adult), but reading is the ultimate mesmerization, as it takes you out of your own life and into someone else's life.

It's only accidentally that I have a post for this week's topic, as I was just making another "skewed sketch" at school while my kids were doing their MAP tests (Measure of Academic Progress), and then I saw that this week's topic actually fit the picture I was making.

Skewed Sketch #15

I have a student teacher this semester. Currently she is teaching two of my six classes, and I have to be in the room while she is teaching, but I'm not supposed to be "interfering" in any way, so I sit at my desk in the back and do what? I'm supposed to be "observing" so I can give her feedback, but I've never been one to just sit and watch or sit and listen. I can't grade papers, because I can't do that when there's talk going on. That pretty much leaves drawing.

This is from a picture in the Lawrence Journal World.

Some sketches

I guess I haven't been TOTALLY lax, even though I haven't "finished" anything. I have been drawing in my sketchbook, and here's a selection from the past month.

Dante and Devereaux in 3rd period Advanced American Lit.

Kathy's mother during a Lawrence Barn Dance Association board meeting.

Professional development day

Another page from the professional development day

Sherman Alexie from a book jacket

Some bearded Jesuits, maybe....