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....

Old Woman with Cane

Here's the second of the "forced" portraits, that I'm making in hopes of getting back into the "inspiration loop." I really like the quote (Picasso??--that sounds about right) that Susan put in her comments on my last post: "Inspiration exists. It just has to find us working." It's SO true--I think of that for all the arts--visual arts, music, writing. I like this one a whole lot better than the last one, but it also is still just "showing up." I'm really trying to be there....

Irish Pub Guy

So...it's been really hard to get back into the swing of making things. It's the old you-have-to-actually BE there in order to have any kind of inspiration, and since I haven't "been there" I don't have any inspiration. So I started a couple of portraits, and this one really sucks, but I'm posting it anyway, just to prompt me to make one that doesn't suck.

Doodles while doing Swedish lessons

What does one do while listening (and responding) to language lessons? You can't just sit there, can you? Does anyone? It's like talking on the phone--you HAVE to doodle. So here are a few of the doodles (done on the computer) from the first four lessons.

Sketches from Trip

But I guess I have made a few sketches in my sketchbook. Here's a selection of sketches from the two trips I took this summer, a total of four weeks gone. I guess they're uploading in reverse order (I never can remember what order I have to do that). But now I'm really ready to work on projects again. It's just so dang HOT that all of my energy and initiative is totally sapped, even though I'm inside in the air-conditioning. Or maybe that's the problem, because I CAN'T go outside without baking, I'm turning into a jellyfish. I need to go running, garden, swim laps, walk, and it's just unbearable (I'm not a summer person at all, even though I have summers off).

Rapper

This seems like the last decent sketch I made, and it was well over a month ago, a month and a half ago, maybe more. That's what I get for going out of town for nearly four weeks, and getting out of the groove.....