At the Bread Company

While in Jefferson City, the capitol of Missouri, during the last week of July, my son and I duck into a Panera Bread joint to cool off with a slushee. The gentlemen above caught my eye. The elderly Bolshevik on the right wearing dark socks with sandals was an obvious choice. The other gentleman was so important that he needed to be in constant contact with the outside world at all times! "It's 3:00 pm in Jeff City, MO, better not risk even having the phone at arms length". Oy. Note: I forgot to bring my glasses with me so all of this was a big blur while I drew it.

Jefferson City, Our Capitol!

My wife recently took the Bar Exam over a couple of days in Jefferson City. This was the view from our hotel window. My son and I had a pretty good time. My wife, not so much.

Extra Special Bitter

The most beloved dog in Hatcheckleicestershire, England, Shilling "Lord Boddington", so nicknamed for the 3 cans of Boddington's he drinks every night before licking his pendulous testicles in front of the vicars residence. I'd continue, but I've run out of English-isms.
No. 2 pencil sketch that started out portraying a human but wound up going to the dog s. Sorry.

The Missouri Breaks

I grew up in mid- Missouri. In my formative years, the uniform of the day was jeans, farm hats and down vests. Then I went away. I live in the affluent West County suburb of St. Louis now, a land of mini-vans, s.u.v's, Mini-Coopers, G.A.P.S, Borders, Starbucks, dog-daycare centers, you get the picture. I'm not proud of it, that's just where the natural decay of life led.

So it's usually a jolt when I visit anywhere else in the state and witness the new order of the day. A recent trip to Kansas City allowed for some "wonderful" sketch opportunities while visiting my Mom. I often wonder what it must be like for her who remembers when people wore suits and dresses, tattoos were usually only seen at carnivals and shaved heads usually meant head lice was an issue. A big man was 200 pounds. The above was captured watching the crowd leave the Wizard/Manchester United soccer/football game/match. Oy, the chafing!

An Old Favorite

Sometime in July, I swung through Columbia (Missouri) on the way to Kansas City (Missouri) and sat in on the weekly figure drawing session at M.U. It'd been years since I'd been there, but a favorite plaster cast was still there- a colonial era figure on a charging horse. The model was late so I sketched it where it sat. Chunks are missing from it and it now sports mascara- overall a good look for it really.

Row 14

Row 14 on an anonymous flight from Spain to JFK Intl., New York, 1999. Philosophically, my favorite sketch of the whole trip.

Cafe Madrid

A cafe somewhere in Madrid, Spain 1999. And what cafe wouldn't be complete without rows and rows of dried ham hanging above the bar?

Plaza Mayor

Looking through an archway from the Plaza Mayor, Madrid Spain, 1999.

Plaza Espana

Somewhere off of the Plaza Espana, Madrid Spain, 1999.

Spanish Peoples

Innocent bystanders at parks and hotel rooms in and around Madrid, Spain, 1999.

A Park in Seville, Spain

Parque Maria Luisa, Seville Spain, April 1999. Quite a beautiful day as I recall.

Seville

Stopping for a snack in Seville, Spain 1999. The problem with drawing in Seville wasn't "what do I draw?" but rather "where do I start?".

Almeria, on the beach

Drawn while sitting on the beach in Almeria, Spain sometime in 1999, with a Micron marker.

Almeria

Our time in Spain was divided between Madrid, Seville and Almeria. While in Almeria, the order of the day was fresh seafood. Tip of the day: when you eat mussels, eat only the ones with open shells, otherwise you could spend the rest of your vacation in the bathroom. Anyway, that's what I heard.

Spain, 1999

For the next few days I'll dip into a sketchbook I kept on a trip to Spain in 1999. This is the view from the balcony of my wife's relatives in Almeria, a block or two from the Mediterranean Sea. The traveling party consisted of myself, my wife and her mother, and since I didn't speak Spanish, I was left to draw to my hearts content. It was a little like being deaf.