Buttnekkiddoodles

 
Off to the Heart of The Rust Belt, Cleveland, for to make videos. Awaiting my flight out from Chicago, I had plenty of time to draw a very settled in gent by the departure gate.

Also swung by the amazing Cuyahoga County Soldiers’ & Sailors’ Monument.
Drawn with fountain pen and Pitt Artist Pens on #stillmanandbirn sketchbook.

 
Took some pics of the crazy patterns and calligraphy the repair crews made by drizzling hot tar on the cracks in the street. Presumably to seal damage from snow plows and to prevent further damage after water freezes and expands in the cracks. I called this Cleveland Calligraphy and Hot Tar Script.

The G Babe and I stepped into Tortello on Division for to have some fresh hand made pasta for lunch. The fennel, celery & orange salad started things off with a delicate yet tangy bounce in the mouth. Nice. Next up, the pappardelle with a duck ragu. Pa-POW!!!! Get some. You’ll be glad you did.
In between courses, which came quickly, and between bites, which I managed as slow and purposefully as possible, I drew the ceiling hung motor scooter from underdaneath. Concluded with a proper espresso and a tiramisu that was nothing short of a party in the mouth. Props to my man Dario Monni, owner and bon vivant on board. Cíao. www.tortellopasta.com

Fountain pen and Pitt Artist Pens on a Stillman & Birn Delta sketchbook.

Had a one-on-one teaching session at the Field Museum yesterday. What with the downpour, it was a perfect day to spend drawing among the incredible dioramas and collection on a crowd free day. We parked ourselves by wading birds for most of the lesson. This little beauty is a Least Bittern (Ixobrychus exilis), smallest of the Ardeidae family which includes cranes, egrets, and herons. Unlike their larger cousins the herons, which nest in trees, these stealthy rascals nest among the reeds. I’ve seen these patient avians on the prowl at the edge of the pond by the Farm At The Zoo in Lincoln Park. My drawing is most likely a female, the one I saw had a greenish back which I believe is the coloration of the males. But don’t go by me, ask the good folks at the Field Museum next time you’re there drawing. They can be heard making a soft cooing sound (the birds, not the museum staff) early in the day and around dusk and have lovely plumage with a fluffy breast. The satiny sheen on which was part of my lesson where I emphasized awareness of light source and how highlights, shadow, and directional marks help describe form and volume. Perched atop legs scrawnier than mine, with long boney toes tipped with toenails long overdue for a clipping they may at first glance appear petite and bit awkward. But trust me, watch them for a while, they are a study in grace and cocked threat. With chopsticks for lips in constant dine mode; what frogs, fish and small critters won’t live long enough to tell you….these babies are Killers!
I’ve also included a couple quick demo pages I did while explaining my process. Guess you had to be there…
Drawn with fountain pen & Pitt Artist Pens on a Stillman & Birn Delta sketchbook. If interested in one-on-one classes or online/in person group sessions, contact me by leaving a message here or thru email – doc51854@gmail.com.

Shot over to my local Rx to get the booster and hopefully final jab of my triad of COVID-19 vaccinations. She who wielded the needle was an ace with the hypo. Bela Lugosi himself couldn’t have delivered a more subtle nip.
While I waited out any allergic keel over, I went about finishing a sketch I had begun while awaiting my turn for the needle.
In came a gent in heavy garments suitable for a day 35 degrees cooler. As he bent to settle into the chair next to me he let rip a sonic boom from his intestinal bellows. Make yer self comfortable my brother. Fortunately, those heavy layers created a baffled terrarium that only allowed the aural signature of flatulence to escape. Unmasked he was quickly reminded to do so by the pharmacy staff. Up he got and to the window he went. “Miss?! Excuse me. Miss?”
“Please have a seat. We’ll be right with you.”
He returned and resettled only to get up within a few breaths to again glide to the counter and ask for attention.
This time a staff member engaged him and tried to get some pertinent info from him, in particular where he was currently residing. Info uncertain, he reseats himself. Rose to give a different address.
He is told his medication isn’t prepared, please be seated and we’ll call you when it is.
“How long will that be?” Told, he said he would wait outside and be back shortly.
Health professionals have to deal with a very wide range of needs and conditions. I want a system that can. And I neither want nor support a system incapable of meeting those in need irrespective of their circumstances or ability to pay. This, to me, is a hallmark of a ‘healthy’ society.
The resources necessary to develop and maintain a strong, highly capable system of research and healthcare should be a top priority of any society or country that proclaims itself to be advanced, caring, a champion of freedom, liberty, defenders of its citizens. I want the country of my birth, citizenship, that I live in, to provide care for a human being in medical or psychological need and to get that care regardless of their ability to pay for it. It’s called infrastructure. It creates cohesion. It is an important measure of our capability and greatness. I will be posting this on several FB sites. Some may remove it because it violates their notion of political statement. So be it. I will mention those sites that do, and why I feel that my statements constitute reportage in which image and text give fuller understanding of the dynamics observed and clarification of that perspective.

Drawn with a Faber-Castell Black Leather Essentio fountain pen and Pitt Artist Pens on a Stillman & Birn Delta sketchbook.

A view from atop the mighty walls of Lucca. The walls are nearly 100% intact and enclose the medieval city of Lucca. Not particularly high, they are massive still, average 20-50 yards in width and would have been surrounded by a moat, evidence of which also largely survives.
 
The above view is from the northwest section of the wall looking in on the enclosed city.

 
A view from atop one of the tallest remaining towers within the walls of Lucca. The row of dark green tree tops seen just above the rooftops are on the promenade of the walls, which are about 2.5 miles in circumference.
Drawings done with various fountain pens and Pitt Artist Pens on a Stillman & Birn Zeta sketchbook.

#fabercastelusa #clairefontaine #stillmanandbirn