Buttnekkiddoodles

Latest installment of The Java Knot. An online graphic novella in the making.

“Nabbed this dude while sketching last week on the Metra beneath the streets of Milan. Would hold the phone to his ear, then after a few seconds, look at it and dial or text something, then back to the ear again, whoops, only to pull it away and tap the keyboard briefly before returning it momentarily to his ear only to……. Crossed and uncrossed his legs. Bent ‘em under him. Pulled ‘em out as you see them, then, one out the other tucked behind, and then….. he was practically dancing.
Not sure if he kept getting a call center robot or was getting put on hold, or, or…or, fuck if I know.
And he did seem a tad flustered, {pissed, flummoxed, enraged, confounded} I mean, look at his features. Eyes scrunched up, furrowed brow. Looked like the blood was rushing to his face and shiny head but that could just be a sun burn. Truth be told, I was getting irritated trying to capture a moving target and perhaps, perhaps, I was doing that transferring thing my young, ”woke” therapist keeps warning me about. Clearly somebody was irritated. I was pretty certain he was audibly grumbling under that mask. You could see the muscles in his temple squeezing. Veins were most evident. And his jaw was gnashing about, making the powder blue folds on his mask flex like an accordion.
Somebody said “Gawd Dammit!!!”
Me.
It was me. Just shot out of me. Fortunately the mask I was wearing muffled it some. Plus it was a bit noisy on the subway car. Small talk, the constant PA messages and other ambient noises probably covered my English curse in the car packed with Italian speaking commuters. He never looked up, but the person to my left reading a book did slightly tilt their head in my direction.
Nice. Take no note of the vexed cat across the aisle working up a sweat and spewing jibberish into his mask. But I let go something like a verbal sneeze and I get the treatment.
That was it. I could just make out an utterance from my scarlet faced friend and it wasn’t Italian.
And then, I heard it ! “…jeón ce PaA!!!!”

And then, I heard it! “….???? ?? ???!!!!”

Fountain pen and Pitt Artist Pens on Clairefontaine Rhodia Dot Grid notebook.

 
Absolutely spectacular day in Chicago. Brilliant light, mild temp, people out & excited. This is Chicago coming out of a long winter like the butterfly from the chrysalis. Shot to Green City Farmers Market in Lincoln Park. Ate a baked good, & with a blues band playing to the shoppers, looked for a subject to eat up a good hour.
Enter Primordial Foods, purveyors of gourmet mushrooms & micro greens, from Bloomington, Ind. Loved the backlighting. Still serving customers as the afternoon traffic started thinning, one gent was seated & I was attracted to his shadowy profile balancing the standing figure of his partner.
Of course, of course, you guessed it, up he got as a second customer came up to the stall. I worked on the tent, table and mushroom monger #2 with the possibility he’d return to the chair, as the composition was a bit heavily weighted on the right. In time he did, then got right back up. Got on the phone, walked about the tent & behind me as he talked. Kept working & he kept teasing with the chair. As I stated, the market was nearing the end of a long day, so, did what I refrain from doing. That is interfering with the natural order of the universe. I walked over as they were without customers & said, “Hi gents. Been sketching y’all,(showed ‘em my progress), & I’m gonna break my rule and ask if you could return to that chair.” They smiled, dude #1 said ,”Sure, I could have a seat.” Said if you gotta get up for customers or start packing soon that’s cool. I just need about 8 minutes to toss you in. Intros made, Tom’s seated, Dylan tending the table, I got down to it. I mean, what about this day wasn’t life on the good side fellas? You’re young, making money, selling good product, in a beautiful setting, on a glorious day. Tom, my man, poured in that chair, with a cool breeze off the lake, blues music stirring the soul, the close of a job well done, you are the poster child of Got It Made In The Shade pardner.
Got him. Showed ‘em. Said I’d finish the sketch while they packed.
All packed up, pics were taken, hands got shaken, I wished those two fine fellas well & a safe return to lovely Bloomington.
Fountain pen and Pitt Artist Pens on Clairefontaine Rhodia notebook.
#primordialfoods #drawyourday #sketch

Giamila and I went for a long walk on a cold but bright and beauteous day to have a delicious lunch, followed by a viewing of In The Heat Of The Night, which was even better than I remembered it to be having previously viewed it about 50 years ago. Another long walk and we then stop in to Vanille for mint tea and to share a passion fruit tart. I began this drawing at Vanille but didn’t have the colors I wanted so I finished at home while G Babe worked on her recent embroidery project. A very lovely Sunday. Made more the enjoyable by being deeply and comfortably in love.
Drawn with fountain pen and Pitt Artist Pens on a Clairefontaine Goldline sketchbook.
#fruittart #passionfruittart #vanille #pastry #drawyourday #foodart #pittartistpen #clairefontaine #drawwhatyoueat #fabercastellusa

This may appear as a quiet moment, in which a gentleman enjoys a beverage in a reflective manner. He, we, sat in the largest coffee cafe,  four stories of previously mentioned but unnamed corporate chain cafe, worldwide. Long lines of caffeine hounds queued for their turn a one of several baristas on each floor. A similar wait ensued for their order and the possibility of a place where they might sit to enjoy same. I hurried to capture him, and let go an attempt at including his friends that I may yield my much desired chair to a person hoping to join his friends.
Drawn with a fountain pen and Pitt Artist Pens on a Clairefontaine Goldline Watercolour sketchbook. Once I got home I added the text with a new ink. The appropriately named Antietam by Noodlers. Antietam of course being the day September 17, 2862, during our Civil War, when the largest loss of American lives in a single day occurred, 22,717 killed, wounded or missing.

 
At North & Wells in Chicago, sits a coffee house that has been the site for an avid if not rabid coterie of chess….enthusiasts? practitioners? maniacs? nuts? That’s it. Chessnuts. Almost exclusively males who exhibit a wide array of styles. Some are the cool, collected strategists. Some chatter continually. Boastful at times. Some get very demonstrative, oozing complaints and protestations most commonly during the raid paced games where a clock is involved and moves are made within a few seconds.
  
One cat in particular catches my eye in part because he wears a yellow fedora, brim up, and pull down such that his eyes are hidden beneath the wave of his hat with gaze riveted to the maneuvering on the board.

Wagering occasionally takes place, and tempers are raised with contestants parting in a huff, the extended handshake ignored,   but matches often appeared collegial with the appeal of the game and social interaction the primary payoff.

Fountain pen and Pitt Artist Pens on Clairefontaine Goldline Watercolour paper.