"I wish I could draw that," I thought.

I don't normally draw people - plants are my interest - but I couldn't resist the scarf on the woman sitting across from me on the subway yesterday. The scarf was made of gold-colored fabric, tied neatly and expertly, held with a pin, and had a cone shape that I couldn't help staring at.

I finished the sketch just before she left the train at 14th Street. I got off one stop later and headed to a meeting in the Village.



The meeting was in a jazz club, in the afternoon before it opened for the evening. A jazz combo rehearsed in the corner. Behind the band was a marquee that said, "Featuring the MUSIC of (blank space) and His ORCHESTRA." I wanted to grab a marker and fill in the blank, but instead I attempted to sketch the drummer in the group while I sat on a ratty red couch under the one bright light in the place and drank surprisingly good coffee.

On the subway home, this young guy sat across from me. The way he wore his hat made me smile, and I wanted to try to capture the look on paper.

Another drawing of a Christmas cactus.

Colored pencils in Moleskine.

A blooming Christmas cactus to kick off the new year. I should write more in this post, I suppose, but I want to get back to the plant and draw it again.

Happy New Year to all of you.

Colored pencil on sketchpaper.

Life's been rather hectic for me this fall, and I haven't quite developed the habit (stamina, discipline) of making drawing a priority when life is busy. But this gourd helped me. When I saw this decorative gourd showing its age, I couldn't resist drawing it.

I flipped the gourd around and around, studied it from different angles, and finally settled on looking at it straight on from the bottom. The design reminded me of a fanciful sea creature more than a vegetable.

I'm grateful to this decaying gourd for luring me back to my colored pencils. The gourd is now in the garbage, but my pencils are arrayed right here next to my on my desk again.

Yesterday I took my daughter to an art workshop at a museum. The topic was William Blake and his printmaking and poetry. The kids carved the initial first letter of a poem and an image to go along with whatever poem they selected. They made prints of their carvings and then hand copied the poem on the page.

As the kids worked, I kept my eye on the supplies. When I saw there was plenty left over, I asked the instructors if the parents could make some artwork too. A few adults joined me at the supply table, and we gathered what we needed quickly as it was close to the museum's closing time.

The security guards eventually kicked us out, and my work was rushed...but it was fun to make!

I'm pretty sure the kids in the workshop had fun too.

The Song of the Geranium Fairy was written by Cicely Mary Barker.

While we made art, my son played goalie for the first time in soccer. Two goals got past him, but watch out next time! Season stats so far: 1 win, 2 losses, 2 ties.