Soldier 27

Spain Trip 2010: 6

On March 31 we all (minus Toby) took a double-decker tour bus around Madrid. We stopped across from the palace and had a snack in a nice little bar, where the waiter was mesmerized by my 3 beautiful blond cousins :)
After our snack, Little Aldo played on a playground while I drew this.


























We walked over to a plaza and everyone got massages while I drew these two buildings and a guy played a Beatles song on the flute.




































We went to the Mercato San Marco and saw the Plaza Mayor, then Angeles and I went to get tickets for a flamenco show and a bullfight. In Plaza del Sol she took this picture of me under this symbol of Madrid.

Soldier 26

Spain Trip 2010: 5

Cousin Cara joined us on March 30 and we all went to breakfast at the Museo de Jamon, where we ate every morning for the rest of the trip. They have a 1 euro menu, so we would have breakfast there and then go next door to Dunkin Bake Place (yep, Dunkin Doughnuts!) for a doughnut.
Anyway, this is a cloister within the Museo del Prado. Toby told me later that as I was sketching it the woman next to me was surreptitiously photographing me sketching. I was totally cool with that, as I had done that on the way to the Prado when I stopped and took a picture of the man below in the awesome hat.

David Playing Rugby

For his 18th birthday my little brother David asked me for a sketch of him playing rugby. I was so pleased with the way it turned out, and he said no one else has anything like it.


























Here is what it looks like framed

Soldier 25

Audience at the Danica Phelps Lecture

3/24/11 at University of Memphis

Spain Trip 2010: 4

After our weekend in Robledillo de la Jara, which felt like an entire vacation itself, we went to Madrid via a very fast taxi. Cousin Gina joined us in Madrid, and most of us went out to dinner at Catedral Restaurante.
















Other than traveling the hour and a half to Madrid and going out to dinner, Toby and I did not do much that day. It took me a while to realize that was probably because we enjoyed a bit of Spanish wine the day before, and ended the night with this cocktail that Angeles made us, pictured below.

Spain Trip 2010: 3

Here's the rest of our day, March 28, 2010, in the countryside around Robledillo de la Jara. We went to some land owned by Paco, boyfriend of Angeles' neighbor Annabella. We look at cows and these crazy trees.



























































We worked up an appetite and stopped in this bar on the way back. Drinks and tapas were just what we needed.

Spain Trip 2010: 2

This is the view from Angeles' living room. I probably drew this while recovering from the big American breakfast we made at Angeles' house.

























Angeles' next-door neighbor's house.

























Robledillo de la Jara

Rock & Roll Show

This was Friday before last at Escape Alley. That's Caleb Sweazy's band Cotton & Coal, and a band from Texas. Nice show!

























Cotton & Coal
















band from Texas and shadows

















This is actually both guys. I drew some of it, then they switched places. Luckily they favored each other.

Spain Trip 2010: 1

A year ago yesterday Toby and I flew to Atlanta, met up with family members Aldo, Patricia, Amy and little Aldo and flew to Madrid. For the next week or more I will be posting my sketches from that trip.

This is the first sketch I did on March 27, 2010, in Robledillo de la Jara where Patricia's mother, Angeles, lives. It is a light and timid sketch; I think the jetlag made me feel like I'd never drawn before. At the bottom and on the 2nd sketch you can see very faint sketches of people. They were in a band having practice in the community center across the street from our rental house. We wandered in and watched them a bit.


























I'm not sure where this gate was. I thought it was one we passed on our way back to Angeles' house. That gate, in the picture below, was made out of rebar, but was really beautiful.




















Rebar gate

Soldiers Helping Japan

Disaster Relief Mission, Tomakomai Ko Japan





















Salvaging fishing equipment, Misawa Fishing Port




















Salvaging bikes.

More than 120 sailors and airmen joined Misawa to assist in the relief effort.
There are still approximately 90,000 American soldiers in Afghanistan.

Yesterday's Lunch

Except I had spaghetti.

Outside

Rollerderby Warm-Up

Soldier-a-Day: 21

Soldier-a-Day: 20

Rollerderby Girls & a Message

Soldier-a-Day: 17

Afghan dog and American soldier

Teaching a Sketching Class

I'm very excited about teaching a sketching class at Flicker Street Studio in April. Here is the class schedule.

This class will help you to get in the habit of quickly drawing in your sketchbook from life to document a subject while capturing the a feeling of the moment. We will focus on shapes, mark-making and shading, while experimenting with a variety of materials.

Rollerderby Audience

Soldier-a-Day: 15, 16

Paddle-Boating on Lake Windermere

During our paddle-boating adventure Karen and I saw this half-submerged statue, possibly of the Virgin Mary. We weren't sure.

Soldier-a-Day: 14

Fried Chicken and Beans at Bookclub

Soldier-a-Day: 13

United Building on Lamar