First week of December - 2 events

Infections should not visit on Saturdays, because then you have to go to the ER for treatment and wait, wait, wait.
Friday night reading at the bookstore Prairie Lights in Iowa City. The author was Stephen Bloom. His book was "Tears of Mermaids" about pearls and the pearl trade. He likened pearos to cocaine in their cost, scarcity, levels of purity and secretive distribution channels. That seemed like a stretch. The lecture was actually pretty boring - I felt like I was in class listening to the prof drone on.
Author droning and people listening - at least early on.

Thursday Night's model 12.3.09

Signage Part 2 - Ced-Rel Motel & Fine Food

I have always loved this sign - it's so graphically bad, and the name suggests an unimaginative business name (Cedric and Mariel?) A mystery. Had to draw it. The Motel is long and unassuming, typical roadside motel on a minor highway, and then this restaurant out of the 60's next door. Fine food: crab claws on Friday. Who would even stop there? To eat or stay? It's in the middle of nowhere. My husband's employee tells him it's a place that registered sex-offenders live. Motel, fine food and sex offenders?

Iowa Signage Part 1

Kalona, Iowa

More Urban Sketches Around Iowa City

Leisha - our model on thursday night

Methodist Church, Iowa City

I cannot get enough of Gothic architecture, even if it's only Gothic Revival and not the real thing.

The Black Angel, Oakland Cemetery, Iowa City

This is the Black Angel at the Oakdale Cemetery off of Governor Street in Iowa City, Iowa. She is almost 9 feet tall and is on top of a stone that is 4 feet tall. It’s an exquisitely crafted sculpture of Victorian Classicism and the angel, instead of looking up as typical in cemeteries, looks down. Supposedly the angel was bronze at one time and turned black due to a number of theories – evil, lightning, melancholy. She becomes very popular around Halloween and indeed, as I drew her, a carload of young Goths came by to see her. Lots of myths, legends, and stories about this one and why the angel turned black.

As I drew, I could not make out her face. The angel is so black that shadows completely obscure the features as she is looking down. I got out of the car to go up close and draw, but I only got the outside contour line as it got really cold and she is huge – very hard to get up close. She has a type of shroud over her head and a long gown with spaghetti straps that hug her form. Her left knee is bent and protrudes slightly giving the gown folds that show the form underneath. She is holding her wings as if the shield herself from a wind in a very graceful arc.

It’s the grave of Theresa Feldevertova, her husband and their son. Her husband Nicholas Feldevert (I have no idea why this is abbreviated) has the dates: 1825 – 1911, but Theresa only has the birth year and a dash: 1836 – with no year of death.

She is a real presence in the cemetery which is fairly big. She must be beautiful in the snow. I’ll have to go back in winter.

Minneapolis Downtown View

View from the Hilton Hotel in downtown Minneapolis. Overlooking The Ivy, the skywalks, and the Convention Center.

Ollinger Heights, Iowa

Isn't it funny - I didn't want to post this drawing since it seemed so tight to me and a little constipated. Then thinking it over ... I thought about how drawing really reflects our (or my) innermost beingness - I realized it's my reaction to the way suburbs are being developed these days - variations on one theme of architecture and how much I love old and ancient and classical forms. The very view here tightened me up, as the aesthetic of these kinds of neighborhoods make me feel constricted somehow, though some have very beautiful modern homes as well as providing families a place to live.

African Mask in my living room

Couldn't sleep one night so I parked myself out in the living room and drew this Chokwe mask I got from an African Art dealer. The hair are these hollow wooden beads - the face scared me at first and I thought about sending it back. I told the dealer that it may not work. Then the next day I looked again and it felt like he was happy in my house and we have gotten along ever since.

Buzz Salon, Iowa City

I have lived in San Francisco and NYC and never have I found someone to cut my short hair nearly as well as Jodi who owns Buzz Salon in Iowa City. Buzz was written up in Elle Magazine this summer as one of the top salons in the U. S. - and it really is! I was waiting for a trim and decided to pass the time drawing the antique chest of drawers with all the SMASHBOX products on it.

Coralville, Iowa - Oakdale Blvd Bridge Lights

I love these lights which line a small bridge through a semi-rural area towards a golf course. Sometimes, on a foggy day, they look like they are on the bridge over the river Styx.

The Englert Theater, Iowa City, Iowa

Nadia at Thursday's Drawing Group

New Urban Sketches

From Inside the Art Studio

Waiting for the model to arrive (and other artists) for a drawing session at the studio. That's  St. Peters out the window next door.

Drawings of model Ben

Ben posed for the drawing group on Thursday - he was great!

Deluxe Bakery, Iowa City

130 Jefferson Street

Drawings from the Studio

Megan Modeled at the Studio