The Wee Hours

Sophia   Sketchbook Drawing

are, for me, sacrosanct.  I greet the day, coffee by my side, as I take in my book-of-the-moment.  This is a luxury of my age to be sure.  Sometimes opportunities present themselves in a way that are impossible to resist.  While staying at our son's house, I chose a quiet corner to carry on my morning moments while both he and his wife prepared themselves for work.  Their cat Sophia, who is the quintessential lap cat, snuggled close by just beneath the reading lamp.  I had plenty of time to complete the sketch as she slumbered.  Sleeping beings are so relaxed that their weight literally melds into the support surface, in this case a soft hassock.  My day was begun in deep consideration, admiration and love.  Good Morning Sophia!

Opportunities

E. during nap   sketchbook

E. during nap   sketchbook

for sketching abound, albeit some are safer to me than others.  For me, drawing and painting are solitary endeavors, moments where I can truly feel that which is before me.  Sketching in public invites not only conversation, but judgement as well.  My R-brain wishes for solitude and the self-nurturing that comes from this silent communion.  And, yes, it is like a religious experience for me.  The subject is our 3-year-old grandson, an extremely active and rambunctious boy, who literally crashed during his nap time on the couch at the beach.  His body melded into the soft surface.  The second pose was more difficult.  As he moved and adjusted his body, his hat fell off, and his head was in such an awkward position that it appeared almost disjointed.  I checked and rechecked...all seemed correct.  What a beautiful moment!