8 June, 2018. I’m not. I don’t like parties. I don’t like getting stuck in the midst of a bunch of people all talking at the same time. I prefer to be an observer, which probably comes as something of a shock to some who know me well.
So I’m on my own today and I promised myself to turn off the cell phone, unplug from technology, and wander. (Try it sometime. It’s surprisingly liberating.) I planned to begin the day with a long, leisurely ride, then collect my sketch kit and roam around the art museum for a while, before going in search of interesting foods.
I felt a little like Ferris Bueller, finding myself in so many different places. One of those places was this downtrodden neighborhood on Kansas City’s east side.
And yes, I saw a woman out walking her pet pig. This one was relatively small, like a fat Yorkie, I guess. But it reminds me that it hasn’t been that many months past when I saw a woman walking two full size hogs on a leash through a Wal-Mart in Arkansas. This was a bit more reasonable.
For lunch I wanted Seafood Jambalaya, so I went in search of Cajun. I was intrigued by this guy who seemed intent on studying every aspect of the drink menu, but then after much deliberation wound up ordering a Corona Light.
I could barely see the woman at the other end of the bar. She was mostly blocked from view by a large dude. But I loved that his form created an interesting compositional device so that I could draw the eye to her face, which sported a mildly suspicious looking glare.
Further afield I found myself walking through the Shoal Creek Living History Museum, a place set up like a nineteenth century small town in Missouri. A bit like the scenery in High Noon, I wound up drawing the whitewashed church structure.
And then there was this guy, who noticed me looking at him. So I drew his reaction.
Just Sketching 
really a beautiful post. I share your choice (I do not have the TV) and it seems like a wonderful birthday. with my best wishes, your Italian Margot follower
It was simple and free of drama. Cycling in the morning, sketching throughout the day, enjoying different foods, and finishing off the day with a glass of Chianti. (OK, actually two glasses.)
Lovely post, and lovely drawings. Please tell me that there’s no such thing as a War-Mart, though? That shocked me more than the full sized hogs on a leash. I’m getting an alarming picture of Arkansas…….!?
Talk about a Freudian slip! So far as I know there’s no such thing as a “WAR-Mart”… either I typed it wrong, or Autocorrect changed it without my noticing, but it should have said “Wal-Mart.” (Aha! I just noticed Autocorrect trying to change it again – to “Way-Mart.” Stop it, Technology!)
But yes, there are Wal-Mart stores in every nook and cranny of this country, but particularly so in Arkansas. That, my friend, is the home of Wal-Mart and they blanket the communities of Rogers, Springdale, and Fayetteville. Personally, I try to avoid the store if at all possible, but sometimes a visit is simply unavoidable. And THAT’S when you see things like pigs on a leash!
Well, I’d guessed, of course. But couldn’t resist sounding surprised and horrified (!) for the fun of it. Predictive text is the bane of my life. I’ve made some appalling blunders with it before now, and much worse than this. (But sometimes the surprise can be quite creative. I mean, the idea of a retail giant called War-Mart does boggle the mind). And in this vein, have you hear of Jill Gibbons and her subterfuge as an undercover sketch artist in her project ‘The Etiquette of the Arms Trade’? Google it, the exhibition at the Peace Museum in Bradford, and her book. It’s astonishing. Deborah
Nice work.
Thanks!