Pixie

little dumplin'

This is the baby I dreamed about last night.  He is a little diaper shirt King, funny and round.  He looks like a doll baby to me.

#7 Young and Restless

This young beauty is looking off into the future.  Wonder if the fashions will make another cycle in 30 years or so.  She looks so like my college friends in their scarves!

Strong Opinion

This man seems to have a very strong character.  I'm basing this on his square jaw, quite familiar to me after 42 years with Mr. Wonderful.  This is the reason for my title.  Oh, yeah, quite strong!

Go-Go #3, a bit skeptical

This grandmother seems more skeptical than the other two.  She was drawn in Denver also using the Sepia Conte pencil.

The Go-Go, South African Grandmother

This is my second version of the grandmother from Africa.  They do all the heavy lifting and are, therefore, dubbed the Go-Goes!  I can't figure how to make that plural!  Since there are so few men around and since a huge percentage of the population died from AIDS, all of the work is done by these courageous women who run the orphanage.  What a desperate situation!  Wonder how I would be in such a situation.

I did this one in Denver also but the drawing is a bit smaller.  Used a different color paper.  It is difficult to see next to the earlier post, but I think this lady seems more dubious.

Ryan Lochte

From the world championships in Shanghai, we hear that Ryan Lochte beat Phelps in both of their matchups.  We have a very strong team this year, winning 29 medals---16 of those gold.  Ryan set the first world record at this meet in China since the high-tech bodysuits were banned.  I am always wishing I had a suit that would help me move faster.  So much for polyurethane!
This was posted almost a year ago on August 1, 2011. Today Ryan Lochte won gold in the 400 Indevidual Medley! Congratulations! I'm going to have to do another charcoal of this man.

Go, Team USA---Michael Phelps 2012

I know, I know...he appears fearful.  This unusually talented swimmer captivated us in the past.  Here he is looking up (which I found difficult to show) as if to see the scoreboard.  Let's hope his mother does not see this.  Michael Phelps has unusual bone structure, but I do not believe he fears anything!

African Grandmother #1

Last week in Denver, I attended a class with the wonderful instructor, Rick Brogan, at the Art Students League of Denver.  We worked on charcoal portraits, wonderful practice.  Loved working with charcoal. 

I learned a great deal from Rick.  He is generous and helpful and dedicated.  

This beautiful grandmother looks out over the market place, wondering how to provide.  My daughter and a friend of ours were in South Africa on a mission trip earlier this summer.  Their tales have ignited my curiosity about these brave women who have all the responsibility for the welfare of their villages.  What courage.