A few December thoughts

I'm as ready as I'll ever be for winter: I just add another layer of clothing or put on more sensible shoes.

Usually, I'm in a hurry to get outside in the morning. It looked okay but I didn't factor in the sneaky breeze that turned the moment from cool to cold. I did bring some gloves: a ratty pair of florescent orange fleece ones picked up at a hardware store. The cuffs are frayed and falling apart and they are spattered with charcoal and ink. I also brought a small bottle of magenta red ink. Maybe this combination would keep me warm?

There was one lone merganser circling the choppy water above the dam. The duck would distract me from the biting wind. Or the biting wind would keep me focused on the task at hand and I'd make a better drawing. Hmmm… all drawing is a series of challenges engaged head-on or cleverly sidestepped (or abject failures). Imagine: the simplest errand always requiring the construction of a map and a simultaneous post-mortem. This is drawing for me. --And I enjoy drawing!

Charles River above the South Natick Dam
12-21-15
ink

When I draw outside, I like to do more than one drawing usually. I need to reassure or redeem myself. So I tried some blue chalk on the next one instead of pink ink. Using the same logic (red gloves, red ink), I should have turned into an icicle but the drawing went surprising well (I think!) and I didn't feel the cold as much.

It's all pretty silly isn't it? People are starving and killing each other. We pollute the planet with little sense of hopefulness that we can make a positive difference. I still haven't fastened the button that's about to fall off my shirt…

And I worry about my fingers getting cold. We're all beggars in this Life. Lord have mercy!

The island and the bridge below the dam
charcoal
12-21-15