Ducking Out of the Rain

8/29/13 Diamine Onyx Black ink, Stillman & Birn Alpha

It had been raining off and on all day, but around the time the farmers market was opening in Lake City, the rain was off, so I decided to chance it. Sure enough, just as I was arriving in the neighborhood, it started pouring, so I parked and then ducked into the public library next door to the market. With a seat by the window, I sketched this fellow, waiting for the rain to stop. A few minutes later, it did, so I went back out to the market.

 

I spotted blues singer P. K. Dwyer, whom I’ve sketched twice before – just a couple months ago at the Phinney Farmers Market and almost exactly a year ago at the same market. This time I thought I’d sketch a different view of him – from the back. I could still enjoy his toe-tapping music while making a wider composition. Only about 10 minutes into the sketch, raindrops the size of bullets started plopping onto my sketchbook page. I had to duck for cover again, but the way those drops were coming down, I could tell they weren’t going to stop anytime soon. I went home.

8/29/13 Diamine Eclipse ink, Sailor pen, Stillman & Birn Alpha

 

Despite the abruptly aborted sketch, I do like the way the raindrops look on my page.