Summer sketching

The advantage of having people to stay is that you have a whole new cast of characters to put on paper. This past weekend was my mother's birthday party so people came and went for a few days, food was prepared and eaten, drinks were consumed, and I sat in my corner when I had a spare few moments and sketched.

I really try to be as unnoticeable as possible when sketching as I don't want the person to be aware of me drawing them and stiffen their position or get up and move! Most of the time I can get away with sketching people without them knowing. Sometimes people are aware and humour me by sitting there. Sometimes, especially in the case of my mother, she won't have any of it and doesn't want me to draw her. And sometimes I let her believe that I've stopped too then continue on once she's gone back to doing what she was before she noticed me.

I had hoped to make a start on a larger drawing this weekend, but it was impossible to find time to do anything significant so I stuck with some sketching. I've been a little lost in terms of inspiration for a few weeks. I think the summer tends to do that. There are so many other things to take your concentration away from art, it becomes difficult to find time or inclination to knuckle down and draw.

Because the summer is so short, I feel as if I'm wasting it if I've been inside all day drawing. Yes, I could go outside and draw, but I need to get away from home to do that as I get distracted by other things around the garden and barn, then drawing gets waylaid again.