A reason for the blues

Delbert Williams has been playing his bluesy music at our outdoor market for years. He makes everybody smile with his music and his happy, upbeat personality. He smiles at kids and hands out balloons.

Now the market wants him to limit the time he plays there, and to give up his amp. We're not talking concert hall amp here - Delbert's is a tiny speaker that runs on a 9-volt battery.

The market bigwigs think his music is too loud. I spent 20 minutes sitting about 20 feet from him, doing this painting on Saturday and I could hear conversations going on all around me. I spoke with a number of people and never had to raise my voice.

His music is part of the fabric of the market, making it a happier, livelier place.  Let's hope this many fans speak out so Delbert keep his sounds coming just as they are. And the deciders come to their senses.

If not, we'll all be singing the blues.

Why we have gardens

My idea of painting and posting something every day in June has fallen a little short. Truth be told, I've held to my goal of doing at least one drawing/painting every day, but some of them aren't post-worthy, so I keep them in my journal but don't put them out there into the universe.


Drawing and painting are great therapy for me. It calms me down and puts me in a happier state, even after the most stressful day. But like moods and thoughts, I'm discovering, not every drawing needs to be shared.  


I decided to share this one, not so much because it's that good since I did it rather late last night and I was tired.  I put it out here because - well, it's lavender, for goodness sake, and who doesn't love lavender. I cut these sprigs from my garden last night. Lavender is pretty much indestructible, it blooms all summer and smells great. Even my golden retrievers can't seem to harm it. Pretty much the perfect garden plant. And a good example of what we should strive for - be tough, keep blooming, smell good, and make  everyone wonder how you do it. 


 A bonus: I used the water it was sitting in to do this watercolor sketch. 


M

What are you doing for lunch?

Today, I'm drawing mine. My goal for the month of June is to draw some everyday thing every day.
Today, it's lunch.
This is one of my favorite  thing for lunch - a sandwich of swiss cheese, tofurky slices and arugula with a touch of spicy mustard and fig jam. It's just the right mix of sweet and savory, with the nice peppery touch of arugula. Best of all, right now the arugula is from my garden, which makes me really happy  - at least until the rabbits or summer heat get the best of it.
As a bonus, this was as much fun to draw as it is to eat. 
Should I worry that I eat the same thing for lunch nearly every day? Should I worry that I actually take the time to draw my lunch? 
Nah.
Enjoy your Thursday - whatever you're doing.

The gizmo

I pass this thing every day on my way to work. Like so many gizmos you see all the time but pay little attention to, I have no idea what it is or does. It reminds me of an old-time gas pump or something, although I think it might have to do with electricity for our building. Not sure.

Today was warm and sunny so I decided to go out at lunchtime and sit in the grass and draw it. After drawing it, I like it even more. It has lots of nooks and crannies and it's rusty in some places. It sits on its own little concrete pedestal in the middle of a grassy space alongside our building.

Maybe we should hold a contest to guess its function. Any ideas?