Waiting as a Gift of Time

This week, I had to wait for some time in an office with no windows and no people to draw. While the wait itself was inevitable, I had the freedom to walk outside, and despite the fact that my "to-do" list was calling my name, I chose to sit on the grass and look at this amazing power line pole. I could not count all the wires - but I could sketch them!

Here are some process photos and close-ups. I used my gouache+watercolor palette and tried out correction pen for the white lines over gouache. 

I am working on reframing things. This time it worked.

Sketchbook #105: Everyday Life

Sketchbook #102: Sketching while waiting.

Sketchbook #98: Everyday Life

Sketchbook #94: Everyday Life

Everyday Life: Reading, Talking and drawing in the darkness of ophthalmologist's office. Then taping small sketches in my LARGE Sketchbook #94.
 

Sketchbook #93: Waiting Room People

This waiting room was filled with people who could not see well and with some who just got back the use of their eye. Some of my subjects were oblivious to me drawing and some were more than interested! So I decided to use my pocket sketchbook to be as inconspicuous as possible and later taped best sketches in my main ( 8.5 x 11") sketchbook.

Keeping my sketching in chronological order is very important for my motivation - I tried drawing in several books at the same time - organized by size at one time or by a subject at another time and it always ended up with overall drawing time going down.

Sketchbook #92: Waiting Rooms

I've spent some time in waiting rooms lately - helping elderly relative to get some healthcare - and tried to draw my way through all the boring, exciting, depressing and sometimes even quick visits.
Usually I would draw in a small book and then tape it in my regular sketchbook to keep things in chronological order.

Sketchbook #91 - everyday moments

These three pages are about little moments. Drawn while waiting in the doctor's office,  while taking a snack break hiking and while waiting for my tea (I found some leaves in my pocket). These are snippets of my end of June.
I am gaining and soon will be posting current works!

Sketchbook #90: Waiting People

September 2014: Waiting Game

Waiting in a long line at a government office means lots of opportunities to sketch though not all are happy about it.

January 2014: Treasures of the Day

Things found on the way and drawing while waiting for my appointment.

January 2014: Waiting

November 2013: Exercises

When there is no time for a quiet time to work or draw in my sketchbook I try to use different exercises - drawing whatever is right in front of my nose at the moment as a daily treasure, draw while waiting in line in store or while waiting at the airport, memory drawings. These are samples of my crazy end of November.

September 2013: Flower and Tree

This flower was way taller than me, and this tree not that much. Stood one by another, me in between, waiting for the bell to ring.

February 2011: Waiting at SFO

February 2011: Waiting at SFO, a photo by apple-pine on Flickr.

I was waiting and drawing people around me for some time when suddenly I saw another interesting face to draw - and it was my brother (whom I was meeting there). Apparently I missed him while looking at these characters and he was standing there for 10 minutes - looking for me :)

Enjoyable Visit to a Dental Office

Everyone is experiencing something unexpected: my son is talking non-stop with his mouth under attack, Doctor brushes her teeth (to show how to) and has to answer at least a thousand questions and I for a change not the one answering those questions and I get to sketch - so I enjoyed this visit a lot :)

October 2010: Dentist Check-Up, originally uploaded by apple-pine.

Spreads from book #39

Spread: run and swim, originally uploaded by apple-pine.

It's a nightmare of a book to work in.

I enjoy it - most of the time but things take forever to dry and almost all pens clog or break in 2 minutes. I feel like I am wasting all the goodness of a rough watercolor paper on ballpoint pen... but with patience and time (both of which are in short supply lately) some spreads look OK. Those I will post soon.

These spreads - look like my life ;)

Drawing while waiting :)

GYM - end of the class song ;), originally uploaded by apple-pine.