Interior.

Another quick sketch in Sepia before going for a drive.

Looking through the kitchen door.

Quick sketch with Noodler's rollerball ink pen and watercolor.

Surviving Irene.

After Mayer declared mandatory evacuation of our area in Brooklyn we went Upstate and got into a big mess there. Roads turned into rivers, some roads got wiped off, some places nearby got washed down, people saved by helicopters, many bridges disappear or damaged. We lost power and were stranded there for few days.

Aftermath. Our road.

Driveway.

 Road was crumbling.

It felt soft like sponge.

On the way back we were so happy and appreciate washing hands with soup in the bathroom of the gas station and flushing toilets. And prayed for many others who got it harder than us.

I can't finish drawing, I am grabbing my cats and hitting the road.

Happy times pic few years back. :-) I packed my watercolor, Kuretake and pencils and "Pen and Ink" book.

Drawings of people in brown book.

Sketched with rollerball ink pen and antique 80 year old pencil.

Here used Perfect pencil by Faber-Castell, very comfortable and bits of white pen.

Earthquake.

Today was really serious earthquake, it felt horrible in our building, it was swaying like a cardboard doll house. Slanted floors. I know, I am used to work on high scaffolds and I know how it feels to balance on moving surfaces, how to hold on with your toes.
We run out, I sent my daughter first and could not remember how to put  my shoes on, unbuckle. So many people were downstairs, some in robes, scared, wondering what just happened.
I often say how we have to look at our lives from a distance, from above and think what is really matters, what we doing and what we want. And that we shouldn't wait for something bad to happened to help us understand who we are and why we are here.                                            

Subway musician.

Underground, waiting too long for a train I was stung by a song by an older guy with guitar, singing in Spanish something really beautiful and personal about love, beauty and faith. It was such a contrast between urbanized structure of the station, colorless busy people passing by and this man singing love song. I scribbled in my sketchbook, snapped blurry picture on my phone and left in dismay.

Sketching after breakfast.

Peaceful moment. I wish I could step into that moment now and forget about all problems.

Glass.

Went to look for a coffeemaker and was stunned by the beauty of  the glass singing its own melody on the dark industrial street under the train in Brooklyn.  Still living with crappy coffeemaker but will remember that day with dust, sunlight, shadows and glass. Ink and touch of Inktense pencils on old, very old watercolor paper.

Sketching bench.

In a process of sketching bench, before outlining with a fountain pen.

Closed street in Manhattan.

When I saw that closed street highlighted with orange cones from the corner of the parking lot, I thought it has to be drawn, even it was striped with too many columns and architecture was overpowering. Something really joyful in that chaotic order of orange cones. It sort of helped me come to terms with that disaster on 17 street.
 I often think how we have no rights to be just people with our lives and problems when we have to devote, to sacrifice ourselves for the sake of creation, better say to translate our surroundings to visual language. Very little time we have.

Sketches in square book.

Sketching in places I've been during the day. Mainly NY Subway sketches.

I used interesting Noodler's roller pen. So much fun. Yesterday young woman sitting next to me on a train suddenly pulled out small Moleskine. I got really scared that both of us would be sketching, but desire to explore Noodler's pen capabilities was stronger, so I just kept sketching.

Bench.

I drew this sweet bench under the trees, where I spent so many hours sketching, staring, chatting, thinking, reading, drinking, laughing. I used watercolor and outlined with Lamy Safari.

Sketch while riding in car, in traffic.

Sitting in traffic (as a passenger) at rainy night I start sketching whatever was in front of me, so combined with music it was pretty bearable, almost fun.

Aqua Palomino.

Aqua Palomino pencils. Don't forget to check it out. Even my dream is Durer. I have 2 of Durer watercolor pencils.