Anthony Bourdain - RIP

This was one of the most heartbreaking of days. As soon as I got up, I looked at my phone and saw the beginning words of a headline, "Anthony Bourdain" it started. Oh no. Before I swiped over, I briefly thought, maybe he and Asia Argento got married. But no, the worst news ever, dead at 61. I thought, heart attack. And then the news did get worse. Suicide. It was a same 1-2 punch as the morning I woke to the news of Chris Cornell. Unexpected death. Must be a heart attack...and then shockingly, suicide. I saw him twice in person, first in Milwaukee and then in Chicago. I've watched him for 15 years. I have his Les Halles cookbook, the great "Kitchen Confidential," and, no bs, just pulled "Parts Unknown" off my bookshelf last Saturday and started re-reading it. I can hear the cadence of his voice, imagine the movements of his body in some of my favorite episodes. It feels so personal, as if I truly lost someone I knew, a friend who took me along to places I couldn't go to on my own. It's a thought all fans are feeling, no doubt. I imagine his best friend, Eric Ripert, finding him. And I'm conjuring up all sorts of reasons in my head. His food explorations led him, and us, to the truer journey of connecting with people, cultures, history, socio-economic crisis or in other words, humanity on the most vulnerable level. He was vulnerable, too. I'm so sorry for your pain, Anthony. Thank you for all you gave us and tried to make us understand.

Take Two

This piece was actually the first piece I did after I finished the Inktober prompts.  I'm just a little out of order in posting.  It felt good to use color again, albeit, I still used a muted palette.

Perforated

Perforated

My I'm Handsome

This baby started out as something classical, and then a humorous fellow emerged.  I feel his strong sense of self-esteem took over my initial, delicate charcoal sketch.  ha!

My, I'm Handsome!

Ballerina with Calculations

Goodbye accounting class.  I am now purely back to my obsession with art, and my soul feels better already.  It's quite clear that my only purpose on this earth is to create.

Just A Guy

Paper and charcoal.  If I were limited to only two art supplies, these would be it, and I would be a happy gal.

Just A Guy

David Bowie Pt. 2 (charcoal portrait)

I had to really push myself to draw David Bowie tonight...I'm still in such shocked upset about his passing that I'm finding it hard to get it all together...a fitting drawing, a fitting tribute.  I feel so sad about it...like the world has stopped spinning in its regular path, such a loss that it is.

11" x 14"

Charcoal on Paper

Major Tom, you always led the way.  Why did you have to lead on this path so soon?

Drawing Belmondo

My sleep habits are off, and no matter how hard I tried last night, I could NOT get to sleep.  Up I got, watched some Jean-Paul Belmondo, and sketched him out in charcoal until suddenly it was 3:30 a.m.

I added some paint to the background today, but decided to leave him in sketch form.  Somehow that just seemed right to me.

11" x 14"

Side-Glance

I had the urge to draw a little something before I went to bed Sunday.  I think it was my way of not letting the weekend go quite yet.  Of course, I ended up staying up too late and started Monday with my usual exhaustion.  What's a girl driven to draw to do?  Just draw, I guess...and be tired. (-;

Side-Glance

Double Talker

Up until after midnight, I still had that feeling inside that I had to draw something.  This girl emerged.  One mouth wasn't enough for her.  She's a double talker.

Fingers smudged and smeared with charcoal, clock close to 1 a.m., and the sinking knowledge that I'll have to be getting up in 5 1/2 hours, I still feel better for having brought her forth into the world.

Smudge

Smudge

Ink and Charcoal

Day 252. A Man's Face in Charcoal

Just drawing in charcoal with an acrylic wash in the background and listening to one of the most beautiful, mysterious, powerful soundtracks from the movie, "The Insider."  (Not to mention an incredible movie with Russell Crowe and Al Pacino.)  My favorite is the last track, "Meltdown," by Lisa Gerrard and Pieter Bourke.  Gorgeous music, cool night breeze, the charcoal, rough and smooth against the grain of the paper, all senses pulling you into a floating meditation.

Lisa Gerrard and Pieter Bourke:  "Meltdown" from the soundtrack of "The Insider"