Yep this is a selfie of me. I was showing the painting in a Zoom meeting with an art group and I realized it was me—after I realized we no longer had rule of law in the U.S.
Oddly it’s one of the first color illustrations I’ve made in the first 3 months of the new year.
I’ve been working in pen and ink wash, because it is my default when the world pushes in and demands lots of attention.
Minnesota Update and Why I Look Like This
Please don’t forget Minnesota even it if has faded from your news screen. Please take a moment to look at this post about helping Minnesotans. There are a lot of people still suffering here. There are citizens in hiding because they are afraid they’ll be grabbed off the street.
There are fewer ICE agents than in January—but there are still more than three times as many of these masked, armed thugs in the state than before the surge.
They are also changing their tactics. And they are driving like idiots (so be careful if you’re driving around the Twin Cities).
Additionally there is a growing fleet of SUVs at the Whipple Building, and lots of construction material. Hmmm.
Follow MPR for updates.
About This Sketch
On a lighter note, because with the war and everything else we need a lighter note, I happened to tape most of the painting of this portrait. (I started taping after I got a basic, unrecognizable under sketch down. I think I started taping because I wanted to see if I could save it.)
It’s gouache over a mishmash of mixed media because I didn’t have a plan when I started. I knew I wanted to do something loose but I wasn’t sure how loose. The video will help you see that. It’s OK to have a messy start. Keep working.
Details about the painting are in the video which appears at the end of this post. I had vertigo when I was painting so I don’t speak a lot in this video. I talk briefly about my choices. There are also callouts. Watching the video sped up is fun too.
If the video is present but doesn’t play, see it at this link on Vimeo.
Meanwhile, take care of yourself, your family, your community.
Make your community a little bigger every day.
