Sketches first this week.
Jose Saramago’s birthday was on November 16th. His novel All the Names is one of my favorite books. I first read it when I worked at a used book store, and over the years I’ve thought about this passage on collectors every time I’ve had to shlep my books from one box or one room or one house to another:
“There are people like Senhor Jose everywhere, who fill their time, or what they believe to be their spare time, by collecting stamps, coins, medals, vases, postcards, matchboxes, books, clocks, sport shirts, autographs, stones, clay figurines, empty beverage cans, little angels, cacti, opera programmes, lighters, pens, owls, music boxes, bottles, bonsai trees, paintings, mugs, pipes, glass obelisks, ceramic ducks, old toys, carnival masks, and they probably do so out of something that we might call metaphysical angst, perhaps because they cannot bear the idea of chaos being the one ruler of the universe, which is why, using their limited powers and with no divine help, they attempt to impose some order on the world, and for a short while they manage it, but only as long as they are there to defend their collection, because when the day comes when it must be dispersed, and that day always comes, either with their death or when the collector grows weary, everything goes back to its beginnings, everything returns to chaos.”
Here are a few character sketches of Ben as a young boy. They’re for a scene later in the story.
My wife was waiting for her mom at doctor’s appointment a few weeks ago and went for a walk around the clinic, where she spotted a big barred owl in a tree on the grounds. I haven’t drawn a lot of birds, and don’t draw much wildlife in general, but I might try drawing more of them in the future. My wife and son are reading Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh right now, and I had to resist the temptation to give him scary glowing eyes (actually I think that bit might have just been in the movie).
And a sketch my son asked me to post. The holidays are officially here! :)
And now for this week’s pages.
And for any who are tempted to become paid subscribers, you’ll find the full pages with words below. Thanks for having a look!