This Week’s Watercolor

When I was in New Orleans several years ago, I was invited to join a life drawing group by Sandra Burshell, a neighbor of the Airb&b where I stayed. The group met in the second floor over The Fair Grinds Coffee Shop that is a landmark in The Bayou St John neighborhood. Early in this Pandemic Year, Sandy bought a Zoom account and organized friends from her Fair Grinds Drawing Group to draw from the model on Zoom. With seemingly beautiful and seamless organization, she invited artist/participants and engaged models who set up themselves in their homes. The group has grown in the months that I have participated. Because of my “gypsy life,’ my ability to see the model clearly on my small laptop and work in various settings have been challenged. Now, however, I have a studio, and the time difference works in my favor. Every Thursday, I set up my pencils, crayons, and watercolors and paper with my MacBook Pro and a new 27” monitor on my large drawing bench and I spend the time between 3:45 and 6:45 drawing and painting from 7 short poses and one long pose. This time is a highlight of my week! In the past few months, Sandy has supplemented the newly designed New Orleans Zoom Drawing Group with a question and answer session with a well-known artist. This 45 minute discussion time is intellectually stimulating and feels very much like a “Salon” of the 2020’s. Thank you, Sandy! I am SO THANKFULl to be part of this amazing fellowship!