It’s a quiet day as we head into Memorial Day weekend. I can feel people slowing down just a little. Even in NYC. I have no plans for the weekend, really— I will work some ,and rest some with my family.
There are political things to write about, but the debt talks confuse me and anger me. Although from the headlines I read, they seem to be going better today. Southern states continue their assault on women’s rights, that also infurates me. When will this stop?
So. On to something more pleasant.
What I am showing you here then since I don’t want to discuss politics, is a page of doodles I did yesterday as the filmakers were filming me. You can see the words “plow ahead” which I saw on the NY Times homepage. I forget what the story was, but I liked the phrase and may use it in a cartoon. I drew the person cooking and showing a man her dish, not sure if that will rise to an idea. I was thinking of summer when I drew the woman on a diving board and a fish talking to her. Why not? Cartoons are often about the unexpected. The person on the bike I drew just because I wanted to draw a bike, and then wanted to draw someone in a dance-like pose. The color is just some watercolor testing I was doing later in the session.
All these pieces could end up in a cartoon at some point. You never know.
The session led to two other drawings, but they are very close to completed ideas and I can’t show them to you here before I show they to The New Yorker. I am surprised I could come up with anything while being filmed, but it was a good exercise in shutting out the things around you and diving into your head. Listen to yourself think and wander.
But after ten minutes, I remembered why I was being filmed. I drew these ladies below simply because the video being shot yesterday is for my documentary about women. So I thought I should draw some women!
Earlier in the day, I drew some of the shoot on a sketchpad. Here is Roz Chast on her bed talking to the videographers and director. The first was a fine pen, the second a brush pen.
I drew this of the producer, as she sat watching the shoot.
And then finally, after we were all done, I drew the crew as they had been facing me in my interview. On my iPad.
Have a great Friday, and I will see you tomorrow.
I have been really astonished at how much you capture with, often, only a few lines. You understand that the viewer will fill in detail from their own minds, which lets you create the essence of a scene. The second drawing of Roz Chast on her bed, pensive - or maybe just tired - is a marvel. I enjoyed your recent Court reporting of the E. Jean Carol lawsuit. Splendid.
I enjoy looking at these drawings, they take me right into the space with you. I hope sometime when you are drawing women in general you will include some older women, especially older women artists. I am a 75 year old printmaker. I resumed my training after age 50, because the 30 years previous I had so many other responsibilities. There are a lot of us out here.