I went to the Ritz Carlton to sketch the fund raising party for Hospice of the Comforter. I had been to the Hospice up in Altamonte the previous week to meet Melissa Silvers the communications manager, and there is a possibility I might begin to sketch patients at the Hospice who want to tell their stories. Patients at the Hospice of the Comforter know that they only have a few weeks left to live. The prospect of this series of sketches both excites and frightens me.
The Ritz fundraiser was a whirlwind of non stop activity. There was a silent auction outside the ball room with many objects of art as well as jewelry and other fashionable bling.
I stood in the middle of the hallway to sketch the bar which is always an active area at the beginning of such an event. Waitresses walked around with platters of hours-devours but I didn’t sample the food or drink since I needed to finish the sketch.
Once in a while someone would walk up to me to find out what I was doing. One woman checked in on my progress 3 different times so she got to see the full progression of the sketch. Just before they opened the doors to the dining room, I had stated the carpet pattern. With the halls now empty, I finished up the color pattern I had started. I worked fast because I wanted to be sure to find my table before the food started coming out. With the sketch finished I felt relaxed knowing I had a decent sketch under my belt, I now could enjoy the event. I introduced myself to the people next to me at the table and sat back to enjoy the show.
