Gun Safety

Just a few rural blocks from where I was staying, a gun safety course was being offered for the children of Mequoketa, Iowa. The children were lined up one one side of a picnic table and given rifles, presumably with no ammunition.

The children were taught how to hold the rifle and how to aim. The person I was with had hunted deer before and was a pretty good shot, so she stepped inn as one of the instructors.

I found it ironic that a flock of ducks flew over in formation as the kids learned the intricacies of their weapons.

The demonstration was over rather quickly and there was no firing range action after the introductions to the rifles. This was just the usual weekend activity in rural Mequoketa.

I was sketching right up until the lessons broke off, so I never had a chance to handle a rifle myself. I still have never touched a gun. I’ll leave the weapons to the children.

Iowa Cows

These cows are grazing in a field in Mequoketa, Iowa. I used to travel there for the holidays. This is a view from beside the driveway. The cows didn’t notice me and the folks in the home just considered my presence an oddity.

I can get very similar views right here in Lake County, Florida. I just need to find spots to pull off the road and such views are plentiful.

I worked all day today on refining the final two theater posters for the Shakes next season. now Once that assignment is behind me I will start venturing out again to find these kinds of rural scenes.

The cows in this sketch are grazing in a peaceful pre-pandemic world. Once 2020 hit I no longer ventured off to Iowa for the holidays.

My focus now is to start to discover the visual appeal of rural Florida while also venturing back to Orlando to sketch theater rehearsals and performances. It is a strange dichotomy but one I am learning to embrace.

I found this sketch because I am searching for my favorite sketchbook paper, which is Zeta made by Stillman and Birn. I have never don a bad sketch on this glorious smooth and thick paper. I bought two new Zeta Series Sketchbooks which I will use next week when I go to the Orlando Federal Courthouse to do some courtroom sketching. With these sketchbooks I feel confident I will get some really good sketches.