[April 13 2025] Just a little check in to say that I made it out the door, amidst a sudden rain storm that makes it feel like November, looking sharp wearing my tailored blue herringbone suit, a sort of carnival barker top hat, have a peacock feather in the bag just in case, a striped shiny shirt and contrasting tie which should look interesting for the drawing class participants with a few different outfit modifications (vest, different type, different shirt) and accessories (book, camera, pipe)
I drank my afternoon dose of Chinese tea and put sticky plaster heat packs (I don’t know what you call these) on my calves under compression socks, and on the store point at the base of my neck and my lumbar spine… Made it out the door with moments to spare to catch the bus
Should arrive with time to maybe grab a coffee at my favorite secret place ‘hiding in plain sight’ inside the station before meeting my contact to taxi over to the location
I’m carrying the accessories in a leather satchel I got in Sri Lanka which looks like a time traveled from a steam ship a century ago, I’ve also got on a gray trenchcoat style raincoat contrasted with my wife’s blue batik light cotton scarf so eccentric points are high and comfort points are moderate
I’ve got ear plug in, cleaned my glasses, and of course have a pocket square in the suit
Sitting still and jaunty
- session was about 3+ hours with occasional breaks which is important for me
- there was a break for coffee which everyone pitched in a few hundred yen for but the model got a cup for free :)
- marks were taped where my feet and arms and so on were placed for easy replacement
- rocked my pipe, Fluevogs (which slipped in and out of for just a modeling changing to slippers as it’s appropriate behavior) and no glasses
- let my mind meditate during the sitting times listening to the different sounds of chalk, pencils, occasionally dropped brushes and so on
Didn’t see any of the images until the very end but didn’t have time to linger as we did a quick group photo and then was picked up by my darlings, dropped off one of the artists who gifted me a painting and can’t remember where put it but will find it… Then off to the rest of our life
Sunday art making
It’s a great organization, very welcoming and friendly, a wide range of skill levels, ages, personalities and seemingly motivations… Anyone can attend, whether international or domestic and I am the “poster boy” on the newest flyer which I’ve enclosed below along with the web link to the English version of the English variation of web blurb
Churchill Art Association, Okayama: https://churchill-kai-okayama.jp/03-english/2-english.html
I hope to be invited back, have a wide variety of outfits and beard styles on standby Peace to all the kind folk
