Quick exercises

It's become a point of pride with me that, most days, I manage to spend at least a little time in my sketchbook. Yesterday and today I had a packed schedule with getting my daughters to Tina's family's shared vacation home in Mantoloking three hours east on the Jersey shore, then getting myself back here to Marietta to do work at my livelihood. It was dusk in the aftermath of torrential downpours by the time I could settle myself in a damp wicker chair to dash off a quick impression of the screened veranda, and too dark to see shortly thereafter. This morning on my way home, I missed a turn and wound up in Princeton, and took a pipe smoking break at the local tobacconist, A Little Taste of Cuba. Figured it was as good a time as any to log my daily sketch, and the leather sofas made it easy enough to sit for half an hour fumbing pencils between fumbling wooden matchsticks while cigar guys shooting the breeze about golf, real estate, and the stock market tried not to stare at the weirdo with the sketchbook and pipe. And now it's 3:00pm and I'm just beginning my work day! But, almost as obligatory as brushing my teeth, getting that sketch done was a good start.

The pipe wall at A Little Taste of Cuba in Princeton, 8 1/4 x 11 9/16, 7B graphite and watercolor pencils

Wicker chairs on the veranda at Manotoloking, 8 1/4 x 11 9/16, 9B graphite and watercolor pencils