Last week was the annual UC Davis “Thank Goodness For Staff” lunch event. It is always scheduled on a windy/sunny day in early May, so that it can coincide with my allergies being at their worst. Mine, and everyone else’s. I took my sketchbook with me this year, as my colleague Erica was going to perform another of her excellent self-penned songs (she’s an amazing singer). It was an exercise in speed-sketching; there were only about three minutes from start to finish to capture her, and subsequently it doesn’t look that much like her, but we learn by trying.  I also tried to sketch the UC Davis chancellor, Linda Katehi, addressing staff and thanking goodness for them. Again, doesn’t look like her but you get the idea. she was actually on the stage, but I drew a close up, over the picture of the stage that I was drawing when the other performers were playing.

I sketched some others which were even briefer (didn’t bother scanning), and then two dancers took the stage in colourful Latin American costume. Cuban dancing, it was and they started to move about at a whirlwind pace. My wife said, you won’t be able to draw these. Challenge accepted – and I’m pleased with the result, because this is pretty much exactly as it looked to me, colourful, fast-paced and a lot of fun! anda again, only aboutthree minutes to do the whole thing. Must do more drawings like that…