"Black Coffee"

November 5, 2011.

Autumn was definitely in the air...and under the sun...and on the changing colors and textures in the leaves strewn across the ground and along the sidewalks as I walked directly to Navy Pier this morning for the annual SOFA/Intuit Outsider and Folk Art Fair.  Starving for inspiration...and information, I stepped inside Festival Hall and walked into the galleries on the second floor, only to find myself in awe with the Bill Traylors, the Thornton Dials, the Henry Dargers, and the Joseph Yoakums on the walls, feeling more inspired to be stay true to my own style, to stay creative, to shun conventions altogether.  Simply put, to just keep making art for the pure joy of it. 

Taking a break from talking, walking, and browsing along the halls and past the walls, I stopped at a SOFA cafe, bought a piping hot cup of black coffee with a chocolate chip cookie, and started drawing another favorite image in my sketch pad at the table.  This time around, the subject was a beautiful young (African American) model, whose image is no longer present online...and it's truly a shame, in my opinion.  Wanting to "immortalize" her on paper, I concentrated on the lines and curves, taking my time and having fun with my drawing as I drank in the dark.  Not one to keep time, I looked at my watch and realized that I stayed for quite a long time.  Two hours! But quite frankly, my dear, I didn't give a...

Afterwards, I passed the beautiful stained glass window displays on my way out the door and walked back into the sun and the air, ready to call it a day.  For now.