You definitely have not lived until you’ve tasted the cake from heaven – Janet’s chocolate macadamia nut cake. She’s promised to get the recipe to me, but I haven’t received it yet, so don’t ask. . .

I will end my travel sketch-log with sketches from one of my last evenings in Maryland, a small birthday party for my hosts’ friend Jennifer. Whereas in most situations you might think it rude to sketch during a dinner party, when you’re supposed to be social and pay attention to the conversation and food. However I am an expert at paying attention to food even while I sketch (or any time for that matter). And these folks were so delighted to watch me sketch that they were in wholehearted support of my otherwise rude behavior! Consequently i found myself in figure sketch heaven, with two willing and fascinating subjects and piles of delicious food and wine and a very spicy conversation to listen to. (that I must keep to myself because, after all, the confidentiality rule applies here)

See what happens when you drink wine and sketch? Lots of ink lines, several noses and lips. . .but Jennifer, the birthday girl, is the kind of person who sends sparks out in all directions, and many of them landed in my sketchbook!

This portrait, which I was really very pleased with, did not appeal to the subject, the beautiful Magda of course. And Leon and I got in an argument about what I should be shooting for when I sketch people – beauty or character. Of course what I’m able to achieve in these quick pen and wash sketches is neither. The one element I always capture is something about my own impression of the person. THey always end up being a kind of self portrait, so I must ask the kind forbearance of my models – and these two wonderful ladies gave it to me.

And so my last day in the WAshington, D.C. area was spent making the visits to my aunt and a friend in Virginia and tackling the most confusing driving directions and freeways. You know they actually have one area called the “mixing bowl” because of the complexity of roads? And so the Country Girl finally returned home to roads that are challenging due to bike riders on blind curves, possum and skunk crossings and the distraction of too much beautiful scenery.