“Bobo, eve, 12.5.23, with floor on couch”, graphite on paper, 9 x 12”, 2023. Bobo (the pictured sheepadoodle) is a most convenient model for evening sketching. He doesn’t sit completely still - no animal does - and his black and white fur patterning is challenging to draw but interesting to tackle. Here he is resting on his favorite toy, a plush stuffed sphere. The note tells me this drawing took about ten minutes to make.

Here is Bobo again… get used to it, won’t be the last time you see him this week. In this five-minute long evening sketch from life, he was looking at me, positioned between me and the back door. He loves to sprint around the backyard, and this is how he asks me to go out there and run around with him… which of course, he knows I love just as much as he does. (detail), graphite, 9 x 12”, 2023.

“Bobo not feeling so hot”, graphite, 9 x 12” (detail), 2023. In this five to ten-minute sketch, Bobo the sheepadoodle was on his sleeping mat, lying perfectly still, which is very atypical for him, especially midday. He was feeling sick, and I think this drawing shows that. I had to take him to the animal emergency clinic because things got so bad - but don’t worry - he made a (maddeningly quick given the vet bills!) full recovery.

More sketches tomorrow…