MORE OUTDOOR SKETCHING . . .

Yesterday, I did a few more early-morning drawings on my way to work. I drew the scenes at a place near St. Louis where I like to camp, the same one that was pictured here two weeks ago.

I didn't use color this time, just pen and ink. First, I found this low-tech tree stand in the woods --

I was satisfied with the way the drawing turned out. Next, I attempted the view of the pond where I usually pitch my tent --

I recognize technical problems with both of these drawings. As far as creative pursuits go, I feel on much firmer ground when I write, which I've been doing more or less all my life. (Example: Artwork, a long short story published in a print edition of Artful Dodge, now available on the Internet; it's interesting in retrospect how one of its themes is painting.)

Drawing is a new obsession. I haven't done it since junior high school. And it's just for fun, which makes it much less frustrating than writing. There's no pressure to turn out a perfect piece. Not so when I write.

I also enjoy how time seems to stop when I draw. Distractions don't matter. I can draw in a noisy room with the kids screaming or the TV blaring; to write, I need quiet.

And another difference: writing a long piece can take me months or years. Reading the finished product requires an additional investment on the part of the reader. But drawings are easy to share. My kids can browse through my sketchbooks, which I keep out in the open, or I can drop a finished piece on this blog.

Everyone has time to look at a drawing.