My first attempt at drawing buildings with a Pentel brush pen.

This is a street in East Liberty that I’d only seen from a car window. When I accompanied my friend Scheiny to the Femme Show, I had a minute to chill on South Highland Ave. and check out some of the old buildings. (This street includes a great place for cupcakes!)

Question: In 3 years, I’ve lived on six ships and two cities. When I sit in public and draw, it’s fairly common for a guy to start chatting with me. It’s not unheard of that the guy asks me out. Once (in Italy) a guy asked about my sketches for about two minutes, and then said, “Oral sexo? We could find a hotel…” But I can’t think of a single time that a woman (sketchy or otherwise) has come up to me in the street and started a conversation while I’m drawing.

Are women so strongly conditioned not to interrupt? or more sensitive to possible rejection? or in more of a hurry? or am I magically only cute to the opposite sex?! Discuss.

I’ve been staring at this screen for awhile (3 false starts, exactly), wondering how to articulate how I felt at The Femme Show.

It was like being a bit character in Dykes to Watch Out For.

It was like fresh air when you’ve been in an office all day.

It was like venting, with a stage full of talent doing the venting for you, and a bar full of people cheering.

It was like frolicking on a nakey beach and realizing just how restricting your clothes are the rest of the time.

…

Yeah, I got nothin.

This was one of many sketches I did during The Femme Show, which…I’m not sure I can describe. Technically it was “an evening of performances, readings, burlesque, and other goodness at The Shadow Lounge,” but that doesn’t do it justice.

Off the subject, how many times can a person apologize for allowing lengthy time lapses in between posts? Well, since last time, I’ve traveled to New York and Boston, checked out three colleges with my baby sister Abby, and bussed back to Pittsburgh. I’m currently driving an intimidatingly large rental van through Cincinnati en route to Indiana, where my other sister Emily is moving. I’ve finalized plans to take art classes in New York this fall, table at APE in October, and get on another ship in February. I can’t wait to unpack my suitcase for awhile!!!

This is my friend Lynn and me getting preened for our high school friends’ wedding last weekend. Lynn was a bridesmaid and I was a groomsperson, so last week involved lots of appointments, carpools, dresses, cupcake stands, and more importantly, several nights of catching up with friends from high school–gulp!–eight years ago.

Hmmm. This sketch is not reproducing well. Anyway, the word balloon reads, “–just kept up with it on Facebook–I think she’s doing post-doc work at Harvard and the two of them bought some large dogs, went on an Olivia cruise–and I think they’re engaged…”