On my last visit to the 100-yen shop, I asked God to show me a small, unlined notepad to do quick sketches at the park, and He had exactly ONE such notebook in the store waiting for me on the shelf. So I took it with me, determined to do only simple drawings. When I take my 9 x 14 sketchbook --which is actually called a "small" sketchbook-- and have an entire set of my watercolor brush markers, I get in the frame of mind to make a nice picture.
Most people get over COVID in a few days, I hear. It's been 2 weeks for me now, and altho' my fever is completely gone, I still have that lingering cough and feel that phlegm.
So I told myself I wouldn't stay out in the cold and lose myself in my drawing as I always do, but kept myself down to doing simple sketches in this small notebook with ONE black brush pen. Then I'd go home. Better to do it this way and come out again tomorrow, and the next day, and keep getting stronger, than to try to stay out to make a better drawing but end up in bed again.
I think the critters understood what I was doing. Because instead of only a few animals coming out and giving me really nice scenes to draw, a lot came out giving me a lot of simple pictures to sketch! It was as if my park friends said to me, "Whatever you do, it's okay. Were glad you're better. Welcome back!"
I came home after making the 3rd drawing--actually, I was almost shocked to see the turtles--altho' terribly happy--I always miss them every winter--who don't usually come out of hibernation until the end of February!
I didn't draw these, but they came too: Alabaster the egret came from the Moto Arakawa River, Peter the Kawasemi, and I saw Kara the Finch, Patrick the Pigeon, several Crows, Hero the Thrush, and several Carp.
