Racetracks bring out the flinty types.
(Del Mar)

The lonely jockey.
(From Del Mar.)

Finishing up our Willamette University symposium, "Lines of Attention":

Attentive.

Day-dreamy.

Conversion experience.

Two of the presenting professors and one of the attendees.

The young lady on the left (an art history prof. @ M.I.T.!) gave a paper about an 18th Century collector and dealer of drawings. His name was Mariette, and he was famous for his blue mats. Also famous for the impressive ability to split a sheet of paper down the gizzard, so that a single sheet with a recto and verso side could be divided into two separate pieces of paper--quite a feat!

Here's a blue mat of his (landscape by Claude Lorrain, 1645)

(Claude's really brushin' that breakfast!)

In addition to all this fun, Mariette would sometimes cut up the old master drawings that he acquired, sometimes he'd "restore" them by darkening their lines, or adding lines and even adding highlights and wash to make them look more "finished."

For this he is known as "Naughty Marriette."

Audio-Visual guy @ Willamette. Every conference needs one, and he was great--a calming presence,  never intrusive, always watching from the wings, ready to solve any mic malfunction or projector rejection.

I'm trying to spool-out a "YOU-WERE-THERE" documentary feel with these series of drawings, but this one drawing a day pace is killing the momentum.

I'll have to work out a different approach. We're getting to the point where daily drawing bundles may be necessary (for instance, I still have more than a dozen Del Mar Races drawings from August to share. Sheesh!)

Thunderstruck.
In the best possible way.

Skeptics. (They got into the swing of things eventually.)

The ubiquitous bearded young.

Dear Wife gave her first conference paper last week @ Willamette University. Wonderful place, wonderful people.

And she was so good, she knocked their sneakers off.

Harley envy.  Missed this page in the sketchbook first time around.
(Really should have fixed those legs....)

I get the feeling a lot of people leave Medford this way...except without the capri pants.

Why does this couple look so happy?
Maybe they went to San Luis Obispo and checked into a hotel called The Madonna Inn. They probably spent the night in a room like this:

We were assigned this room Wednesday night--room 139, "JUNGLE ROCK." My worry was that the place would be run down, and seedy. Not the case at all. Those are real rocks--giant boulders, really.

The entire hotel has been expertly assembled back in the 40's-50's, and it still looks...rock solid.
Lots of great details everywhere--the shower was an all-rock waterfall! Even if you don't stay, pull off the 101 and check out the cafe/restaurant and the bathrooms downstairs. All I can say is...whoa.

It was the combination of insensate fury in her face and coursing muscle in her arms that made her such a funny sight--that, and her driving the "healingmassage.com" company car. If she got you on the massage table, there might not be anything left of you after 45 minutes.

(Formica tabletop courtesy of a great fast food chain in the Portland area called Burgerville. Dear Wife claimed their veggie burger excellent, and I thought their breakfasts and beef burgers top-drawer, too. All done with local food, prepped fresh, etc. Give 'em a try if you're cruising the PacNorWest.)