The Artist at Work

Bob's sister asked me if I would post a photo of Bob drawing, so here it is:

Bob always draws first thing in the morning, before getting ready for the day, so yes he's a bit disheveled and still wearing his night shirt. But look at that concentration!

And here are his latest two drawings. I always ask him for a title when he's drawing and this first one he calls "Obstacles".

Obstacles

And this next one seems to be linked with that one. Sort of a picture story. He calls this "The Next Day: You Wouldn't Dare!"

The Next Day: You Wouldn't Dare!

Of course, that title is a bit of a mouthful for Bob, so he didn't actually come up with it right away. Our conversation went sort of like this:

Me: What do you call this one?

Bob: I don't know.

Me: That's not a very good title. 

Bob: Right.

Me: Think up a title. I can't post it and call it "I don't know."

Bob, thinking, then finally says some garbled word that sounds like "Real".

Me: Real?

Bob: Yes. (makes a dramatic sweep with his hand) Real.

Me: Real what?

Bob: I don't know.

Me: What does that mean, "real"?

Bob, thinking for awhile, then says, very clearly, "The Next Day."

Me: Good. The Next Day. But what happens on the next day?

Bob: You. Wouldn't. (then something garbled here.)

Me: You wouldn't what?

Bob: (garbled word)

Me: Huh?

Bob: (another garbled word, but sort of sounds like "care")

Me: You wouldn't care?

Bob (rolls his eyes): No!

Me: OK, say it again.

Bob: (garbled word still sounds like "care")

Me: I don't know what you're saying.

Bob: (getting frustrated) garble garble

Me: (trying to think of words that sound like "care") Hair? Pair? Wear? Dare?

Bob: Dare!

Me: The Next Day: You Wouldn't Dare?

Bob: Yes!

Me: That's the title then?

Bob: Yes! (dramatic sweep of the hand here) The Next Day: You Wouldn't Dare!

Seems we have a lot of conversations that go on like this. But I do think he is expressing, with his drawings, the fact that he is quite willing to battle all those Obstacles that are confronting him. And if those Obstacles stop him one day, well, the next day--they wouldn't dare get in his way again.