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Wednesday, August 31, 2016

Sketching at the Otsego County Fair, Part Two

On the second day I returned to the Otsego County (Michigan) Fair to sketch, the weather had turned from hot and sunny to hot and pouring rain.

I don't mind a little rain, but paper and watercolor paints, do... so I had to think strategically about what I'd draw.  Especially because all of the large animal judging took place in an open air arena.  No cover for the show or for the spectators.  I tried, hovering over my book and paints with  my hat and coat.




Then I decided there were enough interesting things to draw inside the animals barns.  So I headed back to the big animal barn where I'd spent most of the day yesterday.






Then I remembered that the poultry and small animal judging was happing in another barn, so I ran through the raindrops over there.  It had been moved indoors!  That made for lots of bustling activity among man and beast.




Because we were all smushed up into a fairly small building, I had lots of folks glance at my drawings, offering encouragement, wanting to chat.  In particular, two nine year old girls offered to pose for me, and to introduce me to their animals.




My young farmer helpers were ready to keep going, but after three plus hours of drawing, I had pooped out.  Plus, my back had begun to hurt.  This hadn't happened before, but I think it was from holding the paper close to my stomach, hunching over it, and keeping my elbows so tight because of the rain and the crowded barns.

I had another great day drawing animals and learning from the people who raise them.

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