It may be a man’s world… but it would be nothing without a (pesky & persistent) woman!
“KRudd Boots N’All”
Cartoon Pen & Watercolour 8″x 12″
Copyright 2009 Jean Burman
another entry in www.NewMatilda.com.au Political Cartooning Competition
(and yes… oops… Barack has one R!)
With a Dad and three brothers in my childhood home… my mother and I were used to the rough and tumble of living in a house full of boys. Consequently I think boys are great. Different entirely to girls… who are okay too mind you… but way more complicated (grin). Boys on the other hand are pretty straight forward. They say what they mean and mean what they say… punch first… ask questions later… that sort of thing. (Though I hasten to add… being the only girl in a family of boys had it’s strategic advantages too cos no-one was allowed to punch me! Ha!)
I have always found the notion of being a woman in a man’s world rather intriguing. The idea of mixing it with the boys who definitely seem to have the numbers in almost every arena (including cartooning) doesn’t really faze me… I grew up with boys remember? But still sometimes my ignorance of any tangible sort of philosophical difference between the genders still surprises me.
This ignorance has on occasion led me inadvertently into a number of humourous situations. Like the time I blithely sailed into the Gentlemen’s Room in the Qantas Lounge at LA International Airport… (incredibly jet lagged and in transit)… sending all assembled gents into an intercontinental flat spin and the room into an all-out unholy panic. Pandemonium ensued… as redfaced I realised my error. [I shall never again underestimate the power of a woman to clear the mens room in under 30 seconds flat!] I do however swear on my life to never ever do it again! Anyway by the by. I hadn’t intended to tell you that story… but it was funny at the time… and what the hey!
What I had intended to tell you about was the new Life Drawing Session I went to the other night. No stranger to life drawing… and being used to a “mixed” group… it took a comment fully half way through the three hour session to alert me to the fact that besides the model… I was the only female in the room.
“There’s life drawing on Monday mornings too you know” came the wake up call that enlightened me.
“Oh thanks” I responded appreciatively to the kind gentleman beside me… still not entirely getting it.
“but Monday doesn’t suit… and Wednesday night is just fine by me…” I trailed off
As the last word spilled confidently from my lips the realisation hit me. I looked around at the bunch of friendly and (don’t get me wrong) more than perfectly well behaved guys in the group and realised for the first time that I was definitely the odd man out.
I chatted with the model out in the kitchen over a cup of tea on our break… and learned that she too had no nonsense boys in her life and was unfazed (despite her lack of apparel) by the prospect of being in a room full of blokes. Though I’ve got to say… I reckon her courage exceeded mine by a very large measure! LOL
Undeterred I pushed on into the second half and left with a reasonable assortment of 2, 5, and 10 minute sketches. Whilst they are not serious art… I find quick sketches great for figure referencing in subsequent paintings. And life sketches do have a spontaneous freshness that is sometimes hard to beat.
10 minute sketch
Willow stick on cartridge paper
Copyright 2009 Jean Burman
I think I shall go back again next week… what do you reckon?
If only to stir things up a bit? Heavens knows I need the practice!
