How Does Your Garden Grow?

When I was working with Kimon Nicolaides book in the early 70's I learned that finding a live model was no more difficult than looking out of my window. On the block where I lived there was a fascinating elderly Eastern European woman dressed in 'Old Country' clothing. She pulled a small red wagon and carried a hoe that was almost her height. She appeared most every day during the fall wandering silently down the road stopping to pull matted leaves and debris from between parked cars.

She piled her wagon high with this dark and matted mulch taking it back to her garden.

I admit that I would watch for her. I was intriqued and mesmerized as if I were looking through a keyhole into another, distant time. As soon as I would notice her coming down the road I would bolt for my sketch book. All the while she worked I drew. There were times when I went out to walk beside her attempting to catch her other worldly quality on my paper. She did not seem to mind. We never spoke, I don't imagine we knew the same language, yet she inspired me greatly.

Two of the sheets here were done from life on 18x24 inch newsprint. The third is a sheet of four studies using soft pastel and conte crayon.