Sketchbook History Tour
1972 – Present
I Draw in Church – Women of Color in a Grey World
A Woman of Color in a Grey City A Pianist of Color in a Grey Church
The Difference of the Same
They were the same except the parts where they were different.
Amphora / 2007-2014
I have been going through old sketchbooks recently and one in particular has stood out for having some amazing drawings. Not because of technical skill but because of the bizarre content. I have always drawn some pretty odd scenes but this one sketchbook seems to be...
Three Drawings From My Imagination – I Draw in Church
I saw a new person in the orchestra this week. I liked the wave of her hair and the shape of her face. I couldn't see her once we sat down so that was all I had in my head as I started the drawing. From there she gradually turned into a bust of a Goddess or Queen or...
Six Sketchbook Drawings
Real to Imagined I draw the majority of my images from my imagination. But many of the drawings may start with something or someone I see as an inspiration point. It might be a long straight nose, or the uniformity of choir robes, that I remember and start with. But...
Five Sketchbook Drawings
These are five drawings from my recent sketchbook work. Most were initially drawn in church with coloring done after.
Thought Balloons – 2018
Which Way? Yesterday I was leading our running group in warm ups. I mentioned we were going to run a certain stretch of the route at the end and that I wanted them to do a certain thing during that. One of my coaches spoke up and said, "We aren't doing that stretch of...
Doubting Thomas
Doubting Thomas, Apostle In the New Testament of the Christian scriptures there is an Apostle named Thomas. He is known as 'Doubting Thomas' because of the story of his not believing the other Apostles when they say that Jesus has come back to life after having been...
The Woman Who Thought in Circles – An Illustrated Short Story
The Woman Who Thought in Circles She went around and around about wearing circles. She didn't want to be too matchy matchy. Then again she did because her mom liked her more when she was. But she liked her mom less when her mom liked her more which was very confusing...
The Singer of Pi – An Illustrated Short Story
The Singer of PI She sang in the choir, always trying to understand the meaning of the songs. She felt they were a mystery far beyond her capacity to understand. But she also knew that, just like in her yoga class where if she kept doing that one pose she would master...
The Knitters – Four Variations
I drew a group of knitters at 'Shades of Brown' coffee shop here in Tulsa last week. They call themselves the 'Knit Wits'. I spent a good hour plus drawing then showed it to them. They seemed to enjoy it, which is always a nice end to a drawing session. This is the...
The Woman with Only Two Thoughts – An Illustrated Short Story
The Woman with Only Two Thoughts - An Illustrated Short Story The Large and The Small The woman wasn't able to think anything but these two thoughts. Everything was either too large or too small. Things were never just right. Well, that isn't exactly true. Sometimes...
Time in the Museum – An Illustrated Short Story
Chapter One He lagged behind his wife because he was reading the catalog raisonne of the artist. He was trying to figure out how much time it took for her to paint the painting of the crying violinist. He didn't notice what time it was but his wife did because she was...
The Sculpture of Love – An Illustrated Short Story
Chapter One The woman saw herself as flawed, always. She didn't like how selfish she was, how greedy. She didn't like her judgmental attitude towards so many people and things. She felt she wasn't a very good wife or mother. She knew she was not as helpful as she...
How She Turned Into Herself – A Short Story
How She Turned Into Herself She turned toward the radio tower, listening. She turned into someone else when she did. For a while she was happy being this new person. Then, when she didn't recognize herself any longer she realized she wasn't happy after all. She...
The Woman Moving Forward – A Short Short Story
"The woman moving forward while the baggy pants guy waits for his boarding pass while I sit on the floor waiting for the flight to California and wait for Linda and Caitlin to return from getting food during fall break in Tulsa in October of 2004." An illustrated...
Joan the Baptist – I Draw in Church
Joan the Baptist - A Short Story The woman inside her mind in the balcony alone wondering if she's changed for the better by being a Baptist or not. And all the people below her wondering who she is and what she is doing in the church dressed like that. The End...
Woman with Three Selves – A Short Short Story
Chapter One The woman thought about her selves and didn't feel anything but. The End Drawing and short story © 2017 Marty Coleman | napkindad.com
I Draw in Church – Sax
Divorce Woes – A Sketchbook Drawing
A woman with a hairdo too old for her talking to her friend about packing her bags three times before he came home and how he never knew while they drank coffee and talked too loud so I could hear their divorce woes on a humid night in Tulsa. I drew this a Starbucks...
I Draw in Church – Mary M
The Unknowing Muse – A Short Story
SOLD This drawing is available for purchase. Click here for details. SOLD The Unknowing Muse She is only the second knitter I have drawn. The first was in Colorado, or wait, it was in an auto shop here in town but I made mountains in the background and they looked...
The Emotional Landscape – A Short Story
The Dead but Alive Woman She woke up every morning only seeing what was behind her. She sometimes would try to turn her head but could not. It was as if she was made of stone. So, she looked back. She remembered the many signs telling her not to go in that direction...
The Ten Violinists
I draw in church. In recent years the violinists in the orchestra have been the ones facing me. As a result I have drawn them a number of times. Here is a selection. ...
The Friend on the Patio in Spring
The original drawing is available for purchase here My wife and daughter needed to go to Utica Square, an outdoor shopping center in Tulsa, after Church. I took the opportunity on a gorgeous spring day to hang out at Starbucks Coffee place patio and draw. As I walked...
The Woman Who Sucked on a Straw
The Woman Who Sucked on a Straw © 2017 Marty Coleman | napkindad.com
The Woman Who Thought What If I
Drawing © 2017 Marty Coleman | napkindad.com
The Poem About My Senses
The Poem About My Senses I have a poem in my head, Not fancy or complete. Actually pretty basic, mundane but pretty sweet. Don't know what it's all about, That's the point of it I think. But I know It's sort of funny, And includes the color pink. It includes the smell...
Four That Took a Decade – Sketchbook History Tour
I've been drawing in sketchbooks for many decades now. I sometimes go back and revisit older books just to see what I did or to show others. Recently I did this with a series of sketchbooks from 2000 on. I discovered a number of drawings I wanted to work on more,...
I Draw in Church – Four Violinists
I draw in church. I used to draw the pianist quite a bit but then the orchestra got so big I am no longer able to see her. Now I draw other members of the orchestra, most often the French Horn player and the Violinists. They sit where I have a good view of them and...
The Filmmaker – Portrait of Britni
I had to go to the art supply store and decided that as long as I was all the way there I might as well get some coffee and create some art. I got my giant cappuccino and settled in to draw the woman at the window. She was deep into writing and I had a feeling she...
The Six Thoughts – An illustrated Short Story
Chapter One - Claire When Claire the Clarinetist was finished playing she could have chosen to leave the altar as do many of the other orchestra members. But the orchestra was arranged today so that she was facing directly towards the congregation (usually she is...
The Crucifixion & Resurrection – What Were you Saved From?
The Crucifixion The Resurrection The Idea Many believe these things happened. I assume most believe the crucifixion actually happened. And some certainly believe the resurrection is to be understood as having also actually happened. Others believe it is...
The Stranger at Starbucks – Anatomy of Success
Three times in the last week I have gone to a coffee shop and drawn. The first and second time led to pretty good drawings I thought. But the third time I struggled to get a good drawing. I thought I would show you the drawings and explain some of the reasons why...
The Boyfriends – An Illustrated Short Short Story
Boyfriends Barbara woke up and took a walk towards the volcano. She got lightheaded on the walk and saw a vision of all her past boyfriends tumbling down the steep mountain. She saw Josh, the young man she had the affair with at the beach resort. She didn't know if...
Periscoping at Starbucks While Drawing Jennie
Spiders! 'tis a rare day when I go to hang out at a coffee shop. Friday I had to leave my house for 2 hours because we fogged the attic for spiders. My wife has had spider bites a number of times this year and so we have started having the house sprayed. We have had...