At the Audubon Park Community Market, Shipyard Brewing Company had a small SUV set up with beer taps sticking out of its side. Allison Stevens and master brewer Ron Raike were at the taps busily filling small plastic cups full of FREE beer samples. I walked around the truck several times trying to find a comfortable vantage point from which to do a sketch. Terry had come down to the market to meet me but I didn’t see her anywhere. Distracted, I gave her a call. She was across the street at an Italian restaurant having a salad. A bit of a power struggle ensued. She wanting me to sit and have dinner with her, while I wanted to get started on the sketch with the few hours of daylight remaining.
When I got back outside, the sun had just set. As I sketched, the scene grew progressively darker. Terry joined me for a bit and then Craig Marris walked up to talk. The two of them talked as I rushed to get some watercolor washes down. Across the street, Kevian Acosta began singing to the crowd. When my sketch was finished I decided it was time to get a beer sample. I went up to the Shipyard booth and asked Allison for a sample. She poured me two and thanked me for a blog post I had written about the Shipyard Brewery and a fun conversation we had when we first met. Terry walked up beside me and announced, “I am Mrs. Thor!” She and Allison had a quick exchange and bumped fists.
The beer was smooth and light. I sipped it with my pinky in the air and sat down to watch Flammable Babylon Percussion perform. The pounding and rhythmic drum beats helped calm my nerves. I simply sat and watched the first piece. Then the urge to sketch took over again and I rushed to get something down. I knew they wouldn’t be performing much longer but I had to get something. I liked the way the belly dancers would relax, off stage with their belly fat proudly overlapping the waste line of the dress. When they danced, others in the crowd would join in; some worked their hips with the hula hoops.
