Vesuvio part 7

After some morning tasks, I was able to go up to the Studio in the early afternoon, bringing my latest block with me.  Drawing on the Vesuvio block is nearly finished.  Took care of a few things since the last time I worked on it.  Took another look at the paintings on the walls in the background of the photo- used the computer to enlarge it and make those images more visible.  Don't need a lot of details- in the woodcut they will be just as much background as they were in real life, but at least I can get some accuracy to the crude versions that will appear in the print. And I called my brother to get his input and memories of the place.  Part of my hesitation at putting in a waitress was I couldn't remember what they wore.  My brother wasn't really sure either.  I guess it didn't leave much impression.  His wife, who was also a fan of the place, wasn't sure either.  But what they settled on was perhaps a white blouse and black skirt, along with a large apron with pockets, because he thought he remembered one spilling a whole bunch of straws out of her apron. With all this lack of certainty, I think I'll just leave the idea alone, let my standing female in the upper left just be a customer.

So when I got there today, I used pencil to fix some of those things.  Redrew the framed artwork on the walls, and made adjustments to some of the furniture. No Molly, so music was on and today I went with my Shazam disc.  Main reason was that they have a song called "Super Tuesday", very appropriate on this big primary day.  It's actually about a relationship, just using election terms as an apt metaphor for the problem, no relation to politics.  (released in 1999, when few people in the current race where even in the business) The other reason is just that the Shazam were a great band and good to listen to while making art.  Despite being from Nashville, creating classic retro power pop, including a version of the Beatles' "Revolution #9", perhaps the most uncover able song they ever recorded.  (if you know the song, you know why) They pull it off, too.

Added or fixed hands on a few figures, adjusted a few of the chairs, added a few more shadows to this early state.  Put a few more accessories on the tables, based on what I have in my photo.  The one thing I don't have much of yet is the food, but I am about to change that.  Ideally the reference for an image about the pizza at Vesuvio would be one of their pizzas, but they haven't be available for a few years.  However, I do think there is a good substitute, a nearby place called Vic's. Looks like it may be just as old, but with a slightly more modern menu.  The wood paneled walls are not so colorful as the turquoise upholstery of the other place, but they do have a bar, so you don't need to bring your own beers.  Exterior neon lists them as featuring "tomato pies", which is a term for pizza that has roots in Trenton and parts west, as well as past decades.  Of all area places, the one that seems most similar to the Vesuvio pizza, Jersey Shore thin crust pizza, a little toasty around the edges.  The take out menu I have in the Studio even lists a pie a lot like the "Around the World Special" that was my favorite at the other place.  And it happens to be in between my Studio and home, so I stopped by in the afternoon to order and pick up a pizza.  Middle of the afternoon, the place was nearly empty, so it did not take long. The sunny morning weather had given way to a steady rain in the afternoon, but I had packed my block well, water dries, the pizza box protected my purchase, so I got everything home intact.  I had enough self control not to eat it until I had taken a bunch of reference photos, then I enjoyed a few slices.

What I didn't eat tonight I wrapped up to save for another day.  Drawings can wait until tomorrow, based on this and other photos I took.

Perhaps I'll send a copy of the photo to my college friend Jenny.  Whenever my college friends come from out of state to the area, they eat as much local pizza as they can (pizza in the south and midwest just isn't very good) and Jenny is in particular a big fan of Vic's.  Not her preferred topping, but I chose this for art.