Blood Draw part 4

 I didn't feel an overwhelming need to be in the Studio today, but I went mostly because I had been asked to do so.  We were scheduled to have a visit from Vin Gopal today.  I know the name- a local politician, in this case a state senator whose district coincides with our area.  I assume he is somewhat responsible for our funding, since at least some of our budget comes from state government.  In any case, the boss asked if anyone could be in their studios today, to show the place in action I guess.  There were a lot of potential family conflicts of a medical nature, but we worked it out and I got up there a little past 1:00.  I let Elyse know I would be in my space after all, if she wanted to drag anyone through.  She mentioned that there were two other basement studios operating today, so I figured a good chance they would make it to the basement.  I assume that any politician has their day all planned out, so assuming he made it to our building on time, he would be leaving on time, so as long as he got the basement by 3, I would see him, and he would see our Studio.

With all that done, time to get to work.  I had started this latest block a while ago, but haven't worked on it for a few weeks.  That was because I wanted to get a live model for the nurse drawing blood, and so far I have to takers.  I have enough training and finished drawings that I can do this without one, but it would make for a better and more accurate drawing if I had someone in front of me for a little while.  The part that is myself I did with the help of various mirrors, but I waited on drawing the nurse for a little while in case someone came along.  Meanwhile, I had done pencil sketches of some charcoal possibilities, doing these with pencil in my sketchbook, much more practical than trying to bring a laptop with me. Eventually I sketched one of my portrait faces on the block, using the pencil sketch as a reference, and then adjusting my new pencil sketch on wood as I went.  (I believe that the model was a woman named Marissa who occasionally modeled there in Belmar, but it has been more than a decade since I did the original charcoal drawing, so I don't know)  I also looked at my new sketch in a mirror to see how t turned out, a trick I learned in my painting days, but especially important in a woodcut as this will be seen backwards in the final print, and I'd hate to find out at that point there was a problem.  The results of today's work can be seen below:

I just did today's drawing in pencil, just in case I find a suitable model after all and want to change things.   But if no one turns up in a few weeks I'll just start with this and work from there.  It's not perfect, but it's something.

Meanwhile, we were approaching 3 pm, and still no visitors. Then I heard some voices out in the hallway, and Elyse's voice mentioning there was one more artist at work in the basement.  Then they all came in, quite a mob of people.  I was introduced to our guest of honor, a little bit about Molly and I was said, a little about my work, and soon everyone was gone.  I don't know what it all means, but maybe I'll find out later.  In any case, I had done my part.  I straightened things out, then locked up.  On the way out I stopped to speak to Bobby, also present today in the basement.  He said the visit to his space was also very quick, so I guess everyone got the same treatment.