"Dat Peyton Manning, man"...

I like this pose, but...

I can't say this is indeed what this person looks like because it really doesn't. It's one of those kind of situations where the pose changes constantly and you have to decide on one and stick with it. Once again, Jerry's thick eyebrows and deep set eyes makes him look angry. He was not. He was just commenting on Peyton Manning's performance the night before when the Denver Broncos came back from an twenty-four point deficit to defeat the San Diego Chargers.

New Orleanians love the Mannings almost as much as they love 'da Saints!

"Did ya see 'da game last night?""Dat Peyton Manning, man... 'dat kid can play!"

Copyright 2012-2013/Ben Bensen III

"A Cocky Flower Pot Sketch!"

Chicken Parmigiana?

It has been a really crazy week, doing things for my mom that need to be taken care of... Sometimes, with her and sometimes without her in tow. It is a 60 mile jaunt from our home in Folsom to New Orleans. On this night, I met my wife at a funeral home to explore the ridiculous cost of dying. No need to expatiate further on that subject. My brother watched our mom for a couple of hours as we took care of business and then seized the opportunity to share a wonderful dinner together at a restaurant called, "Sandro's Trattoria' somewhere between Metairie and Kenner, LA.

I highly recommend the daube!

Eventually, Therese took off early for home to correct papers while I would return to my brother's to pick up mom. But after she left, I decided to stay longer and put off the inevitable by having desert and coffee. I sketched, on the paper table cloth, this ceramic rooster flower pot which was sitting on the shelf a few tables away.

It went well with my third cup of coffee.

Copyright 2012-2013/Ben Bensen III

"It Just Occurred To Me on Veteran's Day!"

Twenty minute sketch... while I waited my turn!

It just occurred to me that this would make a nice Veteran's Day comment!  I did this sketch while listening to two African American Vets, one rather elderly who fought in the Korean War, and the other, a "young whippersnapper" who fought in the Operation Desert Storm, talk about their experiences. It wasn't too crowded on that day, but I had to wait my turn, which took me about forty minutes.

They inquired about my status and I told them I was here on behalf of my mom's service record with the Marine Corps during World War II. They both nodded in affirmation and continued on with their stories about the military. The Korean War vet didn't care to talk too much about his experiences in Korea except to hang his head down, shake it and say, "Korea is cold. I've never ever been that cold in all my life!"

I pretty much kept my mouth shut and sketched... and listened!

To all those who served or are still serving to preserve our freedoms, Happy Veteran's Day!

Copyright 2012-2013/Ben Bensen III

"Somewhere Else"...

Worried or just somewhere else?

Like a pebble in his boot, are his worries ever gonna leave him be? Can he ever take that shoe off and rid himself of the aggravatingly unending pokes. Or is the Greek omelet that he just inhaled, revisiting him in a different way?

Or maybe, it's the fiery valentine of his youth. You know, the what if's... how did it go so blue, so fast?
It's not like just 'cuz he's elderly or retired that his mind can't drift to the ones that somehow got away... or never really had.

Maybe, it is about that week long trip to the lakes of Minnesota. The one that got away, nah!

"Hotter than a peppered sprout," he thinks. "Baton Rouge, back then, seemed so far away,"

"Hell, it was my fault... I never should've have been so cool, so distant. I came off aloof 'cuz somehow I thought that's what she wanted. Damn plowboy, that's all... a damn plowboy!"

"Damn and I had so many too choose from. Yeh, that's your problem... or was!"

"And you were so close. So close you could taste it. The things I could have done... Ah, just the thought of it and...

"Honey, you gonna finish those hash browns? 'Cuz if you're not, I'll take 'em!"

Then he moved and the moments lost in the blink of an eye and I continue to wonder as I continue to now draw from memory, "Just what was he thinking about?"

But, it was all gone and it was just a sketch!

Copyright 2012-2013/ Ben Bensen III

"South of the Border, Down Mexico Way"...

Hasta Luego...

Well, I'm surprised that they didn't leave earlier. Maybe the regulars did and these that are visiting are traveling through from the north. It is kind of hard to tell without some sort of banding, but it has been two days since I last saw any hummer around. They must have left sensing our first real cold front was approaching. This morning, there was ice on our cars and it was quite unexpected. When they disappear, they usually leave by cover of darkness unlike this little guy above who is announcing his departure. 

Luckily, this time, I had not just cleaned and replenish the sugar water. Normally, this late into fall, just a day or two after I put up some fresh nectar, the birds just don't show up and I end up throwing out the mixture. 

So, the timing was perfect for a change... Until later, little ones!

Copyright 2012-2013/ Ben Bensen III

"It's Where You Find It...

Sometimes, somethings need to be recognized!

Yesterday, I was in Hammond on business for my mom with the VA, but stopped by a PJ's coffee shop  near the Southeastern University campus. It looks like it may be a brand spanking new coffee house because it is the first one I ever seen with an upstairs balcony. Next to a sign that said, "Please don't use the balcony without a purchase!" was iron bannisters following up the flight of stairs.  I had to blow about an hour before the local mall opened up, so I purchased my "ticket to ride" and sat down with my  new Mac laptop. In between stares out of the second story window and the internet, I noticed these two beautifully created custom made iron fleur-de-lis sculpted between the black grillwork railing.

It was exquisitely done.

With no sketchbook available, I decided to sketch out the design in my "Daily Reminder." I should have taken a picture of it with my cellphone because the sketch, though pretty accurate, doesn't capture the variations of linear weight. So many fleur-de-lis, which is a stylized lily composed of three petals bound together near their bases and especially known from the former royal arms of France, are many times poorly conceptualized or distorted to fit ones own needs. There are many different designs of that French icon, so it is hard to actually pinpoint the correct historical "interpretation" but when accurately drawn, sculpted, painted or decal-led, as in the Saints logo, the fleur-de-lis really a site to behold.

I don't know much about the process of ironworks and since there were two of the exact same designs within the guardrail, it probably was manufactured into the grill mechanically, but regardless of that fact, whoever actually created the design should be highly commended for it is a incredibly functional, yet understated work of genius, in my opinion.

With a couple of sips of coffee, a few more stares out of the window and a final tweak, here and there, of my sketchy interpretation, I returned to Facebook one last time before I closed up shop.

I wish I hadn't checked.

By doing so, I read that a good friend of mine, Bernie David, unexpectedly passed away. In disbelief, I pondered the what would become of his four or five now silenced Cajun built accordions which he so adeptly played as he accompanied his high register vocals sung in English and Cajun French.

Stunned, I decided to sit and stare out of the window some more.

Copyright 2012-2013/ Ben Bensen III

"Portraits I Never Did Get Right!"

Never did get them right...

One of a few sketches at Gus's restaurant from across the room. Jerry and his wife, Pat, are regulars here and show up around nine in the morning after church. Normally, there's about a dozen "Catlicks"
( a phrase I created to differentiate them from the myriad of local "tones.") who transplanted to Folsom from New Orleans after they retired.

You can hear New Orleans with every word 'dey speek, darlin'!

Jerry is a retired "NOPSI" employee and although it doesn't look like it in my drawing of him, he is a really nice guy! It's just his deep set eyes and thick eyebrows that, poorly drawn, makes him look angry.

Although, at the time I was drawing him, he was getting down on what this world is coming to... with much disgust!

Copyright 2012-2013/ Ben Bensen III