Even I can draw people's faces if I want to

Yesterday I sat with Kim Richardson, my first-ever curator as a sketch "artist" (not counting Thomas Crone, who also doesn't get to count me for anything, either, littered-on-the-same-day type shit) and X-Acto'd out the sketches I'll be pinning up at the group show she put together for this Friday, October 24, from 7 - 10 p.m. at 2101 Locust (NW corner of Locust and 21st, across from The Tap Room).

The other, actual artists showing are Kim Richardson, Mike Paradise, Chris Gustave, Jenni Desuza, Dana Smith, Carl Keck, Molly Davis, Amy VanDonsel, Travis Lawrence and Josh Norman.

I also took it upon myself to write a "Sketcher’s statement" for the event. Here goes:

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No one would mistake me for a visual artist, least of all myself, but I have always doodled and kept sketchbooks. In recent years, I have gotten into the habit of sketching mostly people, usually accompanied by the text of something vivid they said while I was sketching them, and then asking the subject to sign the sketch.

I have been sketching much more than usual this month, October 2008, after my best friend John Eiler lost his daughter in a violent crime and I found myself needing to do things to keep myself from thinking about her death. Sketching seemed to help.

Kim Richardson noticed this sudden abundance of new sketches appearing on my MySpace page and invited me to pin up some sketches at this show. As I said, no one would mistake me for a visual artist, least of all myself, but anyone can draw faces, even me.

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For amusement's sake, and in case anyone is Googling their name between now and Friday night and would come to this show just because their poorly drawn face will appear in it, I'll share here my list of titles as well, with links when I've posted the sketch here before:

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Portrait of young man listening to my neighbor lecture on atheism
Adult Sunday School, Chesterfield Presbyterian Church

Inarticulate jock at local IHOP
IHOP Restaurant, Chesterfield Valley

Portrait of pretty girl drinking beer (I)
Square One Brewery
Signed by subject.

Portrait of pretty girl drinking beer (II)
Square One Brewery
Signed by subject.

Kitchen worker muses on Sam Coffee’s crafty contract clause
Schlafly Tap Room
Signed by subject.

Portrait of Fire Chief Sherman George
John D. McGurk’s Irish Pub
Signed by subject.

Still life without Jennifer Joyce
St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s waiting room

Portrait of General Hugh Robinson
On the Barack Obama campaign trail

Portrait of Barack Obama
2008 Nashville Presidential Debate (televised)

Portrait of John McCain
2008 Nashville Presidential Debate (televised)

Portrait of David Buckner, St. Louis American web designer
KDHX Community Media video production class
Signed by subject.

Portrait of Bill Lowalski, development wonk
Offices of Stone Leyton & Gershman
Signed by subject.

Portrait of Pat Egan, the Irish rover
The Stable
Signed by subject.

Portrait of Anne Tkach, rock musician
Schlafly Tap Room
Signed by subject.

Portrait of Eddie Silva, writer
Schlafly Tap Room
Signed by subject.

Portrait of Megan Power, costumemaker
Schlafly Tap Room
Signed by subject.

Portrait of Rebecca Rivas, filmmaker and journalist
Schlafly Tap Room
Signed by subject.

Portrait of Kim Richardson, artist
The Royale
Signed by subject.
(That's the sketch that illustrates this post.)

Portrait of Pat Allen, funeral chorister
Memorial service for Marcella Sali Grace

Portrait of K. Curtis Lyle, poet
Memorial service for Marcella Sali Grace
Signed by subject.

Portrait of Steve Corgan, pastor
Memorial service for Marcella Sali Grace
Signed by subject.

Portrait of Sunyatta Marshall, musician
Wake for Marcella Sali Grace
Signed by subject.

Portrait of Ray Brewer, actor and writer
Wake for Marcella Sali Grace
Signed by subject.

Portrait of Baba Mike Nelson, composer and musician
The Monastic Smokehouse
Signed by subject.

I’ve watched people who have been marred by tragedy
Steve Johnson’s patio

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For what it's worth, all of these sketches will be available on silent auction. The starting bid on each sketch is $5 (the price of a pint, with tip). In the unlikely event you want any of these things, you'll have to come to the party on Friday night.