I counted the photos I made of each of the good people who sat for me to sketch their left profiles. There were forty-seven sitters who cooperated and were gifted with the sketch that I had created with pencil, then charcoal and finally sprayed with fixative to prevent smearing.  How they got these drawings home was a problem they had to solve.  If I had the confidence of the Holland America line of “DAM” ships, perhaps they would have added a line of mailing tubes to ensure that the drawings would not be crumpled and arrive home (to an international list of destinations) in condition to be framed and put up on a wall.  Now, this last is just hopeful spinning of possibilities.  I looked at the pictures I took of each subject with the completed drawing and I must say I was quite nervy to call what I do “portrait sketching”.  But, that is just me and the fact that no money was exchanged I could not have been hauled before the mast for misrepresenting what I do.

Actually, all I did was to set up a sign that said I would draw a subject’s left profile in exchange for interesting conversation.  I guaranteed a “left profile” and added that likenesses were indeed possible.  Most strollers passed where I set up shop at a table by the side of the main pool (no, I never got into the water), thought it was a scam but enough figured out the exchange was in their favor.  Actually, they were either fully forthcoming about interesting information or curiously silent despite my telling of my future plans with puppets and writing essays.  Indeed, many were quite valuable but my disability and the noise from nearby tables and music on the loudspeakers prevented me from hearing most of what was said.

But, I learned a lot from this cruise for I experimented with having the subject sit with the sea on his or her right.  I got beautiful profiles but lost the detail on their faces because the light was not quite right.  One of these days I might guarantee a likeness because I finally had the experience to make the subject and the surroundings according to MY needs.

Now, I also have this fascination with doors.  Each city perched up from the sea looks much the same from my camera’s viewer.  But, I found the doors in each of the cities we visited as profound statements of the people who lived and worked behind them.  I took as many pictures as I could and will now have to either organize them by city or the kinds of doors used by the inhabitants.  I shall do a long essay on the meaning of doorways or portals around the world and the psychology and physiology of entrances and exits. Trying to get pristine shots from a moving bus is impossible and you have to climb difficult terraces to find that really interesting or unique door.  I haven’t counted them yet, but I am thinking I could write a book on doors from all the cruises we have been on.