When it comes to movies and most pop culture, it may seem like compared to most people I’ve spent the last several decades living under a rock, oblivious. For example, up until this year I’d never seen the original Star Wars trilogy.
In fact, I was not sheltered under a big rock, merely quite busy raising four children, teaching French and Japanese, plus sumi-e, ink painting, to high schoolers, all while trying to fill what little spare time I could find with drawings, paintings, and stories of my own.
But as the pandemic disrupted so many people’s lives and routines this year, I found some of my habits changing too. With my youngest son’s curatorial help, I spent a number of evenings this year catching up on some of the many movies I’d never seen.
Somehow I didn’t feel content to just sit and watch the films though… Instead, drawing quick sketches of the characters as their stories unfolded onscreen became part of my attention to the film and how I processed the cast and plot, as well as becoming a little keepsake of each screening.
In all, I sketched during 26 films (and I might add, during a few Zoom sessions too, because I’d gotten into the habit of drawing whoever appeared on screen, whether up on television or a laptop).
My COVID-19 film festival began with The Lord of the Rings trilogy…
…continued on May the 4th (be with you!) with the original Star Wars trilogy…
And there were many other movies that I caught up on, as well as a few old favorites.
I'm sure you'll recognize some of them!
