Seeing Past The Shell

These drawings of elephants, with their wrinkles and sagging skin, made me think about older people.  I've always had a weird rapport with older people (which is strange since I have always feared growing old myself).  The gap in age has narrow between me and who I would consider old, but to this day, if there is an older person in the room or wherever I happen to be, they will gravitate towards me and strike up a conversation. I can appreciate the people stuck inside of those old bodies and maybe they sense that I can see past their shell of age. I've always had the ability to look past the wrinkles, past the old outer shell that covers their bodies, and see the other person, the person that they are inside. I look into their eyes and I see untapped wisdom, and a treasure-trove of life experiences.  I see a young spirit filled with vigor that is trapped in a body that is no longer capable of achieving there desires.

I have a great deal of respect for the elderly for they have endured much. With that being said, I never forget that being old does not automatically make them nice or safe. They are who they are, like any of us, the only difference is that they got old. I love to hear their stories about their lives from the past, it gives me a better understanding (perspective) of who they are at present. 

One thing is for sure, we all get older. It creeps up on you and one day you look in the mirror and say, ‘Who is that person staring back at me?’

 These are sketches done throughout the production of "TEMBO"

 

These are sketches of Kitcha the Oxpecker.

 

The back of sketch books always end up with some kind of drawing on them.

The cover page of scripts are also susceptible to sketches.