Despite the best of intentions....

 Yes, I am supposed to be dedicating all my time to getting ready for my class (that starts in 10 days), which includes both prepping my lectures, powerpoints, and readings, and cleaning up my studio, at least the part of it visible behind me when I open Zoom to teach the class. The first is comparatively easy; I taught the class two years ago, and have spent sufficient time updating my lectures and powerpoints for the first three weeks, and can do the rest as I go along. The second is a formidable task, since nothing has left and many things have arrived in my studio (aka the back bedroom) in the past 10 years. And then there's the little matter of getting up to speed on Zoom....

Well, I spent two hours fiddling with Zoom and watching instructional videos and trying things out today, and then I had my lunch and read my book for a while, and then...then I was supposed to be organizing my books. But it was hot, and smokey, and the books are dusty and in complete disorder, and...I had a yen to paint. So I opened up my References folder on the computer to see if there was anybody in there dying to come out.

I came across this little lady from Lisbon, sitting at a checkered table in her red-and-yellow stripey shirt and blue-and-pink plaid skirt, and her face seemed to be the perfect subject for some wonky interpretation. Alas, as usual I worked too large and forgot to mask, so all I captured is her head, shirt front, and crossed arms; but I will perhaps return to her later for a whole body portrait. For now, this is the lady who knows all but keeps her council, and who believes that "a nod is as good as a wink to a blind bat," another translation to this Portuguese saying. The American translation had to make use of a made-up word, which bugged me: "To a good 'understander,' half a word is enough." I think I prefer the more idiosyncratic one.

Pencil, Daler Rowney inks, white, clear, and black gesso, collage, Uniball pen, white gel pen, on 140-lb. Strathmore watercolor paper, 9x12 inches (cut down a bit by the scanner).