[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
a receipt, which concluded the business meeting.
"If you've the time," he said, "I can make a preliminary sketch right now, just to block in the general
form."
Bobbi glanced at me. I shrugged and nodded. Adrian had me move off the couch, produced a pillow,
and told Bobbi to get comfortable. She suppressed a grin and relaxed back on the pillow. Adrian stood
off a few feet, returned, and adjusted the position of her arm and backed off again.
"There's some strain on the line of the neck," Evan observed.
Adrian took the suggestion and tilted Bobbi's head a little. When he was satisfied he pulled one of the
drawing tables from the wall and went to the storage shelves for a huge sheet of clean paper and a stick
of charcoal. He made a half dozen sweeping lines and added a few precise strokes for details.
His face was totally different now that he was focused on the work. I saw serenity as well as
concentration. Evan and I no longer existed for him; all that was important was his eye, his hand, and the
model.
He reached a stopping point and had Bobbi come over for a look. Evan and I crowded in as well. The
sofa had turned into a chaise lounge covered in plump pillows, but not so much that they overwhelmed
Bobbi's reclining figure. She was languid but with an alertness in her eyes that seemed to dare the viewer
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
to come closer. Her clothes were more suggestive of sweeping robes than the smart suit she wore, but
anything else would have been inappropriate for the mood he was setting up.
"Is that what you see?" she asked.
"On a good day, yes. Will it do?"
"Absolutely. If this is the sketch, I can't wait to see the finished painting. This is like magic."
"Evan, I've some prepared canvas somewhere& "
"Yeah, I put them& I'll get them." He rooted around and produced several sterile white canvases,
already stretched and nailed over wood frames. Adrian chose the largest and put it on the massive easel.
I thought he'd repeat the sketch on the canvas, but instead he look a pin to the paper and punched tiny
holes through it along all the major lines.
"What's he doing?" I whispered to Evan.
"It's how he transfers the sketch," he whispered back.
When he's got enough holes in it, he'll position the drawing where he wants on the canvas, then hit at it
with a small bag of charcoal dust. The holes allow the dust to leave a guide mark for him to follow."
"Why not just draw on the canvas?"
"Too hard to clean off if you should change your mind about something."
The sketch drifted to the floor as he shifted his attention to the canvas, and I could see now how he was
able to keep up with the demands the magazines had put on him. Only a few more minutes passed and he
added in all the necessary details. Bobbi's face appeared out of the blankness. taking on expression and
life.
He stood back again, studying it with a critical eye, but was apparently satisfied. "That will do for
tonight, tomorrow I'll see to the underpainting, and you can come by the day after for the first sitting."
"I still can't get over the speed," she said.
Adrian found a rag and scrubbed at the charcoal dust clinging to his fingers. "Most of the time involved
has to do with allowing the paint to dry at least that's how it is for the way I work. All I ask is that after
the final varnish dries you take it to a decent framer."
"We wouldn't do anything less."
Bobbi was looking with interest at some of the painted canvases stacked in slots and asked to see them,
and Adrian obliged. Evan said he wanted another beer and invited me for one as well. I again turned
down the offered drink, but tagged along to the kitchen.
"I've got some good news for you," I said as he searched the icebox. "I talked to a friend of mine and
he's telling Dimmy to lay off on the interest payments."
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
He stopped cold. "Say that again."
I repeated it.
"Who's your friend?" he asked with amiable suspicion.
"Someone with an interest in art. He knows Dimmy and said he'd fix it. You and Sandra can probably
go back home now."
"Honestly?"
"True blue."
"How in the world did you do it?"
"Well& "
"Never mind. Perhaps it's better I don't ask, you shouldn't question miracles, they're too few and far
between." He popped the cap from a brown bottle. "This is great, really. I don't know what to
say except thanks and that I don't plan to go home just yet."
"Yeah?"
He glanced around to see if anyone was in earshot and lowered his voice. "It's Sandra. You see, she's,
well& it's her and Alex. You know& last night." He took a swig off the beer. "I was a bit out of things,
but not that far out. Maybe I'm supposed to get upset since she's my sister, but she's a big girl now
and "
"Why should you stand in the way of romance?"
"Exactly! To tell the truth, I'd like to see her safely married or whatever to whoever or is it whomever?
Anyway, having Alex for a brother-in-law can't be much worse than having him for a friend, and she
could do worse herself. Besides, it would get her out ofmy hair, that awful little walk-up we live in, and
intohis hair and a very cozy house, which is just what she needs."
"I hope it works out for you."
"Same here, so I won't come out with the glad news for a while yet, and I'm going to be fairly well oiled
or at least look like I am before I turn in tonight to give them plenty of opportunity for more innocent
sinning."
"Very considerate, but if you don't mind a personal question
"You've saved my life, so feel free."
"I was wondering about his late wife."
"Oh. That." His face fell. "What d'ya want to know?"
"Why did she kill herself?" [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl akte20.pev.pl
a receipt, which concluded the business meeting.
"If you've the time," he said, "I can make a preliminary sketch right now, just to block in the general
form."
Bobbi glanced at me. I shrugged and nodded. Adrian had me move off the couch, produced a pillow,
and told Bobbi to get comfortable. She suppressed a grin and relaxed back on the pillow. Adrian stood
off a few feet, returned, and adjusted the position of her arm and backed off again.
"There's some strain on the line of the neck," Evan observed.
Adrian took the suggestion and tilted Bobbi's head a little. When he was satisfied he pulled one of the
drawing tables from the wall and went to the storage shelves for a huge sheet of clean paper and a stick
of charcoal. He made a half dozen sweeping lines and added a few precise strokes for details.
His face was totally different now that he was focused on the work. I saw serenity as well as
concentration. Evan and I no longer existed for him; all that was important was his eye, his hand, and the
model.
He reached a stopping point and had Bobbi come over for a look. Evan and I crowded in as well. The
sofa had turned into a chaise lounge covered in plump pillows, but not so much that they overwhelmed
Bobbi's reclining figure. She was languid but with an alertness in her eyes that seemed to dare the viewer
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
to come closer. Her clothes were more suggestive of sweeping robes than the smart suit she wore, but
anything else would have been inappropriate for the mood he was setting up.
"Is that what you see?" she asked.
"On a good day, yes. Will it do?"
"Absolutely. If this is the sketch, I can't wait to see the finished painting. This is like magic."
"Evan, I've some prepared canvas somewhere& "
"Yeah, I put them& I'll get them." He rooted around and produced several sterile white canvases,
already stretched and nailed over wood frames. Adrian chose the largest and put it on the massive easel.
I thought he'd repeat the sketch on the canvas, but instead he look a pin to the paper and punched tiny
holes through it along all the major lines.
"What's he doing?" I whispered to Evan.
"It's how he transfers the sketch," he whispered back.
When he's got enough holes in it, he'll position the drawing where he wants on the canvas, then hit at it
with a small bag of charcoal dust. The holes allow the dust to leave a guide mark for him to follow."
"Why not just draw on the canvas?"
"Too hard to clean off if you should change your mind about something."
The sketch drifted to the floor as he shifted his attention to the canvas, and I could see now how he was
able to keep up with the demands the magazines had put on him. Only a few more minutes passed and he
added in all the necessary details. Bobbi's face appeared out of the blankness. taking on expression and
life.
He stood back again, studying it with a critical eye, but was apparently satisfied. "That will do for
tonight, tomorrow I'll see to the underpainting, and you can come by the day after for the first sitting."
"I still can't get over the speed," she said.
Adrian found a rag and scrubbed at the charcoal dust clinging to his fingers. "Most of the time involved
has to do with allowing the paint to dry at least that's how it is for the way I work. All I ask is that after
the final varnish dries you take it to a decent framer."
"We wouldn't do anything less."
Bobbi was looking with interest at some of the painted canvases stacked in slots and asked to see them,
and Adrian obliged. Evan said he wanted another beer and invited me for one as well. I again turned
down the offered drink, but tagged along to the kitchen.
"I've got some good news for you," I said as he searched the icebox. "I talked to a friend of mine and
he's telling Dimmy to lay off on the interest payments."
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
He stopped cold. "Say that again."
I repeated it.
"Who's your friend?" he asked with amiable suspicion.
"Someone with an interest in art. He knows Dimmy and said he'd fix it. You and Sandra can probably
go back home now."
"Honestly?"
"True blue."
"How in the world did you do it?"
"Well& "
"Never mind. Perhaps it's better I don't ask, you shouldn't question miracles, they're too few and far
between." He popped the cap from a brown bottle. "This is great, really. I don't know what to
say except thanks and that I don't plan to go home just yet."
"Yeah?"
He glanced around to see if anyone was in earshot and lowered his voice. "It's Sandra. You see, she's,
well& it's her and Alex. You know& last night." He took a swig off the beer. "I was a bit out of things,
but not that far out. Maybe I'm supposed to get upset since she's my sister, but she's a big girl now
and "
"Why should you stand in the way of romance?"
"Exactly! To tell the truth, I'd like to see her safely married or whatever to whoever or is it whomever?
Anyway, having Alex for a brother-in-law can't be much worse than having him for a friend, and she
could do worse herself. Besides, it would get her out ofmy hair, that awful little walk-up we live in, and
intohis hair and a very cozy house, which is just what she needs."
"I hope it works out for you."
"Same here, so I won't come out with the glad news for a while yet, and I'm going to be fairly well oiled
or at least look like I am before I turn in tonight to give them plenty of opportunity for more innocent
sinning."
"Very considerate, but if you don't mind a personal question
"You've saved my life, so feel free."
"I was wondering about his late wife."
"Oh. That." His face fell. "What d'ya want to know?"
"Why did she kill herself?" [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]