Wednesday, April 19. Evening

koogrr and I left for Panera shortly after he got home from work. Since we could buy food at Panera, we didn't bother grabbing dinner first.

By the time we arrived, everyone else was already there: moonwolf, gwendelkitty, jordangreywolf, and a dark-haired young woman I hadn't met before. I didn't get introduced to her while we were at the table, and she was sitting on the opposite side of Greywolf from me, so I didn't really interact with her during the art jam. I think this was Liz, whom I was introduced to later that night, while we were getting ready to the club. I know she wasn't sketching while we were there.

John and I bought food. I had cream of potato soup in a bread bowl, and surprised the others by eating all of the soup and the bowl, too. Well, I'd only had ice cream for lunch.

We all sketched. Greywolf did a new picture of Jing Li as she'd appeared in the last session, shooting a spiner. And he gave me the originals of the Silver Scales two pieces of fan art he'd done. (Squee!) I think Moonwolf started inking her picture of the characters from the last Superior City game. Gwendel drew a picture of "Rose's house", done in little-kid-goth style, which was cool and funny.

I did some sketching, but nothing worth scanning in or finishing. I'd brought my pastels but didn't get around to digging them out. Oddly, being with a group of artists made me feel more inadequate than motivated. Everyone else was drawing neat pictures without any kind of reference, and I only like my drawings if I have a reference or a model to work from. "The only things I can draw out of my head," I whined, "are cute chicks."

"Cute chicks? I can draw a cute chick!" Gwendel volunteered. She started drawing a cute little bird.

Jordan likewise perked his ears. "Sure! Here's a cute chick," he said, whipping out a picture of a very fluffy cartoon-version of a baby bird.

I put my face in my hands, while Gwendel mock-pouted at Jordan for stealing her idea. And then I drew a young woman holding a baby bird. I started coloring it with John's colored pencils, but it wasn't coming out particularly well, either.

When Greywolf gave me the fan art, that started a brief discussion of Silver Scales. I recall trying to explain what made Chancellor Gascoigne so annoying, particularly her habit of delivering "backhanded insults". She's the sort of person that would tell a young woman at a ball, "Don't you look adorable in that dress! I'm sure you'll be so lovely as soon as you fill out." Or "Your hair looks so much better done up like that than in your usual style". Things intended to rankle without being overtly rude.

A few days ago, Moonwolf had invited us to go to a goth club, I-Bar, with her and her friends after Panera. She and another friend had found several old nurse uniforms while thrifting, so a bunch of then were dressing up as undead nurses and doctors. Greywolf had to work the next day and was not much interested in clubbing anyway, but the rest of us headed out around nine to get ready for the club.