I am an artist and illustrator. And these “episodes” are quick sketches of and stories about people that I meet or have met over the years. I do the drawings first, keeping them simple and spontaneous but (hopefully) sophisticated. They are with perhaps one or two exceptions, line drawings done with a fine-line pen. I started doing these drawings in business meetings. That expanded to doing them in waiting rooms or while traveling, as a way to remember the people I met, worked with, or just observed from afar. Once I’d done a number of these sketches, I began to wonder about the people they depict. What might they be really like on the inside? What are their dreams? Their fears? Their secrets? Since I did not know the people I was drawing (or because I did not know them well), I felt ill-at-ease about asking personal questions. And so, I began to create stories about these people, based on what I imagine their life is like. That way, each drawing became a kind of psychological adventure; I never knew, when I sat down to write, what I was going to find. Like the drawings themselves, the stories are not to scale or photographic. If there is any prevailing theme, it is this: people keep their inner world well-hidden and probably for damn good reason. A secondary theme: making stuff up is much more fun than reality. And in a way, that is the real truth in all this. If you would like to learn more about me or my work please send a note. Our email: myron.gilbert@att.net
2. John T. Snively, Weekend Runner and Insurance Adjuster
John is a dedicated runner, doing a 5k at least twice a week and, every other week or so, a 10k. He sees it as a good antidote for the stress he feels at work and, as he hesitantly admits, time away from a wife who increasingly seems to disapprove of him. Until recently, his emphasis has been on speed, trying to go his set distance as fast as he can. Lately though, there’s been a change. He’s been stopping to talk to a fellow runner. They sit together on a bench in a park for five or ten minutes before taking off again. He’s just learned that she works in the same building as him. They have agreed to meet for lunch next week.