Above: Memory drawing of one of "my" turkeys. Click on the image to view an enlargement. (Approx. 7 x 9 inch pages in a Magnani Annigoni Designo paper book I made. The paper color (tan) can be seen in the bottom right corner)
The turkeys are still coming around. There are only two now. Because one is the crazy one, challenged and unable to do simple things like walk through an open gate, I believe the mother has left the two young ones (they were all close in size and these two are the same size). I hope that's the case, and not that one has died.
I live in a small neighborhood of houses and duplexes called the student ghetto when I was in school—because it is close to the University. We are a block and a half from the Mississippi River. I think the turkeys came up the gorge banks, jumped the low stone wall and decided to explore. They found yards that were just perfect for their needs and stayed. It has been great fun to see them.
It is even more fun to come out of the door, pushing my bike, and be 2 feet away from 3 turkeys sitting on the railing of our handicap ramp.
Memory Drawings: I'll have more to say about this at some point. I started doing these last February when I took a memory drawing class. If it's birds I try to do something a little more complete, but mostly I've found my memory sucks and I really need something in front of me to sketch. I fiddled around with the paint enough on this one that I actually like it—but most of my memory drawings are small thumbnail sketches in which I work on values.
