ina lina

@inasketch.bsky.social

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Cartoonist Urban Sketcher Inaugural recipient of the Paul Klee Humanitarian Award profile: comic self portrait banner: green ink sketch by me of eyes peering through a gap in the wallboards, fingers grasping the top of a board.

Panel 1 of a four panel comic by @inasketch Ink and watercolor. Willem Dafoe says, "Do you remember when I met you?"
A four-panel comic by @inasketch Ink & watercolor Panel 1) A hand on the keyboard of an open laptop, with an instagram page on display. From out of frame I say, "Only 13 'likes' so far." Panel 2) My daughters, holding up one of my multi-panel comics. My younger daughter says, "People want something that's easy to read on their phone." My older daughter says, "Your panels are too small." Panel 3) A still life on a table, drawn from life, of a candlestick vase with a long-stem flower, a basket, and a bowl, with a wooden chair, and the edge of the laptop visible. A voice out of frame says, "They want something drawn from life." Panel 4) Me, drawing a comic. I say, "Okay, I'll give it a try."
A black & white photo of young me riding my camping-gear-loaded bike up a steep hill in Europe. A road sign indicates I've just ridden 4km up a 7% grade. I'm sticking my tongue out at the photographer in not-quite-mock exhaustion. There are trees and hills in the background.
A four-panel comic by @inasketch ink & watercolor Panel 1) My mom and her bestie in a diner booth. The text reads, "A first today: meeting my mom and her friend for breakfast at the local diner." Panel 2) Exterior sketch of Mel's Diner. The text reads, "I've had breakfast with her there many times, but this is the first time I've lived in CA that isn't at her house." Panel 3) A mug of coffee on a diner table. The text reads, "I've been trying to take a break from coffee (even passed up a latte yesterday)." ... "I knew as soon as I sat down the busboy would bring me my usual cup and I wouldn't resist. It's nice that he remembers me." Panel 4) The busboy refills my cup as I sit on the diner booth bench. I say, "Thank you." The text reads, "The coffee isn't even that good. I just love the gesture."
A black & white photo by @inasketch of several people waiting for the bus on a sidewalk in New York. The woman are all in skirts/dresses; two of them are wearing hats. One woman in a satiny dress is framed by the dark doorway she stands in. The two men are more casually dressed. One is wearing a baseball cap. One is yawning.
An ink & watercolor sketch by @inasketch of three urban sketchers. @robsketcherman, holding a cup of coffee, says, "We add personality!" @sketcher_ben says, "If you can't do some thing, go and learn it!" @umapaints, holding a blue shop cloth, says, "When you are failing, the process rescues you!"
Our three cats running into the kitchen for mealtimes
A puppet from Thunderbirds
A panel from a four-panel comic by @inasketch A monochromatic painterly image inspired by a Robert Frank photograph in The Americans, depicts two windows in a city building, with a person in each window whose face is obscured. On the left, the window shade partially hides the persons face. On the right, a large american flag covers the person's face. The text, written in white pen in cursive reads: "4th of July 2021."
A four-panel morning walk comic by @inasketch Ink linework with color pencil 1) The panel is divided vertically in three. Each panel depicts a different woman I encountered on my walk, greeting me. 2) The panel is divided vertically in two. The text on the first half reads: "The playground was open, but they forgot one sign" ... "I couldn't resist." The image is me reaching up to remove the forgotten "Playground Closed Jun 28 - Jul 2" sign at the top of the slide. The second half of the panel is me walking with the rolled up sign in my right hand. In my left hand is a small grey ball. A red arrow points to it id'ing it as "tape ball." 3) A house with every imaginable flag-inspired decoration all over the house and yard. The text reads: "This very patriotic house has freeway construction + a box store in its backyard." [For some reason, I've added goofy hashtags: #tgiholidayf #besafe #besane It's probably typical of middle age that using hashtags and emojis feels ironic, until I'm just using them earnestly :D ] 4) The text reads: "Breakfast in the backyard." The image is a lovely breakfast spread on a table my mom made from a door panel with windows. My sketchbook is visible.
A four-panel comic by @inasketch Ink & watercolor. There's a lot of text, so I'm gonna summarize! :D Panel 1) Me and my daughters shopping at a thrift store, a song by Blondie is playing. I say: "Hey! There's a Blondie shirt and that's Blondie they're playing!" Panel 2) I hold up the shirt and say, "I have to get it!" My 20yo daughter says, "That's an ugly picture of someone I've never heard of!" Panel 3) Later, at my 80yo mom's house, I ask her if she's heard of Blondie, knowing what she'll say: "The only Blondie I know is Blondie and Dagwood from the funny papers." I say, "No. I mean this one (singing) 'I'm in the phone booth it's the one across the hall'..." Panel 4) Text: In high school, my brother had his band stuff set up upstairs. When it was my turn at the mic, Blondie made me feel like a rock start. Image: Young me holding a mic+stand and singing, "One way or another... I'm gonna find ya... I'm gonna get ya get ya get ya..."
A monochromatic poster on yellowed paper by Sue Coe of a group of women in various stressed and angled poses, with the woman in the front center bent over at the waist, arms behind her back (possibly in a straightjacket). There is text written around the rectangular border that reads: people in their isolation feel very powerless politically and may feel they cannot change, when they meet other people, their views are reconfirmed and they see they are not alone.
A comic panel of two women sitting at a cafe table. There are drinks and a candle on the table. The text reads: "I met a young woman recently who told me her boyfriend doesn't believe in feminism." The young woman says, "We fight about it a lot. I don't know what to say to him."
a rattlesnake we saw on our hike this evening.
A four-panel by @inasketch (aka me). Panel 1) A night room. A woman lies on a sofa watching The Marvelous Mrs Maisel on TV. The caption reads, "When I stayed up all night at my dad's, as he lay dying, I binged a TV show on mute with closed captions." Panel 2) The television fills the panel. On screen is a male character from the show standing on stage with a microphone (doing a stand-up routine). The caption reads, "The male lead reminded me of my dad and the time period was right." Panel 3) A young man in 50s style fashion washing a 50s era car. The caption reads, "When my dad moved to LA in the 50s, did he dream of being a movie star?" Panel 4) The back of a man holding a baby in front of a floor length mirror. You can see them from the front in the reflection. The caption reads, "Was he still thinking about it when he met his first grandchild?" He is saying to the baby, "Gonna go to Hollywood! Gonna be a big star!"
A four-panel comic by @inasketch (aka me) Panel 1) A group of adults and children standing in front of a movie theatre entrance. The text reads: "When dad took the girls to their first movie in a theatre, it was a big deal. There were ten in our party." Panel 2) A shot from above of a full movie theatre and the movie screen. The text reads: "I was nervous because the girls can easily be overwhelmed." ... "Then when the lights went down..." Panel 3) The dark theatre, and from a dark screen comes a voice singing, "Out there." From the audience, my daughters join in song, "There's a world outside of Yonkers." Panel 4) My dad, me, my two daughters in our theatre seats. They're still singing along, "way out there beyond this hicktown..." The text reads: "That was by far my happiest moment in a movie theatre." [It's badly drawn & I should redraw it, still, it captures the moment.]
A four-panel comic by @inasketch (aka me) Panel 1) A European street, a couple embracing in the distance. The text reads: "Even though he'd never been to Europe himself..." ... "One summer when I was in college, dad paid for me to go to Germany to meet up with my boyfriend." Panel 2) Me standing on a train, posing for a photo at the door as the crewperson reaches to close it (their arm echoes my pose). The text reads: "Turns out I was a rebound. When his ex-girlfriend showed up, he sent me packing." ... "I took the train to Paris and called dad." Panel 3) Me, standing in a phone booth on a Paris street, with Notre Dame in the distance. I say, "He's sleeping with someone else." My dad answers "That's okay." Panel 4) My dad, standing next to a "phone table," talking on the landline wall-phone. He says, "It's when he stays awake with someone else that you have to worry!" The text reads: "Dad jokes. Am I right?!"
Pearblossom Highway by David Hockney.
An ink and wash sketch by me of a young woman's head, resting her chin in her hand. She has short light wavy hair, piercing eyes, and a subtly sly smile.
A round waffle on a yellow plate topped with homemade orange syrup and a bit of a powdered sugar accident :D
The face of an adorable tortie, Oriole, peeking out from behind some books on a bookshelf, and looking directly at the camera.
A small wooden angled nursing stool/foot stool.
The almost entirely red 1980 electoral map showing 49 electoral votes for Carter and 489 electoral votes for Reagan.
A selfie from above my head. I'm wearing a black baseball hat with white lettering that reads, THE MET. The hat covers my face. Some blondish hair waves down my shoulders from under the hat. Bright sunlight shines on my shirt, which is grey with princesses on it. Cinderella's head in profile is clearly visible. Above her head dangle my two necklaces, one with a tiny green gem on a silver chain, the other with a garnet red gem on a gold chain.
A hooded oriole perched on tall grasses against a grey sky.
iphone through binoculars photo by my daughter of an Egyptian goose with its fuzzy babies on the grass near a lake.
From Musée Rodin: Monument to The Burghers of Calais Auguste Rodin (1840-1917) This monument, commissioned to Rodin in 1884 by the city of Calais, celebrates the collective sacrifice of six notables who went to hand over the keys of the city to the victorious King of England at the end of the siege of 1346-47 during the Hundred Years' War. The six characters are individualized, united on the same base, but independent. Alone facing their destiny and death, they do not look at each other, do not touch. Simply dressed in a tunic, with a rope around their necks and bare feet, the condemned men begin their slow funeral march. Rodin gives each figure, studied naked before being draped in the condemned man's tunic, a particular gesture and movement - from despair to abandonment, from confidence to resignation.
A plein air sketch done with a fountain pen and watercolor. The left side of the sketchbook page has been divided in two squares. The top square vignette is part of a van, angled windows forming a wall, and a larger potted plant. The bottom vignette is my daughter sketching at the table, with part of the van visible behind her. The right side of the sketchbook page is the view from where I was sitting, with walls of shops, grassy table umbrellas, people, skylights, and twinkly lights.
A single panel from a four-panel comic by me. A drawing in green ink of me holding out my hand catching snowflakes. I'm dressed for the weather in hat, scarf, gloves, sweater. I did the drawing on a page that I had pre-painted the background, so there is transparent yellow across the bottom half, and faint cobalt green across the top half, suggesting a landscape scene. The word "goodbye" is written on lowercase on the bottom left of the panel.
A blue grosbeak perched on the stem of a yellow flowering plant.
Panel 1 of a 4-panel comic. Brian O'Doherty stands in front of one of his paintings with his arm around his partner Barbara Novak. The caption reads: "Thinking about some of my other college professors, I checked in on Brian O'Doherty and Barbara Novak. They are still with us at 93 and 92."
Panel 1 of a 4-panel comic from an exercise on making borders. There is a light yellow border with tomatoes floating around the square. The comic panel inside is me and my mother standing at a kitchen island. She is holding a small can. She says, "What's this?" I respond, "Tomato paste. I'm gonna make a sauce for the meatballs."
A photo of Zendaya wearing a black evening gown with an exaggeratedly narrow top that showcases side boob action. The dress is floor-length, and there is a substantial train of the same fabric in back.
A piece of a lemon tart (with some already eaten), on a yellow plate, with a fork.
A slightly blurry sweet excited tortie lays across my legs, which are under the quilt my mom made for me (different patterns of brown-themed flowered, plaid, and striped squares). A small section of my red-and-blue plaid pajamaed leg is visible on the bottom right of the frame.
A deserty hilly path bordered by yellowing tall grass, under a blue sky and scorching sun, with one glowing cloud that looks like an arrow. Darkened hills on the horizon. A young woman in black is halfway up the path, her long shadow stretching diagonally across the frame, Another young woman in a dress, holding on to her sunhat, consults a park map in the foreground.
A photo of a single-panel comic clipped from the newspaper. The top text reads: "The Far Side by Gary Larson" The image is a night scene. A tall apartment building on the left where one window is illuminated shows a goofy faced person at the window. The full moon shines on the upper right in the dark night sky. There is a smaller building visible on the lower right. The caption reads: "Full moon and empty head"
A sun-dappled stone path leading to a three-tiered fountain. In the middle of the path is a California quail. There are trees and bushes alongside and in back of the path.
A photo of a dollar bill on which has been written in brown marker: "8 Jan 05 Pedal Katy + Whiskey Ina opening for Lonesome Brothers at the Brass Cat" [The pedal steel player quit the band shortly after and the band became Whiskey Ina.]
A photo from the other day of our cat family all together on the kitchen table. The now-2yo black cat Junco is laying on the left looking up at the camera, tabby mama Paisley is sitting in the middle looking down, and now-2yo tortie Oriole is sitting on the right looking straight at the camera. There are also candlesticks and bowls on the table.
A tortie cat lying on her back on the top of a small beige cat tower. Her head is upside down, and her eyes are open with a blank expression. Sunlight and shadows infuse the scene.
A blue flowery bowl, on one side is cold sesame noodles with arugula added, on the other side is chickpea and Japanese sweet potato curry with broccoli added. A spoon and a fork are also sitting in the bowl.
A gorgeous caramelized pineapple upside down cake on a cooling rack.
Three sleeping kitties. A tabby on a beige striped pillow, a tortie on a white wooden chair, and a black cat on the top of a small beige cat tower. A large diamond of sunshine fills the wall between & behind them.
An ink & watercolor sketch of the view down a city street with tall buildings on either side in a palette of terracotta, silver, and charcoal. In the foreground, in a crosswalk, is a headless society fella walking while reading a book he holds in front of where his face would be. I believe the figure was cut out from a New Yorker magazine subscription renewal card.
The cover of the book. The text reads: Jane Yolen Letting Swift River Go Illustrated by Barbara Cooney Two-time Caldecott Medal Winner The image is a serene country scene of a small river, surrounded by greenery, in the midground a bridge with person crossing, a small village and hills in the background.
A shot from above of a circular waffle filling a small yellow plate (the plate is barely visible). The waffle is topped with honey, raspberries (broken up into each of the individual divots), and powdered sugar.
Our tortie trying to squeeze onto the corner of a green plaid cloth that's under candlesticks on the wooden table.
A screenshot from a weather website that says 140° and LIKE 140° The forecast high is 77° and the low is 57°
Top-ish view close-crop of a brownie with peanut butter swirl, on a yellow plate.
Desert grasses, hills, trees, including a tree in the middle ground with an acorn woodpecker sitting at the top (bird not really be visible in the photo unless you superzoom). Blue sky, sunshiny day.
A four panel diary comic by me. Panel 1) I'm standing at a kitchen island, cutting and distributing peaches and bananas into bowls. The text reads: "This morning we had peaches and bananas for breakfast." Panel 2) Me as a child, excitedly sitting down to the table where bowls of peaches and bananas have been served. I exclaim, "Yay! Peaches and nannies!" The text reads: "As a kid, peaches and bananas were a special treat. I haven't heard of anyone else who has this *dish.*" Panel 3) I'm talking with my mother who has dementia. The text reads: "I recently tried to ask my mom about it." I ask, "Who started peaches and bananas? Was it your dad?" She crabbily responds, "I have no idea what you're talking about." Panel 4) My mom is in the foreground. I'm in the background behind her. The text reads, "Later I heard her talking to herself..." She says to herself, "...peaches and nannies..."
A black potato chip bag with sliced steak pictured alongside a couple chips, Asian writing, and the Lays logo.
A gorgeous slice of chocolate cake with chocolate coffee icing on a yellow plate.
A panel from a diary comic I made, with a sketch of Quandra Prettyman standing in front of a blackboard where her name and 1933-2021 are written in chalk-white. The caption reads: "I found out this morning that one of my favorite college professors died last month."
An overhead shot of a bowl of ramen with lots of vegetables added to the noodles and broth.
A screenshot of an email from my daughter. It reads: here's a funny quote from the speech "A pound of feathers is as heavy as a pound of iron--and about as hard, if you sit on it long enough." From Self-Made Men https://teachingamericanhistory.org/document/self-made-men/
The Scratch I woke up with a spot of blood over my eye. A scratch halfway across my forehead. But I'm sleeping alone these days. Why on earth would a man raise his hand against himself, even in sleep? It's this and similar questions I'm trying to answer this morning. As I study my face in the window.