Once I'd completed aforementioned project, I set to minimizing befor I left town. I had some spray paint left over and decided to try to use it up. I went to Henxs to inquire about a good legal wall. My friend Lucanne referred me to Flavo Park on the Northeast side of town. I packed my bag and rode my bike out to the bridge which she said was an understood legal spot. By the time I got out there, the sun was setting and I was racing with daylight to make the painting. I decided to paint a charachter for a friend of mine who goes by the nickname wizard. I was pleased with the result of the painting, though by the time I'd finished, it was dark out. I was happy to be done with the cans of paint. I believe I put them to good use. Hopefully, I will be able to get a good photo in daylight next time I'm in Amsterdam.
Early the following morning, I left for Berlin. My route involved one train change in Hanover. I slept on the first train. I noticed a woman sitting a number of seats in front of me. I was taken back by her beauty and charming smile as she spoke with the ticket inspector. At the Hanover stop, she got up and picked up a gorgeous dog which I'd not yet seen. It was a French Bulldog. I used the layover time to grab some lunch, then I found a seat on the ground at my next train platform. The beautiful woman appeared on the platform with her dog and took a seat next to me. I commented that I found her dog beautiful, and inquired if I could pet it. We talked about the dog, Lilu, then began delving into each other's stories. Her name was Judith. She was a stylist for a company which recieved contracts from high end fashion labels. Her job involved making aesthetic decisions pertaining to hair, makeup, and most importantly, clothing during photo shoots. She'd worked in Augsbourg for the past 6 years, and makes a weekend commute to Berlin to visit her boyfriend. Lilu was not hers, she was dog-sitting for a friend, which I believed was palatable in their affection for each other. It seemed new and fresh. Judith spoke english very well and our conversation felt natural. We boarded the train together, and due to overcapacity, found seats on the floor. We kept each other company and shared the task of managing Lilu on the train ride to Berlin. I drew three portraits of Lilu on the train ride, though I did not have a good opportunity to observe her features while I made the drawings. Consequently, the drawings missed the mark in terms of likeness, but I did manage to capture some spirit. We arrived in Berlin in the afternoon. I gave Judith her choice of Lilu protrait, and thanked her for the company.
I took a metro to the apartment of my friend Braden, who has bravely traveled to Berlin to find employment for the duration of one year. I hosted him while I had my apartment, so he was happy to return the favor. When I got to his house we shared stories of how our past week apart had gone. Braden had mostly been fighting the German visa beaurocracy, to document his accommodations and place of employment. I'm happy to have a friend like Braden. He is committed to his career as a programmer, and incredibly efficient at attaining his goals. Beyond that he is incredibly easy to get along with.
After some time of conversation, we both eagerly put our noses back to the grindstone. He began creating an automated system for application testing across multiple software platforms, and I continued a series of character drawings, which I'd been working on over the past few days. My intention while here in Berlin is to create twenty character drawings on coasters, then set up shop on Tuesday at the East Side Gallery (where I met my friends doing the same last week).
I'd like to know that I can make 50euros in one day from my work. All focus is on this short term goal. So far I have six drawings.
