Michael Nobbs

Tag: Weariness

  • Retreating into old comforts

    An early-morning drawing and television-watching setup on a colourful crocheted blanket. On the left, a tablet screen shows a dark-haired, pointed-eared Vulcan character from Star Trek wearing a blue uniform. In front of the screen lies an open homemade pocket sketchbook containing a colourful ink drawing of the same character, with a pale green background and an orange speech bubble reading “fascinating”. On the right, a tea tray holds an orange Stanley mug, a green teapot and several drawing materials. The sketchbook and tea tray sit close together on the blanket, showing the cosy arrangement for watching television and drawing in bed.

    I’ve been feeling very weary and find myself retreating into old comforts (with a new twist).

    I’ve been watching Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, enjoying the colours of the 1960s original series and the return of some familiar characters. I’m enjoying both the watching and the drawing.

    There’s comfort in the nostalgia and the mark making, but tiredness seems to highlight the pain of times passed and lost.

    An open homemade pocket sketchbook resting on a colourful crocheted blanket. Across both pages is a bold black ink drawing of a dark-haired man in a mustard-yellow Star Trek uniform, looking straight ahead with a serious expression. The background is filled with roughly applied dark grey marker. Handwritten text reads “Watching Star Trek: SNW” and “Can I watch ten episodes in a week?” The drawing is dated 8-10-26, with the time 4:30 am written in the bottom left corner.
    An open homemade pocket sketchbook containing two ink and colour portraits of Star Trek characters in uniform. On the left, a grey-haired man wears a mustard-yellow uniform; on the right, a dark-haired woman wears a deep red uniform. Both have Starfleet insignia on their chests. The background is divided into pale grey above and bright turquoise-blue below, with visible marker strokes. Large handwritten lettering across the top reads “The Colours of the 60s”. The date 8-10-26 appears on the right-hand page.
    An open homemade pocket sketchbook resting on a multicoloured crocheted blanket. A large black ink portrait of a dark-haired Vulcan with pointed ears, raised eyebrows and a quizzical expression fills most of the right-hand page. He wears a blue top against a textured pale green background. An orange speech bubble stretches across the left-hand page, containing the word “fascinating”. Above it, handwritten text reads “New but still nostalgic. Nostalgia is comforting and painful”. The drawing is dated 8-10-26, with 5:30 am written beside the portrait.

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  • Out of a sense of obligation?

    Early-morning drawing setup on a colourful crocheted blanket. A round mirror on a tea tray reflects Michael holding up his phone, with a green teapot and an orange mug beside it. In the foreground is a small black-ink self-portrait lying on the red and white patterned cover of a large Fabriano sketchbook, with a black Kaweco Sport fountain pen lying alongside it.

    I’m very tired this morning — ME tired.

    I dragged myself through my morning drawing out of a sense of obligation. To who, I wonder? Me at the beginning of the month, when I decided to draw myself every day for a month? Me today? Future-me?

    Now that it’s finished, I’m not sure if I’m glad I made it or not. I wonder if future-me will be pleased it’s here, or think I was foolish for pushing through…

    Close-up of today’s black-ink self-portrait: a bald man wearing glasses, drawn with loose, uneven lines and small areas of hatching, wrapped in a high collar or blanket. The drawing is dated 28/9/26 and lies on a red-and-white patterned cover of a Fabriano sketchbook, beside a black Kaweco Sport fountain pen.

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