Jacob Chansley, aka “QAnon Shaman”, the poster boy for the January 6 insurrection, was in court for sentencing last week. Judge Royce Lamberth listened patiently as Chansley rambled on at length quoting Gandhi, Jesus and Justice Clarence Thomas. He spoke about the pain he personally experienced while getting his tattoos, the movie “The Shawshank Redemption”, and looking in the mirror saying to himself, “You really messed up, royally”. At the conclusion Judge Lamberth thanked him for his remarkable comments . . . and gave him 41 months.
Courtroom sketching is a form of visual journalism or reportage drawing that is slowly dying out. Where once upon a time news organization each had their own artist covering a story, today a “pool” artist often sketches for all. It is a demanding and stressful discipline where the drawing is often done directly and under tight deadline.
After forty-five years of news sketching in courtrooms and congress I’m calling it quits. It’s been sometimes fun, sometimes frustrating, almost always interesting. I’ve been lucky to work with some really great people. Don’t think I’ll miss it, but a little scared of not having a deadline.
While I won’t be sketching in court anymore, I may continue to post to this blog from time to time. Not sure what that might be. I’m about to start a new assignment documenting infrastructure and construction. Could be interesting.
