I’m a sketcher… a street sketcher. What excites me about sketching is the process, not the results. I love the feeling I have as I sit, studying a subject, drawing lines – oblivious to everything around me. I love people who stop and ask questions. Often they’re the same questions (eg – Do you sell these? Did you go to art school? How long have you been doing this?) but there’s always a smile attached and some simple chit-chat that connects me to my fellow humans.
And part of the process, for me, is finding something to sketch… the thrill of the hunt. It’s pretty rare that I plan to go some particular place to sketch some particular thing. That takes half the fun out of it for me. I like to just strike out, in any direction, looking for something that catches my attention.
The other day I did just that. I walked to a main intersection near my house. There were metro buses that head east/west/north/south and I decided to hop the first one that came along. I found myself heading east and, once I had passed areas I knew well, I got off the bus. I continued, walking east until I came across a small park.
I walked into it and sat on a bench. I looked around. There were ravens in one end of the park and I thought about sketching them. There were swings, slides, and what looked like a hamburger that kids could ride. It sat on a large spring. These would make a nice sketch, too.
Then I noticed a small mechanics shop stuffed between two larger buildings. I walked to that corner of the park, picked out a shady area, plunked myself down on my tripod stool, and started this sketch.
My hunt was a success. I spent a blissful hour while my pen entertained me as no television ever could. Life is good.
Stillman & Birn Zeta (5×8) sketchbook; Pilot Prera pen; Platinum Carbon Black ink; W&N artist watercolors