Urban Sketches - Present and Past

 During this time of quarantine, I am reminiscing about the joy of sitting in the city, drawing people as they come and go, with the backdrop of buildings, carving out their shapes against the sky.  The city is fascinating to me.  Often, while looking up at the profile of a building against the sky, I find a carved piece of moulding, a corbel, a detail, in place for a century or more.  I revere these artists gone by who put details in place only to be seen by the few who happen to look in that direction, or who are replicating a contour with pen on paper.  This is joy.
Many of these drawings are now on my website under the "sketchbook" category.  I am donating a portion of each sale to the Elizabeth Peabody House in Somerville, a 125-year old community organization serving via its food pantry and pre-school.  

 As always, I thank you for looking.  You know I love your comments.  Stay well, and be kind. 

"Room with a View" Old Town Portland

Daily Drawing 536 "Crosstalk" pen & ink

I love the motion and the hubbub of the city streets; buildings against the sky creating fascinating negative space while the overlapping elements down below provide patterns and shapes.  
This is a vignette I captured on Newbury Street one afternoon while this man hustled across on front of me, as many people do... phone to ear, hunched over, missing the beauty around him, in that moment.  Maybe he looked up a few minutes later and sauntered down the street taking it all in.  I hope so.  
This is my five hundred thirty-sixth daily drawing. Thank you, as always, for your interest and your comments.