Hey Buddy! What’er Ya Doing?

Exploring the Country through Sketches and Stories 

Or as the “Urban Sketchers” (yes that’s a real group) say, “ See The World One Drawing at a Time.”

Essentially the idea is to draw or sketch or paint (in a sketchbook most of the time), with simple equipment and usually standing in the street or elsewhere outside to capture a scene or image from direct observation. There are no rules. Except to say that while sketching from photos is common (for me too) it is not really in the spirit of the activity.

I didn’t always enjoy sketching out of doors. Frankly, I wasn't very good at it, and it always felt rather chaotic and rushed. However, since I travel quite a bit, I decided to make use of what seemed endless subject matter. So off I went with a pouch of pencils, a pocket watercolor paint tray, and a sketchbook to make a go of it.

At first, I would essentially sneak up on a subject matter, if it was a person, or find myself a place to sit out of traffic and curious eyes. I was plenty happy to get a sketch down quickly and move on, and the results were what one might expect. 

One of my first sketches was during a trip to Manhattan. I had an afternoon to myself in Lower Manhattan and decided I would catch a ferry (I always ride a ferry if I can) across the East River to the Brooklyn Bridge Park. I grabbed an adult beverage at the beer garden and sat behind this big brute of a guy. 

He appeared to be of the biker persuasion, and I decided I would try to sketch him. So I tucked in behind my beer and began to sketch. All the while making sure my sketchbook kept a low profile. I was very much a novice and tended to push too fast instead of trying to relax and enjoy myself. 

Over time, I began to slow down and felt more comfortable sketching from positions that were not de facto hiding places. As a result, I discovered I usually had a much better view of my subject.  

It seemed like my art turned a corner about the time I made another trip to Manhattan. I decided to visit the American Museum of Natural History. The Mastodon skeleton was on display as well as skeletons from many other prehistoric species. I was in the mood to take this on, so off I went. I felt charged up when I arrive in front of the giant animal. There was a table right in front of the display on which I could set my work. Here, I knew, I could take my time and enjoy the sketch.   

After about 20 minutes of sketching and head into my work, I felt something brush against my arm.  About a dozen little school children were inching in to get a closer look. I am inclined to talk to children if they look interesting, so for about the next half hour it was just they and I. I often find that when I engage someone during a sketching session, I seem to shut out the rest of the world around me. And for sure, it is a pleasant experience.

I now look upon outdoor sketching as an integral part of exploring and engaging with the world around me. I look for unusual situations — for places and people I would not likely see or visit in any other aspect of my life.

One day, a day that was unusual because I was not traveling across the country, I participated in a walking event in the nearby town of Bremerton, WA. It was an event organized to showcase art displayed outdoors. I slung my backpack full of my sketching tools and headed out. Halfway through, I noticed several street artists painting a massive run-down brick wall. I am not sure what was its original purpose, but, it was huge and a perfect blank canvas for these artists. There was paint and color everywhere. Ladders lined the wall, people in coveralls climbing up and down, running around and spray-painting everything in sight. How in the world was I going to draw this? Where would I even start?

Well, start I did. And I got through it. The nice thing about keeping the art in the sketchbook is that there is no pressure to make it perfect. I certainly did not. Even now as I look back at my sketch, I can still smell the paint in the air and feel the commotion of the day. And that is the best reason to sketch as opposed to taking a photo and moving on.

Sketching out of doors is not always about engaging with people around you. Sometimes, you come across some thing or some place you just have to sketch. There was that place this year on vacation trip to Hawaii with my wife. I was pointed to an old church one day while touring the Big Island with our friend and hostess Jackie McMurray. She knew I was looking for old sites with character and texture to sketch. A few days later, I had a day to myself and returned to that church. I didn’t know exactly what to expect, but what I found was the Henry Opukuhaia Memorial Chapel. Henry Opukuhaia inspired the American Christian Mission to Hawaii in 1820. 

It was very old, but in surprisingly good shape. There were some very old graves but some that were comparatively new. The inside was open air and appeared as if it was still used on occasion. I was grateful to be able to take my time. To think about the history of not just this particular place, but, of the Islands and the people that have lived there for so long. As I sketched, I experienced the feel and the beauty of the place and the island.

"The master in the art of living makes little distinction between his work and his play--his mind and his body --- his art and his science--- He simply pursues his vision...leaving others to decide whether he is working or playing. To him, he is always doing both."---Michener