A quick 10 minute sketch today after an orthodontic appointment before I drove home…

These are some of the things that were going on in my head while I was doing it

• How much water to pigment do I need to use on this paper- more pigment I think, less water (I am using the very smooth Stillman and Birn Zeta sketchbook)
• It is cold day and the ground is freezing (I am sitting in the shade on the cold pavement-sidewalk)
• So thankful that I didn’t get a wire change (I suppose you all realise that I have braces at the moment- what joy!)… really gracious providence not to have to deal with sore teeth this week!
• There is a man opposite is loading up his Porsche. Another man who just pulled into a parking spot next to me decided to go up to him and chat about his car – love overhearing cute conversations like this. Boys and their toys…
• The man with the Porsche was looking at me a number of times – I should have said something to him like ‘I am drawing the house today but next time I want to draw your car’
• Shadows (I am always thinking about what the light is doing and what I am going to mix next)
• This small size sketchbook feels like a constraint.. I want to sketch this house bigger. Constraints and challenges are good!
• This is the third time I have attempted this house …next time I will make sure I will take more time
• Am I about to start criticising myself for all the things that are not going to plan at the moment….no! it is ok – just keep going and don’t forget you do have a headache today. (‘Go easy on yourself’) Note: for anyone that thinks I don’t have an ‘inner critic’… mine is very active but I have made good friends with it and like nothing better than a good teasing argument! The more you sketch the higher your expectations so you still fall short all the time. Meeting my own goals consistently would be boring. Challenges are good …said that before recently haven’t I?
• Testing how quickly and wetly (what?) I can work on this paper
• A lady walked past “oh! how lovely – you are painting the house – aren’t the houses around here so nice – I love looking at them – have fun!” Smile to myself! anytime I get someone commenting on what I am drawing it is an improvement on the “aren’t you talented? aren’t you clever?” type comment
• Ah! just love sketching out on the streets – stopping to observe, having local incidents happen around you… how little does the final image really matter when the whole process is so much fun.

‘Time to get back to home and to work….’ (I have this thought a lot!)