Sometimes you find interesting things to sketch right out your front window. I have sketched pictures of my neighbor’s garage and house, fire hydrant and looking down another street, rocks in the front yard, etc… Yesterday I was on my back porch and smelled asphalt. I heard some loud noises, so went and looked out my front window, and right in front of me were road workers hanging around a man on a steam roller. Now that’s not something you see down by the curb every day!
I grabbed my pens and book and furiously began sketching. Luckily they were in a conversation, so despite them moving a little, they stayed put long enough to grab quick gestures. Once I penciled everything in, the scene changed—the fun broke up, the guys got to work. Soon the steam roller backed up and sped around over fresh asphalt in the road. I had captured enough. Later I added watercolor, then when dry, I inked in everything.
You never know what you might see out your front window. I later watched the men loading up big trailers with equipment, and finally the steam roller was put on a trailer and hauled away. There was nothing left to indicate they had been there except for an orange and white cone they left in the middle of the street.
That’s what I do. Capture moments. Moments that will never be the same ever again. It’s pretty awesome!