Sketching Pieces of History

Well, it’s Halloween and time for a round-up of some of the sketches I’ve been doing this past month. I find people fascinating, and have many sketches that include them. Here are a few…

This sketch was done at a shopping strip called Woodbury Lakes. It has a Main Street feel with chairs, flowers, and other things outside higher-end stores. I picked a sunny day and sat and sketched things around me, which included a woman sitting across from me and someone who had just come out of a store. I loved the planters too!

I often bring my sketchbook and pen with me, which worked well to stand in a boring line to return some Amazon products at Whole Foods. It’s a great place to capture quick sketches, as everyone is standing there as bored as me!

This Holiday gas station worker just happened to be changing out trash bags in blue bins when I dropped off a letter in the mailbox behind him. I got back in my car, which was parked feet away, and did a very quick sketch while he working. You just don’t think about everyday workers doing all kinds of jobs where ever you go. I like capturing people going about their jobs–it’s just interesting to me, and part of their stories.

Here are people I sketched at the Lost Fox Coffee and Restaurant in St. Paul today. I captured the two people on the left who were working the bar and serving, and the person on the far right was washing dishes in the kitchen.

And finally… I went to the No Kings protest in Minneapolis on October 18th and came home with some great people sketches. I was hemmed in as I listened to speakers, the crowds, watched the helicopter, and marched with people down the street. I did very quick people sketches and added comments, color (colored pencils, watercolor), and gray tones (Tombow markers) at home. It was a very powerful, moving, event and I saw tons that I didn’t have time to sketch. But there’s always next time!

I liked the costumes and creativity of the protesters, and you’ll see a bunch of signs in all my sketches. I used colored pencils at home to add the color blocks to emphasize the signs.

This sketch featured a colorful Trump paper mache puppet, and I wanted to share a sense of place, so also sketched the Minneapolis city hall spires.

This sketch was a hodge-podge of people with the US Bank Stadium in the distance. We were all waiting to march while the authorities closed down the streets ahead of us, so people were just standing and hanging out. I stood the entire time and sketched, needless to say, I had quite a backache later that day!

These are more sketches of people standing, waiting to march. I couldn’t resist the signs!

Friends said that I sketched history at the protest. I feel like this is some of my most important work. But, I also feel the quick people sketches of ordinary times (like the Holiday gas station worker) are just as important. They are a piece of history in those people’s lives as well. I captured a piece of their life in a moment in time, their stories, and I feel honored and grateful!