Farewell, Flaf

5/7/16 inks, colored pencils

On my walk through the neighborhood this morning, I was still thinking about Florian Afflerbach, the German urban sketcher and architect who was killed in a motorcycle accident Thursday at the age of 35. Using the name Flaf on Flickr, he was well-known for his fabulous sketches of cars and motorcycles. Even though I never met him, I felt his enthusiasm for urban sketching and especially his passion for motor vehicles in every drawing he made.

A few blocks from home, a pale blue Vespa was parked in a driveway. Thanking Flaf for inspiration, I sketched it in the summer-like sunshine. On a day like this, just breathing the floral-scented air makes me feel lucky to be alive.