Busy Santa at Northgate

12/16/16 brush pen, water-soluble colored pencils

After sketching a record-breaking number of Santas last year – four! Count ‘em – four! – I decided not to participate in self-competitive Santa sketching this year. I knew it would be difficult to top my personal best, so it would be better to quit while I was ahead.

That said, with only a week until Christmas and no Santa sketches, I was missing some holiday spirit. Despite knowing that the mall would be mobbed, I hopped into my car yesterday afternoon and headed for Northgate.

Traffic on the streets and in the mall was heavy, but the real crowd was right in front of Santa’s station. A couple of years ago I sketched him on a slow morning, and he didn’t have any customers. Last year he was a little busier, but not like yesterday – he had a line of kids waiting.

By “he,” I mean the same Santa – this was the third year I’ve sketched this truly jolly man at Northgate. At less busy times, I’ve shown him my sketches, so he remembered me, nodding in acknowledgment when he caught my eye.

It’s always a good idea to show Santa I still believe in him – at least while I’m sketching.