A Late Start on Santa Season

12/12/17 Two kids stop to chat with Pacific Place's Santa.

My Santa “personal best” was in 2015, when I managed to sketch him four times. Last year I decided I couldn’t break my own record, so I settled for three (and twice it was the same Santa!). This year I’ve been a total slacker: Here we are halfway to Christmas, and I’ve only just begun!

Around noon Tuesday at Pacific Place, Santa didn’t have any customers, and his helper was so bored she was scrolling her phone. I circled the mall a couple of times to find a good angle, and the one I liked best was the one I used last year: from directly above.

I started sketching Santa, thinking that if he got some customers, they would sit next to him on his bench-like chair, and I could put them in. After I was nearly done, a couple of brothers came by, but they were there only to chat with Santa – no lap sitting, no photos. No other kids came by. 

It may have been a slow day for Santa, but at least I got a start on Santa Sketching Season.