My Thumbnail Walks

5/26/20 Maple Leaf neighborhood

5/28/20

I walk for about an hour through my neighborhood each morning – sometimes with Greg, sometimes without. Bordered by major arterials and the freeway, the residential area is about 10 blocks long and four blocks wide. During the past 11 weeks of our lockdown, I’ve grown familiar with those blocks.  

As you’ve seen, I’ve found plenty to sketch, even in a series, though usually not. To keep it fresh so I won’t get bored (the biggest challenge in sketching the familiar), I’ve been trying different formats and approaches. Lately I’ve been making thumbnails. I stop wherever I feel safe, look around, and sketch whatever I see. Each of these took no more than five minutes. There’s nothing very exciting here, and yet each is a lesson in composition. Nothing is a waste if I learn from it.