6/15/15 Platinum brush pen, Canson XL 140 lb. paper |
On my way home from an appointment on Capitol Hill, I
stopped for a few minutes at Lake View Cemetery. It’s been close to two years since I last sketched there, and I have to remember to go back again soon
for some longer sketches. I had only a little time to spare this morning, so I
pulled out a brush pen – my favorite tool for limited-time sketches. I use it
the way I use a sumi brush with India ink in my ink-drawing class. In fact, it’s even closer to twig sketching, KK-style. The brush pen
won’t let me get into fussy details – just the broad strokes and shadows – so I
can finish in a matter of minutes (only seven for this sketch).
As far as cemeteries go, Lake View probably isn’t the most
interesting (Bruce Lee’s grave
notwithstanding); there are no impressive statues or mausoleums. But it does have many large old trees among the headstones
that are especially beautiful in the fall, and the rolling hillscape can make
for interesting compositions.
Sketching in cemeteries is so serene and relaxing. They’re almost
always empty or nearly so (today, I saw only one groundskeeper and one jogger),
I can’t hear the nearby neighborhood traffic, and, at least today, dragonflies
and hummingbirds were having a heyday in the sunshine.
Love the bold strokes for the tree and the shadow! Cemeteries are great places to sketch and just enjoy the solitude.
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