Lewis Road Repair

This is a new sketch interest of mine: tractors, workmen and dirt. I can’t tell you how many years of painting flowers I have behind me. I love flowers too. But the bright yellows and oranges and twists and turns of machinery, is pretty appealing too.

So when the trucks showed up this week to repair the culvert right above my studio, I was ready with camera and sketchbook. It was all moving so quickly at first that I couldn’t figure out how to approach it, so I took pictures and then sketched this as a warm up before sitting down outside.

pencil, fountain pen and watercolor in Stillman + Birn Beta sketchbook

Later I was able to sit on a cinder block right outside my studio door in the warm autumn sun and sketch in real time amidst a torrent of Spanish. There was lots of chuckling and what seemed like enjoyment in the work, which made the sketching more fun too.

I had more difficulty with the tractor, which was in motion, but I think I got the basic idea. Mainly I was relieved that I hadn’t chickened out about sitting there right next to them. At one point the dirt was flying and I had to shield my face with the sketchbook!