You Just Never Know

It's kind of amazing how trying something new can take you in a direction you never anticipated going.  It has been true with singing, as I've written about before here, and now I'm finding it true about sketching too. 

See this sketch?  I did it last October, and I did it because I was sitting at a place where this was the view. But I became instantly absorbed with painting the details on the buildings ... it made me look closely and I really enjoyed trying to draw all of that detail. 

 Here's another sketch I did a while back, just because it was what was in front of me.  Who knew that doing that plain old bank building would be so fun to draw?

To to my surprise, I have discovered that I really like drawing buildings.  They give me the chance to figure out perspective and usually mess about with foliage shapes and colors.  I like adding the trim and the texture or decorative bits.  In fact, I am loving it.  The other day I sat in my driveway and painted the house across the street.  

 Yesterday I was out and about running errands and I drew a bit of the town center in the next town over.  So far I'd avoided drawing cars (those pesky cars so often parked in front of charming buildings, annoyingly getting in the way) but when a big white limo pulled in in front of the gelato shop, I had to include it. And I kind of like how they add to the scene.

Now, as I'm out and about doing things, I find myself looking at the shops and houses I drive past all of the time, thinking "Hmm, that'd be fun to sketch!"   Here's a house in my sister's neighborhood that looked so cozy and tucked away behind a lush garden.  In fact, my sister and I were together and both of us sketched it -- it was really fun to see how differently we did the same thing.

This afternoon I have to take the dog to the vet's, and it has already occurred to me that that might be a fun spot to draw, too.  Oh dear.  I will have to add 45 minutes to every errand for drawing time.

Maybe one day I'll work my way up to adding people.  Who knows where this adventure with pen and paint will take me next...