Keep On Sketching

This past Saturday I attended the September sketch crawl with Cathy and her husband. This month's destination was the Detroit Superior Subway Bridge Tour. The lower level of the bridge is only open about three times a year and is one of the city's most hidden places. We found a small section where we could stand at the edge and sketch the view below. The railing was pretty high and required me to stand on my toes in order to see over it. That was not comfortable! I wish I had attempted a more expansive view, but instead I concentrated on just one building.

I still find this whole sketching business to be quite a challenge--but that's OK. It doesn't matter if the outcome is in perspective (usually not!) or looks anything like what I see in front in me. I'm learning a lot in the process. I'm learning that I like having a regular monthly meet up with area sketch artists. I'm learning that you can live in a city for half a century and still not see everything there is to see. I'm learning that every sketch brings me just a little bit closer to feeling comfortable with the whole process.
I had an empty page in my Moleskine so I made a list of all the 2009 sketch crawl locations to date. It wasn't much more than a year ago that I was unable to make a single mark in a sketchbook because I was self-conscious about my lettering skills. I forced myself to get over that, and I'm happy to say that I am now totally smitten with hand lettering. I plan to keep on sketching until I'm smitten with that too.