Tabled Life
It was a grey morning with intermittent showers, something common at this time of year in this part of the world. I wake up, brew my coffee, watch the sun rise, and wonder if there will be any sun during the day. At some point, I get to work. But this morning, I felt the need to go out and get some fresh air, even if it meant being huddled inside my rain-jacket. I grabbed my small Moleskine sketchbook and Lamy Safari fountain pen, just in case.
I walked down to the sea-wall and watched the boats waddle on the restless waters. Morning walkers and I and some persistent joggers. I turned around to come back home once the wind grew gusty. But then, passing by Urban Fare, decided to check in for a coffee. You never know when you might see something.
UrbanFare is a grocery store, with a deli and cafe attached. At the tables, sat some people. I picked up my coffee, and wandered around, wondering where I could sit, and observe people, but remain discreet.
A group of friends were chatting a couple of tables away from me. I miss having close friends. Being immigrants and moving around a lot, we have found it difficult to form close friendships. Our good friends are scattered around the world, connected to us through separate, decaying memories of lives abandoned and times spent together. We have reached the age where one officially bemoans the lack of intimate connections. Until a few years ago, it felt good to be light and detached. Now we want bonds.
Anyway, I watched. They got up and left just a few seconds before I finished drawing. I thought it would be rude to snap a pic, so I had to take it after they had left.
I tend to leave after one drawing, but there was another table at the end of the cafe space that caught my attention. I wondered if it would make for a good composition. Then another person came and sat at the table in front of me, seizing the foreground space and relegating my original subjects to the far background. The scene was set!
Because I was drawing with just the fountain pen, I didn’t want to run out of ink. So I didn’t fill in the solid areas I had in mind. Nor could I apply borders to my main subjects, the way I do with all my drawings. So I ‘completed’ these sketches once I was back home, before scanning them.
I think they add a good contrast to the scenes.
