Back in June 2020 my husband and I took a drive through Allentown, PA, which is about an hour from our house. We had moved from a strict lockdown to one step less restrictive about a week before, I guess, and we wanted to see some new sights. So we got in the car for a drive (we did not leave the car on this trip) and I took photos through the window.

As we drove along on our way out of town, on a whim, I snapped the passing scene one photo after another as the car moved. I then did drawings of these photos. I’m going to be showing them over the next few posts.

I did not draw the scenes in the order they appeared on the street and I can’t remember how they lined up, anyway, so…don’t try to make sense of things.

I’ll just show you the scenes.

Here is another intersection. I can see I am trying a little harder here but still not really following the photo. For one thing, I am drawing it as if I am a bird flying overhead and not a person at street level. Well, maybe I just wanted to be a bird that day.

A note about my drawing process: I just pick up the pen and draw. I don’t sketch out, use pencils, or rehearse, I just go. For me, I just enjoy drawing. And, as in everything else I do, it seems that I am unable to follow the reality of what I look at and depict it – things always seem to veer off on their own. Squashed or stretched scenes often result. Well, that’s ok with me.

I remember I was enjoying very much making the ped crossing area at the front of the scene. There is something soothing about making many small pen strokes.