Faces on the #2 bus

A number of years ago I worked in downtown Seattle and commuted everyday to pioneer Square via the #2 from Queen Anne.

I loved the space that ride gave me to do something to prep for my day, or to shed the toxicity before I got home to my family.

I started getting in the habit of sketching the other riders in the bus. At first it was an attempt to just find time for personal expression. Then it became a challenge to overcome with the bouncing bus and moving people; an exercise in “seeing”, observing without drawing and then quickly capturing what I saw on paper. And finally it became just a part of my daily activity and a way to “be” in the moment.

I stumbled on this sketchbook last week while digging for reference material. I love the immediacy, crudeness and cartoonish quality of the drawings. They make me smile.

Try it, take a busy bus ride and try sketching someone without getting arrested for creeping or creating your very own Jackson Pollack.