Sketch 9: The One (Other) Person Who Was Looking

There is so much I would love to share from today's visit to London. I was surprised by a magical community garden full of spaces for socialising, play, gardening, eating, concerts and much more. I am planning to return there for a sketch in the near-by future! It wasn't stylish, it was genuine.

I also thought a lot about all the tourists I observed, queuing hours to make one specific photo at one specific spot. This phenomenon will also get its attention throughout The Sketching Project.

If I could pause time for just a little while, perhaps I would draw the little blond girl who smiled at me and said 'hi' as I was exiting the train.

But the moment I ended up sketching was of a man who was looking. As I looked around, excited about all the things happening around me, I saw this man in the underground, looking back at me. And I realised that he was one of the few people who, like me, was looking. Everyone has been kept busy by all sorts of important things; reading a newspaper, endless interactions with smartphones, eating, rushing... This man was one of the few who sat down and looked. He smiled at me as I photographed and observed all the hustle. He did not say anything. He did not want to be disturbed. He was busy, sitting quietly, watching the quick and loud world around him.

Location: London, UK

Daytime: 11 am