First Sketch of the Year…Six Years Later

by Shiho Nakaza in Santa Monica, California USA

When I was accepted as correspondent for Urban Sketchers, I decided to sketch from life every day. More often than not, I do quick squiggles rather than a full-fledged painting, but I have kept that promise.

This is the first of my daily sketches on New Year’s Day, 2009, at Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica:

Six years later, in 2015, I decided to come back to the same spot at night to capture the winter decorations, just like the first time….

BUT! Tonight was one of the coldest night on the record – the paint stayed wet from the cold, and I couldn’t see the colors on my palette well as the stores started to close and the lights began to dim.

The painting itself was unsuccessful because I couldn’t get all the colors down the way I wanted, but the experience itself was a success because I learned so much over the last six years of sketching every day. I remember fretting about making my sketch “perfect” six years ago – and now, I feel more at ease with my pen and paint without worrying too much about the outcome – after all, a sketch is a mark of a moment, a glimpse into a unique slice of life. Happy New Year, everyone!