河边的游乐场

[作者：Marcia Milner-Brage，在美国爱荷华州锡达瀑布]

 This past weekend, my normally sleepy town was hopping with the annual Sturgis Falls Celebration—a parade, three stages of music, a car show, a flea market, and (my favorite) a trucked-in funfair. Without much preparation (no sunscreen, no bug repellent, or without verifying my satchel’s drawing stash), I biked on Saturday to the funfair on the other side of the Cedar River. This was a much needed infusion of spontaneity to my sketching life.

As a kid, I never was one for going on amusement rides. (A merry-go-round is my preference if pushed to participate). But I’ve always loved being around the razzle-dazzle. I felt I got my fix of funfair excitement—the squeals of the people on the jostling rides, the smell of deep-fat frying emanating from the food stands, and the bright colors. 

It was liberating to leave my sketching furniture at home—my folding stool or tripod with portable easel—and make do with my bike leant against a barricade, its seat and pannier as my work surface.

Heading home across the Main Street Bridge, I paused on the narrow sidewalk to do a fast pencil sketch while straddling my bike. And I did what I rarely do: add color when home. I know it is common practice for other urban sketchers to draw on-site and add color later. But I’ve always been a stickler about doing the whole sketch on-site. Oh, I suppose there’s a time and place for this, but my assessment of my result is that the paint later image just doesn’t have the verve compared to ones done all on-site.

Funfair from the Main Street Bridge

Sunday, I went back for another round. Usually I scout for my sightline before I get out my drawing tools. This time, I plopped down at a table in the open picnic shelter and drew what I could see from there. What relative sketching comfort and ease!

Duck Pond and Funnel Cakes

I little more planning went into my second day outing to the funfair. Because I’d been swarmed by gnats the day before, I brought along my handy-dandy insect repellent device (see the black plastic object on the right).

I had fun at the funfair. Less premeditation and less sketching paraphernalia seemed to add a playfulness to my drawings. What do you think?