Davis isn’t that big. I admit that I get bored sometimes, but I’d get bored in the biggest city in the world. Well maybe there would be a bit more to do in London or New York, but I feel restless wherever I am, always thinking about places far away that would be good to explore and sketch, wander about the streets like I’m a character in that book instead of this one. For the rest of the year though, here I am still drawing this town. ‘City’, it is a city, and the campus is technically not part of the city but its own thing. I go downtown because we at least have a downtown, with shops and things to look at. Imagine not having a downtown? Imagine not having Newsbeat, the Avid Reader, Soccer and Lifestyle, Avid and Co, Armadillo, Logos’, the Paint Chip, the Davis Beer Shoppe, the Artery, Bizarro World, Zia’s, Mishka’s, the Varsity, the Pence, all those bars, bike shops and barber shops? And other places I have not mentioned. I don’t even go into some of those that often. Sophia’s? I love that place, imagine my life without getting Sophia’s thai food to cheer me up. And don’t get me started on Baskin’ Robbins and their massive calorific milkshakes that I love. As for the Farmer’s Market. We have a downtown, it’s had its ups and downs, and I worry about it turning more and more into a food court, but we have one, even if I get a little bored it’s better than not having one at all. So, I still keep drawing it, drawing the changes, drawing the things that stay the same. I don’t think I ever drew Jack in the Box on G Street, did I? Well I have now. I stood outside the place that used to be Little Prague years ago but is now Parkside I think (I have not been in there for a very long time; not as interesting to sketch any more) and looked across. I don’t go there much, almost never. It was a good spot years ago, if I’d been to Little Prague, to grab a chicken sandwich after a couple of beers. I just didn’t like going through the door itself. As you enter, this loud air conditioning would blast you with cold air and noise just while you passed through the doorway, and it always set off something in my possibly neurodivergent brain (that’s what they say nowadays, and I’m realizing there are some things that add up) that made me very uncomfortable; I can’t use the hand dryers in a bathroom because of the noise, the echo, and the fact it draws massive attention to myself (also because I’m worried the sound would have a similar effect on other people in there), and going through the doorway of Jack in the Box gave me that same sensation. It’s just how the building is designed I suppose, but I wouldn’t get that going into the McDonald’s or indeed any other shop downtown, so I’d avoid going there. Shame though because they do really nice sandwiches.

I’m batching all the January drawings into just a few posts rather than loads of individual posts, so that each sketch doesn’t feel self-conscious being by itself. I do have a few more downtown drawings from the opening of the newly refurbished section of G Street, but I will show those separately because thematically they don’t fit in with these ones, mostly being in pencil and a lot looser, with more people. I found myself deliberately not drawing people through much of January. Usually because people were not always walking past, mostly because I just didn’t want to see people. After the election, maybe I was feeling like so many of us were, isolated, empty, but also like I just didn’t want to be around people that much. Except I kind of did; I don’t know. The mind is complicated, so I just dive into my sketchbook to deal with it. Now it’s the start of February and let’s face it, it’s not getting any better any time soon. We will need art, expression, togetherness, community. I’ve sketched the building above several times over the years, in various iterations, but now it is a place of art called the ‘Secret Spot’. I have not been inside yet, but people tell me it is fun, and I just started following them on (whichever social media is still ok this week). I’ve not organized a Let’s Draw Davis sketchcrawl since October. I had meant to kickstart my own involvement again and do one in January, but I have been feeling very shy lately, and not quite up for art with others or for getting people together to sketch like I always enjoyed. I am planning to go to Poland this summer for the Urban Sketching Symposium, but I’m also thinking that it’s been six years since my last one, and they are so overwhelming, and I am worried about that feeling of being a bit lost. If the people from the early days are there though, it might feel like going home, being among familiar faces. But when I feel shy, it’s hard sometimes to push myself out of it, and I end up just wandering off by myself and drawing a street corner.

Here’s a street corner, at 2nd and F. It’s a big Starbucks now, because why have a useful shop when you can have a corporate coffee chain. I’ve never liked Starbucks, because I don’t drink coffee. Nor do I like queues much. They don’t actually have anything else I like, sometimes the pastries are ok but I don’t like going in and lining up for ages for a crummy pastry that’s got no flavour, doing that thing where you pay and then have to wait for the pastry while other people get coffees and papa chinos or whatever that take a lot longer to make. I still have some credit on a couple of gift cards in my bag, I keep them in case I’m at an airport and really need an overpriced croissant in twenty minute’s time. This spot used to be a very cool store full of hiking gear and backpacks, I loved going in there. Alas business was not good and they closed, and eventually they let Starbucks move from across F street to this spot because it’s bigger, even taking over some space next door for a few extra seats and some toilets. I suppose it’s popular, people love Starbucks, you love it too don’t you, you love it for its familiarity, it feels like the other Starbucks everywhere and that is a comfort. I prefer Mishka’s over the road because they do nice smoothies and the snacks are better. No, I won’t have the tea at Starbucks, I drink my tea at home where I can make it properly. I’ve had a crap cup of tea at Starbucks once, and that’s once enough. I liked to draw this corner though, with the little view up F, and the sunlight, and oh look there are some people, how did they get into my drawing? Shoo, shoo! Well it was a nice day, they wanted to sit outside. And there’s a ‘Spin’ e-bike, actually parked in a proper space and not just blocking the whole sidewalk like they usually do. At least there is a fire hydrant, I like those.

As for things I have drawn before, this house on the corner of 3rd and D has popped up many times, with that same big red and white ‘RENTALS AVAILABLE’ sign tastefully plastered over it. Well it stands out. You should see the buildings on the other side of the crossing. It’s such an attractive little house to draw though, as you know I like shapes and trees, simple things really. There was a car parked for a while but it moved while I sketched, so I quickly drew the bit where the car was, and thankfully no other car parked there until I was pretty much done. I stood outside Cafe Bernardo’s, I have not eaten there in at least a decade, probably much longer. No reason why, it’s just that you blink and suddenly it’s 2025 and officially an oligarchy. I should eat there sometime, I remember the food was very good, but at lunchtime, Raisin’ Cane’s fried chicken calls to me from around the corner and tastes so good. Anyway not content with drawing just one face of this building, I came back after work one day, having finished early from a meeting, and drew the side of it from D Street. That funny bird man sculpture is just about visible in each. There were cars in front, and the reflection of the light on the blue one made me really wish I’d waited until that one had buggered off too, but it’s ok. I just liked the soft shadow of the lamp-post. I actually ended up coloring it in later because I was losing my light, and getting so tired of January already. The rain started a couple of days ago now, and so that long dry January is done with. Time to keep my head for the rest of the year. I have a few more January sketches to post though, some from campus, and then maybe I’ll draw something else in February.