I used to work at a leather shop in downtown Newburyport Ma. During the Holidays and many, beautiful, summer days we were mobbed with eager shoppers, and the days happily floated by. Then there were those interminable November shop hours. On the outside, the cold, wind-swept sleet had made slick the historic brick sidewalks and most shoppers were hunkered down at home trying to adjust to the early darkness of Daylight Savings.
Then there was the February doldrums when the once fluffy, winter snowflakes had become dirty, frozen, jagged spikes lining each side of the narrow streets and the frozen wind howled around each corner. Walking was treacherous (and I knew the danger of a slipped step since I lived close enough to easily walk to work.)
Those days I would take my sketchbook and plastic bag full of cheery, colored pencils. I would sit at the empty counter (after I had done the vacuuming and daily shopkeeper chores) and stare out the large display window (my reflection obscured by icicles of frozen rain.)
That’s when the sketch pad and pencils came out. As I daydreamed I thought about what I would like to be doing instead of sitting there bored. My doodles became visions placing me in other more pleasant surroundings. You can see the pictures are viewed from my perspective. I am looking into the drawing. I even dressed my figure in the clothes I had worn to the shop that day!
This image shows me on an (Autumny day) looking down my imaginary path toward what represents the Crystal Shop across the street.
I just couldn’t close the shop down and go visit the rocks and crystals. I was stuck. Apparently, I was well aware of that because I have drawn myself no legs.
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