Endnotes & Reviews
URBAN SKETCHING IN THE PANDEMIC
A
BY MARK LEIBOWITZ
ll of the Cool Gear articles I’ve written have always been lighthearted and whimsical. This one isn’t. The entire world is experiencing a pandemic.
and Amsterdam, my mind fills with the experiences of past USk Symposiums and the good times we had sketching together.
In better times, looking at Urban Sketchers – it seemed the entire world was sketching. I followed my fellow artists all over the world, studying their sketches to see what I could learn, appreciating their creativity and talent. It’s fascinating how we influence one another. I now follow the health crisis to see what we can learn from one another. I associate cities and countries with specific sketchers I know. I worry what’s happening to my friends. When I hear news about Santo Domingo, Chicago, Manchester, Paraty, Singapore
Like all terrible things, this will eventually pass. Until then, as creative people, we can find comfort in our art, while we support each other and share our work. I recently read that Sir Isaac Newton had to practice social isolation during the Black Death epidemic. It was the most creative period of his life. He developed his theories about gravity and other brilliant ideas that were shared with the world. It’s an inspiring thought that incredible good can come from this. APRIL 2020 51
