I have been teaching an Urban Sketching class at Crealdé School of Art for the past 3 Sundays. We have spent most of our time outdoors since there have been decent breezes and it hasn’t been too hot. I have four very talented students, each with their own style. I start each class with a premise and then we sketch on campus. I have been keeping classes outdoors since it is easier to social distance and enclosed spaces with recirculated air are the breading ground for the COVID-19 virus. The main focus of the class is to get out of the studio and explore the world anyway.
I rolled out a black board and used it so I could sketch large enough for all to see from six feet away. This class was about doing thumbnail sketches and basic ideas about composition and perspective. As my students explored the campus with their sketchbooks it felt good to sketch on location again myself. I had not sketched on location since the start of the pandemic. Instead I have been doing one illustration based on some story from the pandemic. Now that I am teaching I can no longer do a painting every day without burning out. I instead pace out each painting over several days. I feel pressure to get the paintings done fast because the news surrounding the pandemic keeps changing moment to moment.
The pandemic is the only story I keep tracking every day. Even doing thumbnails around Crealdé I focused my attention on the measures that were taken to try and make the campus more safe during the pandemic. Portable sinks were set up with foot pedals so that peoples hands do not need to touch faucets. Picnic tables were moved out from under the awning to allow six feet of space between tables. I carry a six foot stick as a visual reminder for students and myself to maintain social distancing. I also us the stick as a pointer when reviewing art work.
We made up the ill fated first class virtually. I am thankful I teach on a day where there are very few people on campus. I realized that the figure drawing class that usually happened next to mine was canceled. We might have to move inside once it truly gets hot.