Newbo, short for New Bohemia is a quaint City Market (1100 3rd St SE Cedar Rapids, IA 52401). Pam was there for a meeting and while she was busy, I stopped over to the market to sketch. There was a tourist information booth which was a good way to get an introduction to the city. NewBo City Market is home to dozens of small business
start-ups. Entrepreneurs are creating new
business concepts and products that are locally-sourced, sustainable,
and environmentally friendly. With returning shopkeepers and
many weekly pop-up shops and farmers markets, they are the destination
where local producers and consumers gather.
I got a gyro from a mom and pop Greek food stand and started to sketch the airplane above the crowd. I used this as an excuse to play with the assisted perspective feature in Procreate on my iPad. I kind of prefer to be less mechanical in my use of perspective but I can see how the feature can be useful in blocking out a scene quickly.
As I was finishing up the sketch, a concert was getting started on an outdoor stage in front of the market. People had gathered in lawn chairs to watch the band perform as the sun set. I walked across a bridge to meet Pam in the Czech Village section of the city which preserve the history and culture of this large immigrant population. What makes America great is this diversity and mix of cultures. Historic building mixed with hip contemporary vibe in tech friendly shops. The inspiration of sketches were endless, but time was limited.