Perfectly imperfect

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NICK EICHER, HOST: Today is Friday, August 8th. Good morning! This is The World and Everything in It from listener-supported WORLD Radio. I’m Nick Eicher.

MYRNA BROWN, HOST: And I’m Myrna Brown. Finally today: Drawn in.

What do you see when you slow down long enough to really look? One artists’ walk through a city in Spain turned into something more than a sightseeing stroll. It became a lesson in noticing. In paying attention. And then putting pen to paper. WORLD Associate Correspondent Elisa Palumbo met some urban sketchers in Spain, and tried it herself.

SOUND: [CÁCERES, SPAIN]

ELISA PALUMBO: One day while walking through the medieval city center of Cáceres, Spain, I met Jose Antonio.

SOUND: [CITY SQUARE/ANTONIO PAINTING]

He was sketching one of the many cobblestone streets. The narrow road, ironically named “Wide Street,” is a perfect scene for him. He seemed at home.

JOSE ANTONIO: Lleva ya tiempo tendiendo a llevar una vida tranquila, calmada, relajada y sosegada. Entonces, yo no sé si la pintura me ha ayudado o la pintura es la consecuencia de esa decisión.

ANTONIO: [TRANSLATION] I have been tending towards leading a quiet, calm, relaxed and serene life. So, I don't know if the painting has helped me [do that] or if the painting is a consequence of that decision.

Painting outside is nothing new, but it became a global movement when a Spanish illustrator living and working in Seattle founded a blog in 2008. He encouraged artists to go paint what they saw, and then upload pictures of their work. It began what’s now known as Urban Sketchers. Their motto is to see the world one sketch at a time. They draw or paint on-location, on paper, and in the moment… together.

PALUMBO: So I’m curious, can I chat with you for a second?

Shelly Ginenthall is another Urban Sketcher. She says this type of drawing has changed how she sees what’s around her.

SHELLY GINENTHALL: Even, you know, even trash cans are interesting to draw. You know, something that you wouldn't think would be at all interesting. It doesn't have to be beautiful. It doesn't have to be doesn't have to be anything.

In an ever-digitalized world, where limitless digital filters and AI enhanced editing boasts masterpiece results, sitting down to draw won’t win many art competitions, but has its own rewards.

Studies indicate a correlation between creative activities such as drawing and reduced stress levels, and it increases memory.

GINENTHALL: Even if you sit for five minutes and you draw a picture, you will remember it stays with you, unlike a photograph.

Slowing down to paint outside comes with a lot of challenges. One big one? The results are often far from the desired outcome. Jose Antonio says the only way to get better is to go do it.

ANTONIO: . . .ir por un caminito llano y bien asfaltado nunca, nunca te tropiezas, pero cuando te pones por un por un monte lleno de piedras y lleno de es cuando realmente aprendes a correr oeste aprendes a desenvolverte.

ANTONION: [TRANSLATION] . . .walking on a flat and well-paved path, you never, never stumble, but when you put yourself on a mountain full of stones [. . .] that's when you really learn to run or learn to manage yourself.

His analogy is true of life. Difficult things, when overcome, often bring the most satisfaction. And can lead to moments of unexpected delight.

SOUND: [MANHATTAN BEACH PIER]

So this week I took Jose Antonio’s advice. I grabbed my backpack, a sketchbook, and some colored pens, and visited Manhattan Beach Pier South of Los Angeles, California. I found the view of the landmark I wanted to remember and settled myself on an uncomfortable wooden fence post by some stairs.

PALUMBO: The pier is really, really pretty. And Manhattan Beach is pretty by itself. I'll admit I feel a little intimidated.

I typically enjoy drawing nature, but structures are something new for me. As I draw, I realized why it would be nice to draw in a group. I’m struggling with technique:

PALUMBO: Honestly, I've never been very good at drawing angles, and this pier is all about angles, and it's not very fun. But we’re going with it. We’re trying.

I try holding my pen up to the pier and horizon and measuring the angles I see. It helps kind of.

PALUMBO: Okay this is looking better. Still far, far from perfect, but it does not have to be realistic and it doesn't have to be perfect, so that's what I'm telling myself.

After a while it’s no longer work: it’s enjoyable. The sun is almost fully set when a curious biker stops to chat.

DAVID: Whatcha drawing?

PALUMBO Oh, the pier…trying to at least.

DAVID: Amazing. It looks beautiful. It's far better than anything I would do…you captured the roof really well and even the color of the roof.

PALUMBO: Probably the hardest was getting these…I’m really bad at angles…

DAVID: I am trying to figure out the green, oh, the green is the railing, yeah.

PALUMBO: I'm like, I didn't, that didn't turn out great.

DAVID: Well, it's a little tall,

PALUMBO: Yeah it is.

DAVID: Yeah, respectively. But, I mean, I'm being pretty picky uni.

PALUMBO: I'm like, I'm just trying…

The conversation means I couldn’t finish the sky—which would have been my favorite part—but I’ve drawn what I came to draw.

It’s perfectly imperfect. But I like it, even if the sky is missing. It turned out better than expected. I certainly don’t have the right techniques, but the time flew by as I focused on the pier and tried to recreate it on paper. I didn't think about my phone, the time, didn’t even feel the need to listen to music. I was in the world for a moment, truly seeing what was around me and made a new acquaintance.

Care to join me?

For WORLD, I’m Elisa Palumbo in Cáceres, Spain, and Manhattan Beach, California.

BROWN: That’s an enticing offer, even for an all-thumbs artist like me.

To see Elisa’s sketch, visit our website: worldandeverything.org and click on this page for this segment. If you should head out this weekend to sketch something, snap a photo and send it to editor@wng.org … we’ll consider adding it to the post.

Oh, and by the way if you want to encourage a friend to do it with you, take a moment and share today’s program.

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