Drawing on the T

Pen and ink drawings

I sketch on the "T",  the MBTA  or Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, Boston's excellent public transit system.  I draw people as unobtrusively as I can.  While I've never asked permission to draw anyone, I try to be respectful of everyone's privacy and I don't want to make anyone uncomfortable.  I bring along some business cards, so if somebody asks what I'm doing, I can hand out a card which explains that I'm an artist.  The comments I receive on my drawings in public are invariably enthusiastic and positive.  A frequent remark is "I didn't know anybody could still do that," which I think means "draw from life", which is reason enough for me to keep at it.  I love drawing the many faces of  the human comedy.  

deborahdendler.com

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Airport drawings

Pen and ink

Airport sleeper

Passengers Waiting 

Waiting in Airport

Waiting at the Gate

Waiting in Airport

Waiting in Airport

Cellphone check

Airport nap

Texting

Resting

Airports are great for drawing because you see all kinds of people in an airport:  young and old, fat and thin, tall and short, rich and poor, healthy and sick.  The full spectrum of the human condition unfolds, waiting to be drawn. 

Each human figure is a philosophical statement as much as it is a visual one.  The posture, physique and body language explain so much about the beliefs and habits of the person.  The clothes and grooming describe the economic condition; the pose illustrates the mood of the moment.  In the healthy young man striding purposefully, you can read a belief in upward mobility; self confidence is obvious in his bearing; self discipline can be deduced from his physical fitness; rationality and the power of positive thinking are clearly visible in his behavior. In an aging woman pacing along, you can see a quiet despair: the pain of past loss; the discomfort of present failing health; fear of the future in her uncertain gait.  In the elderly man resting, there is strength of character and the firm belief in work ethic, as well as the disillusionment of dreams slowly eroded by the realties of life.  

deborahdendler.com

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Airplane drawings

Pen and ink

For me, drawing pens, ink and paper are essential travel items.  I love to draw people in public places, so naturally I draw when I'm traveling.  The infinite variety of sizes, shapes, personalities, conditions and features of human beings is a constant source of inspiration.  An airplane can contain an amazing cross section of humanity, so it's a wonderful place to draw.  I don't like artificial looking poses; I prefer drawing subjects in natural positions because they are true.  I don't have to make anything up; there's plenty of drama in real life.  Passengers on an airplane invariably settle into very natural positions that will be comfortable for the long haul - reading, sleeping, talking, writing - all very human activities and excellent subjects for drawings.  And each tell its own story.

deborahdendler.com

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