Everyday Sketches

Destruction

Inspired by the guests on #usktalks Mike Daikubara (author of Sketch now, think later) and Rita Sabler (reportage sketcher) and this week’s challenge to record change, I grabbed my fude nib pen and a brown paper sketchbook, headed down the road a bit and started quickly recording the change in the landscape next door. I have avoided confronting it, until now.

I stood and sketched (spoke with a neighbour also disturbed by the change) then sat on my back deck, with a view of the action, to add colour. All the while, a ceaseless, tiring soundtrack of metal on rock and grinding engines filled my ears. I chose not to block it out with ear buds.

This is but a small moment in the grand scale of industrial agriculture (often financed by distant investors) where regard for the long term health of the land is secondary to cash crop profit.

It was a powerful experience to document this. I would never have done it if not for the #usktalkschallenge to document change.

(Usk is Urban Sketchers. Check out urbansketchers.org)