the broadway

the broadway, originally uploaded by paul heaston.

The Broadway is a residential tower built, appropriately enough, on the corner of Broadway and Hildebrand. It sits on the former site of Earl Abel's Restaurant. The restaurant, under new ownership, really only moved down the road a ways, but that hasn't stopped many locals from complaining that the Broadway has displaced a beloved San Antonio landmark. The Broadway is one of a half-dozen or so highrise residential towers built in San Antonio in the last five years or so. I think it's an indicator that some San Antonians are finally moving back into town from the suburban wastelands of the surrounding hill country.

100th post!!!! Woohoo!

Well, there would be more if I weren't so lazy, or if I were clever/patient enough to post only one sketch at a time. But really, that's 100 posts more than I'd written at this time last year, so there.

On to the sketches. I completed side 1 of my Japanese Album Moleskine. Not bad for since Christmas I s'pose. Also did an aborted sketch in my "hand book" watercolor journal, sans watercolor.

I had previously thought the above building was called the Alliance Bernstein building, since they're the chief tenant (and the name is displayed on a huge sign on the side of the building), but whaddya know, the building/complex is called The Forum. Real original. I did this sketch in the drizzle in this strange park-like area across the street that, due to a small rise in the earth, is invisible from the street. So it's essentially a park that no one knows about or uses. Then I met my dad and bro for lunch at Earl of Sandwich. I had an Italian.

This Sears is all that remains from the now non-existant Central Park Mall. The rest was demolished several years ago and a multi-level shopping center called Park North built in its place. But the Sears remained, undaunted by the changes and seemingly unaware that nobody really shops there anymore. I did this the same day as the Forum sketch, on my lunch hour from work. My lunch was scheduled to begin an hour and fifteen minutes after I got to work, and since I had already eaten an hour before that, I took the whole hour to sit in my car in a parking lot and draw. I'm an odd bird, I know.

The final spread from the first side of my Japanese Album. I haven't decided if I will do the second side, so this might be it. This sketch is a bit underwhelming, I admit, and the panhandlers were out in full force to bug me while I drew, despite headphones and the fact that I, much like they, have no money. To their credit, panhandlers in San Antonio are quite polite, and almost expect you to turn them down. I think they'd do better if they were a bit more confident.

This one just didn't get done, for whatever reason. I was sitting on an uncomfortably high windowsill of a Walgreens, and the light was bothering me. There was even a false start before this one, and a lot of hemming and hawing over which sketchbook to use, having completed the previous one. Eh, could've been worse.

New stuff

Linda across the table at EZ's. She had a quesadilla and I had a burger. Yum.

The vacuum cleaner we use at the bookstore where I work. The other view is a parking lot from a fast food establishment near De Zavala Road.

Another parking lot view:

View of downtown San Antonio:

riverview towers panorama from main plaza

riverview towers panorama from main plaza, originally uploaded by paul heaston.

One of the coolest things about the new Japanese Album Moleskine Linda gave me is that I can do long panoramic drawings. That's assuming I'll have the time or patience.

más bosquejos

New Year's Update

Time to post some new sketches.

self-portrait

the shoppes at la cantera

some table condiments

cars

For Christmas Linda gave me a very cool Japanese-style folding Moleskine. I'm trying to fill it now and hope to do three-or more-page spreads at some point. I also resolve, this New Year, to do a sketch every single day this year. That may or may not happen, but I though I'd have more incentive if I put it in writing.