While I was drawing this, a woman came out of the house a few meters away and, for a few moments, stood by the driver’s side of her car, one hand on the handle, one on her hip, watching me.
‘My uncle’s an artist,’ she said when she finally approached and stood staring down at me. ‘But he doesn’t sit in the gutter painting.’
I paused my *podcast but left my earbuds in because there was something about this woman’s tone with her hip-length grey hair, tie-dye tee shirt and pickup truck that I did not like, so I was hoping she wouldn’t stay long.
‘That’s pretty,’ she said of my drawing, and though I could have slapped her for the adjective, I lied and thanked her for her compliment, and made small talk about the weather until my easel blew over, my hat blew off and she walked away.
Eventually the wind and cloud stealing my light put me in a foul mood so I packed up my equipment and walked back toward my car.
Today’s podcast: 99% Invisible- Right to Roam
A Hundred Houses 