Drawing in Grand Central Terminal

Noticing the people

Because its located on the east side of Manhattan and I live on the west side, I don’t always get to walk through the beautiful Grand Central Terminal. Yesterday, I happened to come into that station, and decided that I could not leave until I drew something.

To me, life is about the small things, the individuals. New York City is made up of so many wonderful individuals, in fact it’s what makes the city. Yes, I love the buildings, the architecture, the Hudson River, the pigeons and dogs. But what keeps me in the city is the diversity of people. Diversity in race, ethnicity, class, ambition, creativity, ingenuity, drive, clothes.

When I stood in the great hall where the Information Clock and train times are displayed, I noticed a man and his dog. They were stopped in the middle of the huge room, he eating a sandwich and looking up, the dog just looking straight ahead as if to say, “Okay, now what?” The station was relatively quiet and not very busy, so these two really stood out. The man and his dog looked like visitors, heading to a place where he would be hiking outdoors, at least that’s what I thought based on his clothes. I had to draw them.

Leaving Grand Central, I walked north on Fifth avenue and stopped to draw another individual. Notable for his bright blue sweatshirt…