The other day I was parked downtown, waiting in my car, and a homeless man walked by. I noticed him because he was using two artist drawing boards bungeed together for a suitcase. He was very tall and dressed all in black; he didn’t look like he’d been on the street long. I locked my car doors because I felt a twinge of aggressiveness in his stride.
He changed his course right in front of me and crossed the street to a Mexican restaurant, obviously checking out the garden patio. My fear turned to pity as I guessed he was looking for a place to stay the night.
He passed his “suitcase” through the bars of the eight foot fence and climbed over it. It was dusk and he walked into the shadows. I saw him moving some chairs around to make a shelter. But then he folded the chairs up and passed three of them through the bars, hopped the fence, and carried his goods away.
I’ve eaten a burrito at that restaurant, it’s family owned and not fancy. Should I have done something?
3 comments:
I would like to do a piece where I can pay those who are homeless to draw my protrait. I might do thta the next painting I sell. In the course of them drawing I will record our dialogue in terms of exchange; a lot can be said within a time span of a drawing.
As a woman I could never even consider working with that population. Too much personal risk. My emotions were all over the map watching this guy, but mainly I was afraid.
I agree that in order to do this piece; you need to find that comfort zone.
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