Drawing in Public Spaces

by Joseph Boquiren 

As soon as the world began to re-open post-Covid I began to make art in public spaces, perhaps as a reaction to being locked down for such a long time. I have been making art for much of my life but I hold down a day job in a technical field to pay the bills. My job is highly technical and analytical, working with large amounts of data, maps, and various campus systems. Although highly valued, my work can be soul-deadening to someone who loves to make art. I began drawing during my breaks at the hospital campus coffee shops to keep up my spirits.

Buckskin Gulch. Colored pencils on 18" x 24" Strathmore paper

One challenge with creating art during work hours was gaining acceptance of my peculiar behavior from my coworkers and managers. I have proven over time however that taking an hour for creative work made me a much more focused, motivated, and service-oriented employee. Also, making art daily allows me to consider unorthodox solutions to some difficult-to-solve problems with the teams I work for. For me daily creative work broadens my cognitive abilities.  Another infrequent challenge I encountered early on was hostility from onlookers.  Some folks I encountered didn’t like seeing me making art. Their hostility came in the form of crowding my personal space and interrogating my process. I have learned to protect myself by only engaging with those individuals who verbally compliment my work. To be honest, I only encountered a handful of truly hostile behaviors in my years of drawing. Recently, my encounters with strangers have been overwhelmingly positive.

Multnomah Falls. Colored pencils on 18" x 24" Strathmore paper

I am thrilled to share my process with strangers
and perhaps plant the seed of creativity with people.

Post-Covid I had only just started working with colored pencils, and my work was still a bit tentative and experimental. I was invisible and ignored by the people around me for the first two or so years. As my art gradually improved people began to take notice. I began to receive more positive comments and compliments. Observing how people responded to my work was a good way to gauge my improvement. I also drew energy from the presence of people around me and this energy fuels my motivation. Frequently, many people stop and ask me about my creative process and I use this occasion to explain how I create my particular form of landscape art. When I show curious onlookers examples of completed work, their reactions are overwhelmingly gasps of astonishment and wonder.

Utah Sunrise, Colored pencils on 18" x 24" Strathmore paper

My most memorable moments are when young children sit by me to watch me work.  Once a week, I create art in the Children's Hospital lobby near my office. Kids, parents, and caregivers see what I am doing, and I get to converse with patients and hospital staff. I am thrilled to share my process with strangers and perhaps plant the seed of creativity with people. This world needs more artists! I have been told that seeing my art makes them happy. This gives me the motivation to continue and improve. Colored pencils are non-toxic, portable, and a (mostly) kid-proof type of medium. By making art in public, I get to connect with people, build community and inspire others to nurture their inner artists.

My ultimate goal is to create a community of local artists of all skill levels and ages who share ideas and techniques and make art together. By working together, artists can improve their techniques much faster than when working alone.

JOSEPH BOQUIREN:

Award-winning Portland, Oregon-based artist Joseph Boquiren has been drawing for much of his life. As he continued to draw, he became interested in historic structures and bridges, leading to an architectural degree and work with the Historic American Engineering Record. These drawings that he created are archived at the Library of Congress. These days, if he’s not racing a unicycle, you’ll find him doing technical illustrations, 3D modeling engines, or creating colored pencil landscapes.

Website: josephboquiren.com