I do affectionately refer to my local Starbucks as "Ghetto Starbucks." Of the 6 or 7 near my home, it's the closest yet, the one I frequent least. Sadly, it is the best for sketching.
It was the first one opened close to our home and became my Sunday sketchbook haunt. In the 15 years I've been out here, several more have opened in the area but, none offer the excellent positioning for drawing in my sketchbook as this place. Unfortunately, I became increasingly uncomfortable or just irritated by the clientele. Drunks, drug addicts, runaways, teens just released from juvenile detention or fighting with their parents or social workers about taking their psych meds, those who just came from AA meetings or NA meetings or Jesus Bible groups all who want to evangelize and save my soul, those recently released from prison who learned to weld and now want to redo my kitchen or convince me to buy a boat, those who drive into the adjacent parking spot without waiting for us to exit our car, leaning on their car horn to insist we close our door, nearly killing my wife and daughter and then angrily explaining how courteous they were by alerting us to their arrival, the territorial guys who set themselves up in the store as though it were their personal living room, the weekend custody dad who would take his children to play at the Starbucks, he sat outside on the patio smoking cigarettes while he left his jeep running with the shitty sound system played classic rock at full volume for all to enjoy...
I could go on and on. I stopped going there years ago. I went back last weekend to see if it had cleaned up at all. It's the same as ever.
JTQ... I love this post! Not only for the sketches (I'm also a big fan of your Starbucks series) but because of the stories behind them. You should do this more often. I've always thought that a great artist has a story behind every sketch and you definitely don't disappoint here.
Hey thanks Hutch! I have been off the sketchbook for too long. I'm always depressed or miserable and so, my wife told me to take my sketchbook to Starbucks. She knows me.
Fun Starbucks stories..You get a different perspective when you are a single woman drawing. Before i was Mrs. Zamlich, I would attract every scumbag for 5 miles who insisted on taking me home to sleep with me. I started wearing hats, nuetral clothes, blending into the wall...and some of the scarier stories were when I went to San Francisco and had a bad scare and never went to the city alone again to draw... Beautiful drawings, John. I paint to keep the melancholia from taking over.
these are great. there is a guy down the street from my work. he lives in his car and hangs out at the starbuck's patio all day. He is always in the best mood. I was in SF and could not believe what great moods the homeless are in. I am a grump and I have a lot to be thankful for. Your drawings are amazing.
I love your "Starbucks" sketches! They are really fun, and love the stories behind them! As someone told me recently, its where the magic happens. Nice work! :)
I love your "Starbucks" sketches! They are really fun and have a nice story behind them! As someone told me recently, "Starbucks is where the magic happens." Nice work! :)
13 comments:
Does that say "Ghetto Starbucks?" I love that! Always enjoyed your Starbucks sketch series.
I do affectionately refer to my local Starbucks as "Ghetto Starbucks." Of the 6 or 7 near my home, it's the closest yet, the one I frequent least. Sadly, it is the best for sketching.
What exactly deems it Ghetto? curious....
It was the first one opened close to our home and became my Sunday sketchbook haunt. In the 15 years I've been out here, several more have opened in the area but, none offer the excellent positioning for drawing in my sketchbook as this place.
Unfortunately, I became increasingly uncomfortable or just irritated by the clientele. Drunks, drug addicts, runaways, teens just released from juvenile detention or fighting with their parents or social workers about taking their psych meds, those who just came from AA meetings or NA meetings or Jesus Bible groups all who want to evangelize and save my soul, those recently released from prison who learned to weld and now want to redo my kitchen or convince me to buy a boat, those who drive into the adjacent parking spot without waiting for us to exit our car, leaning on their car horn to insist we close our door, nearly killing my wife and daughter and then angrily explaining how courteous they were by alerting us to their arrival, the territorial guys who set themselves up in the store as though it were their personal living room, the weekend custody dad who would take his children to play at the Starbucks, he sat outside on the patio smoking cigarettes while he left his jeep running with the shitty sound system played classic rock at full volume for all to enjoy...
I could go on and on. I stopped going there years ago. I went back last weekend to see if it had cleaned up at all. It's the same as ever.
JTQ... I love this post! Not only for the sketches (I'm also a big fan of your Starbucks series) but because of the stories behind them. You should do this more often. I've always thought that a great artist has a story behind every sketch and you definitely don't disappoint here.
Hey thanks Hutch! I have been off the sketchbook for too long. I'm always depressed or miserable and so, my wife told me to take my sketchbook to Starbucks. She knows me.
Fun Starbucks stories..You get a different perspective when you are a single woman drawing. Before i was Mrs. Zamlich, I would attract every scumbag for 5 miles who insisted on taking me home to sleep with me. I started wearing hats, nuetral clothes, blending into the wall...and some of the scarier stories were when I went to San Francisco and had a bad scare and never went to the city alone again to draw...
Beautiful drawings, John. I paint to keep the melancholia from taking over.
Ha! WOw! The comments here are just as entertaining as the artwork itself.
Nothing better for a case of depression and misery than a trip to the good old fashioned Ghetto Starbucks! Nice sketches nonetheless.
these are great. there is a guy down the street from my work. he lives in his car and hangs out at the starbuck's patio all day. He is always in the best mood. I was in SF and could not believe what great moods the homeless are in. I am a grump and I have a lot to be thankful for.
Your drawings are amazing.
I love your "Starbucks" sketches! They are really fun, and love the stories behind them! As someone told me recently, its where the magic happens. Nice work! :)
I love your "Starbucks" sketches! They are really fun and have a nice story behind them! As someone told me recently, "Starbucks is where the magic happens." Nice work! :)
Fantastic sketchings! Love the line quality as usual.
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