Instead of reading, I sketch. It's an excellent replacement activity. Not only is it enjoyable, it also hones your drawing skills.
It also is a great way to play secret agent, something most men my age played when they were kids. You can't stare at your subject as if you were in a figure drawing class. No, you have to steal glances and engage in subterfuge. You don't want to make your subject so uneasy that he picks up and moves.
It's also a way to learn the art of speed-sketching. Not all of your subjects will be seated. Some are hurrying from one gate to the next, stopping only briefly to check flight status monitors or to grab a coffee. You may have 30 seconds or less. These are the most difficult, but in some ways, the most fun.
On my last trip, I spent time in Bangor, Atlanta and Chicago. I made sure to keep my sketchbook handy. Here are a few. (Click on the image to see a larger version.)
This weekend, I'm off to Hamilton, Ontario (near Toronto) for a pastel symposium. We'll see what my layover in Montreal generates!
