Turn ticketed entertainment | 26th June 2011 | 21:21 PDT

As I stood there on the edge of Palisades Park looking at the sun falling uncontrollably behind the mountains and sketching a palm tree that looks more like a pipe cleaner with frayed edges, I'm approached by this guy who walks straight by me and overlooks my shoulder.

"Don't mind me...
  -  I will mind you! You're overlooking me
...Just seeing what you're doing, looks amazing, you're talented"
  -  I don't mind you anymore
"Thank you very much, just trying to burn some pages in this notebook and this seemed the only way to do it"
"I'm Tyrone, nice to meet you"
"I'm Rupert, likewise"

This, but with more hair (via getsmarteraboutmoney.ca)

The conversation moved on from sketching to where we're from, he was from a valley near Sacramento, and made the day trip down to Santa Monica with his family to see this side of town, then some of his group appeared from the BBQ happening under the trees, taking interest in my notebook with consequential compliments.

That conversation ended with another person turning up, it felt like they were secretly taking tickets and queueing up to talk to this sideshow event happening in front of them "Come here to TALK to the guy that speaks funny!" - Sharonda was this girl's name, we talk London and travelling abroad that isn't Canada and becoming a doctor.

This, but with my name in lights (via hprodeo.ca)

Another guy from the group approaches me, quickly hiding his ticket, called Winford and we chat back to sketching and how he lost his nerve to sketch when he got intimidated by his brother's talent, in which I reply, "Stop being an idiot and get on with it, it's all subjective and if it makes you happy just do it" - probably a bit harsh seeing as I just met the guy, he seemed to appreciate it as I'm not dead at the foot of the bluffs.

When all the punters, happy after queueing so long in line to come and see with their own eyes and talk with their own voice to this peculiar fellow drawing in the dark, they left without saying goodbye, just disappeared into the dark, well I could still see them as they all migrated back over to their BBQ, and I was left there going... oh ok, bye then... You're welcome!


And I walked off...

But, what I should have done, is walked over there and go "Don't mind me, I'm just curious to how it tastes" then, helped myself to some of their BBQ off their plates. Well, I entertained you guys with my art show and sparkling conversation for about an hour. It's how we do things on our small strange island and it's really only fair!

This (via photoforum.ru / Vitaliy Gutnichenko)