Virtual Painting

The Azores!

I can safely say I don't have any plans to visit there. I'd forgotten they are part of Portugal. While it was raining chicken cutlets here in New York, and there was nothing on the TV, and I wanted a sketchy hit, I stopped by the Virtual Paintout blog to see what was up. This month, they're visiting the Azores.

I am easily drawn into looking around on Google Street View. Of course, there are places you can't see. China comes to mind. But there is something about looking at places this way that is a bit disturbing and sad; it is that there are so few people in the photos. You can stop in one place and look around 360 degrees but not see a soul. How could there be no one? I dropped the little orange man all over the Azores, I don't think I saw more than a dozen people and some cows.

I realize that the people must be edited out in many instances. I checked my hypothesis by visiting West 23rd street and Broadway. There were more people than I've seen in any place else I visited  on Street view but not as many as there certainly are at any time when the sun is up. It appeared the shots were taken in the morning before noon judging by the 10:00 AM shadows cast from the east. I gather population density via Google Street View must be relative. Where there are scads of people, you'll see a few. Where the population density is more modest, you won't see anyone at all.

The Virtual Paintout sets a different place in the world to visit every month. You can submit your art for posting, up to three images if you include the Street View URL of the place you sketched. It's pretty good fun for a rainy day.