Placemaking12: Carol Hsiung

Carol Hsiung loves to draw. She studied architecture at Cornell University and has, for the past 30 years, applied her pen to her craft as an architect. Carol has garnered much acclaim for her drawings and has been widely published. She credits sketching with enabling her to connect with the world around her and in this digital age, she hopes her sketches help inspire others to keep the art of drawing by hand alive. Carol lives in New Jersey with her loving husband, clever son, crazy dog and lots and lots of pens.

Carol is an architect and artist who lives in Milburn, NJ.  A friend of mine shared her drawing of her neighborhood walk with me.  I was so enraptured, I asked if she might do the cover for my book, Main Street, which she did!

-Mindy Fullilove

“Remembering when I was a kid”

(text taken from CityLab’s “Your Maps of Life Under Lockdown”)

I drew this sketch reflecting what I saw and encountered on my dog walk down my street in Millburn, New Jersey, on one of those perfect sunny afternoons on a weekend when “everyone” seemed to be out — six feet apart. It made me feel nostalgic, remembering when I was a kid when kids played on the streets and neighbors talked with each other.

I have been living here for 15 years and never saw so many families out walking and biking together — I even saw my husband ride by. I do not take my neighbors and neighborhood for granted anymore. I feel so lucky for living here.

“music in the street”

(text from email for “music in the street” sketch)

I am attaching another sketch I drew today of walking my dog which turned into dancing with my dog in my neighborhood.  A band was playing in the backyard and the music of the Grateful Dead, Queen….filled the street bonding the neighbors together. It was joyful.

Scroll to Top