Symposium Participant: Lisbeth Cort

I’m completely new at this! I doodled a little growing up but someone told me I couldn’t draw very well when I was at a young, impressionable age so I put down my pen... until six months ago. That’s when I began sketching at the urging of friends who had just organized the Whidbey Island Sketchers. I haven’t stopped sketching since and now have a wonderful new group of friends who love to sketch each week and sometimes drink a bit a wine as well.

While I’ve long enjoyed photography, I think “urban” sketching (which takes on a whole new meaning living in a small historic town on a big island in the middle of Puget Sound near Seattle) is the perfect way to capture travel memories, a sense and spirit of place, and all the colors and characters that make it memorable. I love the spontaneity of it – the fact that I’m trying to depict a sliver of time in a place I visit rather than creating a formal painting.

In my “real” life I have my own business, Cort Communications, working with nonprofit organizations all across the U.S. This after working in or leading historic preservation, arts and grantmaking organizations for 25+ years. I love my work, but as Pablo Picasso said, “Art washes away from the soul the dust from every day life.”

I have much to learn but still enjoy sharing my sketches on flickr. Can’t wait to meet so many talented and interesting participants and instructors from all over the world. See you in Portland. ~ Lisbeth