I didn't want it to end!

Thanks Gabi and everyone involved in making this so memorable and thanks to all for your friendship. I am going to enjoy these memories for a long time.

Here are some of my photos and drawings.

Jason and Kumi

Virginia and people group.

Frank and architecture group.

Liz drawing her lunch.

Gabi and Kumi

Lapin

Kurt

Orling

Drawing our coffee cups.

Lapin drawing Frank.

Lapins drawing.

I adjusted the levels on these after listening to Jason Das talk, makes the colors bright.

In Jasons group one person did the drawing and another put on the w/c.

My wife and stayed to do some sight seeing, and shopping of course.

Powells has a promo going on, computer magic.

Sketching Nirvana

Words and, I'm afraid, even pictures can't really describe what an amazing event the Urban Sketching Symposium was, for me.

The first amazing thing was to finally meet some of the people I've admired for so long in the virtual world. First and foremost Gabi. I think Gabi has 2 twin brothers who where there as well because everywhere I turned, he was there documenting or facilitating or leading a sketch group and always sketching. Gabi, thank you so much for everything you've done to create this amazing Urban Sketching thing.

Quick sketch of Veronica and Frank Ching on the morning of day 3. I love the color of Frank's shirt.

The next thing was seeing all those sketchbooks in the room. I'd seen a lot of the work in them online but to see them laid out there and, in some cases to hold them and page through them was, (and I'm revealing myself as the true sketch nerd that I am), almost a religious experience. Jason's small Brooklyn cityscapes are incredibly intimate in person and Isabel's beautiful scenes of Mauritanian life ... I'll stop myself there but I was really moved by seeing everyone's work in person.

This was done as part of Tia's Urban Color group using her Urban Splasher's technique of pre-staining the page with random color and working the composition around it.

The most wonderful thing, though was being around so much enthusiasm for drawing. It was truly contagious and I think the entire city felt it, I know the Mayor did!

I regret that I wasn't able to join all of the instructors for their presentations or join them all for sketching sessions but that's why there's going to be another one next year, right?

WOW!

So I am back home after the incredible time in Portland. What a great trip, so many great experiences and memories. I finally met so many of the people in person, whom I had corresponded with via Flickr and USK for the last year or so. Thanks sooooo much to Gabi and all of the people at PNCA and the other correspondents of USK who made this thing a reality.

Sketching Woodstock 2010 was a monster success!

Day one, Frank Ching offers advise

Liz Steel, Borromini and Gerard having some fun

Simo offers her thoughts on composition and Union Station

Closing reception and sketchbook display, WOW!

A few of my sketches I finally got scanned tonight.

Day one, with Frank Ching

Man that long Moleskine was fun to fill up!

What a fun time, what great memories. I hope I can afford to go to Lisbon next year. I'm saving my pennies starting yesterday!

Sketched!

The symposium weekend was the kind of event that, yes, made an impact as it took place, but will certainly inspire and instruct and delight for a long time to come. Home for less than 24 hours, I'm already feeling its impact. For various reasons, I was not 100% myself while I was there, but still managed to leap in and do some sketches---here are some. More to come!

urban lines

On Friday morning, day two of the Symposium, sketching with Lapin's urban line group down by the Steel Bridge. Amazing work on display. I just noticed how this image kinda sorta resembles the urban sketchers logo!

symposium participant : suzanne cabrera

Sadly, I didn't introduce myself prior to the symposium, but I guess late is better than never! You may remember me---I was that girl sitting in the back of the room drawing----oh right, that was everyone! So fun to be part of a group!

My name is Suzanne and fortunately I had the opportunity to talk to many of you, and learn by glancing over shoulders at the sketchbooks of many more. I had the best time in Portland and hope you did too.

Here's the first spread in my Moleskine [which were actually the last pages I completed---I'm superstitious and always skip the first couple of pages in a new sketchbook]. I tried to approach the accordion format as one composition, linking each spread to the next. As such, I would love to be able to post the whole book as one big file. Does anyone have any suggestions on how this might be done? I could probably create a video, but would love if it was a matter of using a scroll bar to look at from beginning to end.

Cheers to sketching with friends, both new and old. I look forward to seeing more inside your sketchbooks in upcoming days!

Find more of my drawings over at my blog : An Open Sketchbook.

girl with the red hat

Pete Scully sketching the girl with the red hat

"i've been illustrated!" says Kalina.