From Symposium to Group Show

© Sue Van Etten

Three members of the Whidbey Island Sketchers participated in the Portland symposium this summer.  We're just sure that our new-found and better-honed sketching skills gained at the symposium helped lead to an invitation for the first ever Whidbey Island Sketchers Group Show that opened on Monday and runs through the month of October.


© Lisbeth Cort

Ranging from novice to professional artist, symposium participants Faye Castle, Lisbeth Cort and Sue Van Etten are 3 of 14 island artists whose sketches appear in the group show.  We're not "urban" but we sure loved capturing the character - and characters - of this place for the show.  It's what Urban Sketchers is all about and was highlighted so well in a recent newspaper article entitled, "Whidbey Island Art Group Embraces Camaraderie Through Craft".

We thank symposium instructors and fellow symposium participants for your advice, constructive (and gentle) criticism, and encouragement.  We invite you to visit the show if your travels take you to a big island in the middle of Puget Sound just north of Seattle, WA USA this month! 

 

© Faye Castle

And thanks for our great memories of the 1st International Urban Sketching Symposium!  Hope to see you next year.

Symposium Aftermath

The symposium was the apex of a very busy summer. It's taken until now to scan sketches done during and since the sketchers feast. And I'm definitely still digesting. It was a wonderfully enriching event and I thank all the instructors, correspondents and participants.

We went to the food carts for our urban colors session.

Portlanders still sketching regularly after the symposium!

The Portland Urban Sketchers have been meeting regularly and in larger numbers after the momentum of the Symposium. Here is my sketch from our meet up at the White Eagle Hotel and Cafe (eastside of the river)

Please visit the Portland Urban Sketchers to see what we're up to!

http://urbansketchers-portland.blogspot.com/

Memphis Urban Sketchers

I was so inspired by the experience of sketching with a group while at the Urban Sketchers Symposium in Portland that I came home and started a group in Memphis. Today was our first group sketch at the Memphis Farmers Market.







































Here's my sketch. I didn't get a lot of sketching done because I was busy socializing.






















This is Sujata's sketch and gear. She just moved to Memphis from India four months ago, so this group will give her a great way to get to know the city.
















This is Chandler's sketch. She teaches art at University of Memphis and makes little postcard-sized watercolors that she sells on Etsy.






















Such a treat for me - my nephews and nieces came, too, and made some great sketches. This is my oldest niece, Somerset.




















I am so excited about having a group here and being able to share the experience of urban sketching with my fellow Memphians. Thanks so much to all of you for inspiring me!

will's barber shop

I arrived in portland the day before the symposium, and once out of the train, we went to china town with tia, her husband albert, liz and borromini. I wanted to warm up with an american classic car, and founded this cool cadillac. after a while sketching on the floor front of it, an old guy came out of the near barber shop. he was the proud owner of it. I asked to sketch him, and we talked a few.
will is 77 years old, a veteran of korean war and get a barber shop on 4th ave 11-1a.
visit him if your around there!


blogged by lapin

Portland sketches

I finally managed to post some of my sketches from Portland! It was such an amazing experience to spend time with other sketchers, meet some of the fellow correspondents in real life, and explore the city. This was also an opportunity to try new materials thanks to our sponsors - I tried my hand at accordion-fold Moleskine: to be honest, I favor the watercolor papers a lot more, and I was struggling with this paper until I discovered that Faber-Castell Pitt pen glides well on its smooth surface. I did a line drawing of panoramic views I've seen from the riverfront, and did small portraits of fellow sketchers at dinner in the space underneath it: I was able to capture glimpses of Gerard, Ronnie, Kumi, Tia, Jason, Gabi, Frank, Matt, Lapin, and Isabel. More of my sketches are collected in my blog here.

My results from Urban Line session

Urban Line


In this session by Frank Ching, we went to the riverside and I drew Steel Bridge. It was a really unique bridge. The middle of lower part of the bridge is movable: A vertical-lift bridge. I saw it went up and a ship went through the beneath and then it went down. After returning it's original position, then a train ran across it. (You can see the train runs in my sketch. )
Mr. Ching's advice to me was to follow the way how the structure was built.(I don't remember the exact phrase but I understand something like that) And to draw the structure, you should draw not only the thing you can see ( superficial details) but also draw hidden part behind. I'm still not so happy with my result since I couldn't capture the lower deck of the bridge. There are some missing pillars backside but thanks to Mr. Ching, I like the upper part.


Then I drew the buildings seen across the river. This glassy building was a tough one. I couldn't figure out what it was exactly like. After drawing these sketches I realized that how great those fellow architects' understanding of structure is and how skillful seemingly easily drawn lines are! I added colors even though it was a Urban Line session. I couldn't resist my desire to make up my deficiency.