Sketching wherever we are:

Marsha, Jane (still in virtual Italy), Bev (still in actual Brookings), Rita (still in sunny California), Bitty, Danita (still in Forest Haven), Laura, Daisy (in a quilting frenzy), Barb So, Hugh (still in virtual Machu Pichu), Sandy, and Lealan.

      Marsha’s been using different tools to sketch the same still life – white gel pen on black, wax crayon, water soluble ink (her favorite).

           Jane’s still taking Sketchbook Design, so she wonders about leaving the negative space white. How will it balance with page 1? OK, black.

      Bev sketched her lemon tree, did several sketches of her cat, and then completely out of her mind (too to speak) Lunar New Year!

      Rita enjoys sketching her yard, family artifacts for her daughter, and her daughter’s cat – “how do you paint black”, she asks! Wow.

      Bitty warmed up with a b&w sketch of counter items, then b&w still life  followed by a series of color versions (yellow bottle invented!).

      Danita started with 2 page spreads in a “meander” booklet that she turned into an accordion style featuring travel scenes – delightful!

        Some people are just too busy to post their work, but Laura took on the challenge of nearly black tulips, which have now given up petals.

    Barb So started with the ever popular sketch of her hand & tools, then her yummy breakfast, and a little salamander at her door!

       Hugh’s having a great time using “Coffee Break ” water soluble ink for 5 min. sketches, but prefers watercolor & bold black ink line.

      Sandy’s still determined to use up her blue water soluble ink, and when she made a scribbled mess she sketched Hugh over it in black!

Real life was interfering with art for a couple of us, so present today were just Marsha, Jane, Daisy, Danita, Bev, Laura, & Hugh.

      Marsha was busy testing white mark makers – her first sketch was with Uniball Signo, and the last with Art n Fly.  Different effects!

     Jane is still looking for the perfect sketchbook – one makes a pre-sketch in pencil a graphite mess, the other absorbs paint.  Hmmmm

     Daisy took a class on painting snow on a virtual trip – that looks like it was fun! Then a sketch to show a quilting technique – WOW.

Danita’s on a mission to represent all of Oregon’s trees.  Here’s a start (she had enough for several pages!), and isn’t it delightful!

      Bev is out exploring on the coast, capturing vignettes wherever she is. What a wonderful diversity of sketches and thoughts, too.

   Laura’s playing with people sketches while watching tv, but saves her “serious” sketching for real objects right in front of her.  Well done.

      Hugh’s still seeing what water soluble blue ink will do, then a memory trip back  to Amsterdam, and time with soluble black ink!

      Somehow the changed time email missed Bitty, but she didn’t miss sketching this week, all 5 minute sketches in a new 5.5″ square book!

        Barb So missed the meeting too, but didn’t miss sending in her charming sketches from this past week. Ziva is her son’s dog.

  Rita had a doctor’s note for her absence, but she turned in her homework – what a pleasure to complement the art with poetry.

   Here we are again – Marsha, Jane, Barb So, Sandy, Bitty, Danita, Laura, Hugh, Rita, Bev, & Daisy. Laura starts with water soluble ink!

.   Hugh’s exploring water soluble ink, too, but in between he revisited a place he & Sandy visited in Europe – lovely work either way!

      Sandy got blue water soluble ink with the fountain pen she bought, and she can hardly wait to use it up! Great gestural studies.

      Marsha wanted to see what watercolor on top of water soluble ink would do, then back to her class work, getting more dramatic now!

     It’s hard to know what Bitty will use next – crayon, watercolor, ink…
whatever, she’s having fun exploring and we are in seeing her work!

     Jane is taking a design class – first “closed” compositions, which have defined containment, no overlapping. Oh boy. This is a struggle.

          Daisy’s taking the class, too, at her own pace, several things on the page, 2 page spread, adding receipts as a collage related to it. NICE!

   Danita showed us how she builds the 4 page spread in a folding sketchbook – first b&W, then watercolor & gel pen highlights. Wow.

      Rita has a bounty of fruit in So. CA, so she tried her hand at the interesting bowl where she’d put some oranges – hmm, maybe if…

   It was raining in Brookings, so Bev resorted to sketching…clothing hanging in her closet! What a great idea! Interesting clothes, too.

       Barb So. finished her sketch of Amanda Gorman from tv, then included the rain with the bird outside, and her sweet puppies!

Please remind the photographer to take at least two screen shots of the group. Well, we were all intent, anyway! (click to enlarge pics)

Bev, Jane, Sandy, Marsha, Rita, Danita, Tricia, Daisy, Bitty, Laura, BarbSo, & Hugh. We shared and talked for about 1 1/2 hours today!

     Bev’s joining us from the rainy coast in Brookings, Oregon – so she’s back to serious designing, & sketching her closet! Of course she is.

       Jane used colored pencils on colored paper, then did her  fountain pen & ink survey, and tried her soluble ink on the catkins. Whooee.

      Sandy’s starting a new sketchbook, so she’s testing her mark making tools to start. Quick sketch on the river, & follow up on suggestions!

          Marsha got sidetracked trying out her husband’s pens, then on to class assignments – she’s committed to stretching her talents!

          It’s such a pleasure to have Rita back with us, thanks to Zoom. She says she’s trying to loosen up, but why! We all think these are great!

      Danita is one of our most committed sketchers, and so put some thought into these. Well, the last one took five minutes each item.

      Tricia’s back with us, and eager to share her watercolor sketches from a workshop in South America. Lovely and lush.

      Daisy’s still sketching neighbors’ yards – “not done, come back!” OK. And taking workshops – a different way of looking at landscape.

     Bitty took group advice from last week & cut her painting in half! Then rosehips (using friskit), and the neighbor’s real house color. (!)

       Laura (& Jane) is taking Liz Steel’s “Sketching Now” class, mostly on page design & adding elements –  here: borders, boxes, color blocks.

       BarbSo tries to get a sketch done every day, so her life gets chronicled along the way. And we want to join her for tea!

         Hugh caught the glow through the trees & quickly captured it on his iPad. Then he tried watercolor to get reflections.  And now he’s trying out his new Lamy fountain pen with soluble ink. Never bored!

Guess who’s learned to use a virtual background on Zoom???

Marsha, Jane (in Trevi, Italy), Danita, Laura, Rita, Hugh (at the  coast), Bitty, Daisy, Barb So, Sandy (at the coast), and Bev.

Marsha’s 5 min. sketches. A study in light starting with a photo, then turning it into black & white to use for a painting interpretation!

Jane finished her accordion sketchbook, now what? Bee 9×9, Arteza 8.25×8.25, Etchr HP 5/75×8, S&B Zeta 7×7, Shinola 5×3.75? “What paper do you like best?” Rita said. Hmm, Arteza with the crab I did:   

Danita played with negative space – first imagined grass, then the background & splatter! And some more sketches from her “yard.”   

          Barb So had to go early, so we just got a screen shot of her sculpture sketch.  Laura is still playing with Derwent pencils – nice colors!

    Rita’s busy resolving sketches – the spacey one with mushrooms got..
more of them! Loose yard sketches were her favorites. I see why!

      When Hugh’s not out walking to pick up on people sketches, he reverts back to travel photos (which makes us want to be there!).

   Bitty’s trying her sketch skills applied to watercolor (yes, friskit on the boat masts) – great discussion on object depth with the boats.

      Daisy’s enjoying her design class, trying things outside her comfort zone and liking them! And the last neighborhood Xmas decoration.

      Bev’s using some hand carved stamps (missing our Jan. stamp-out!), and getting used to drawing boats since they’re around her now.

     
When Sandy can’t find people (including her husband) to sketch, she just looks around her & sketches her home! Sometimes adds dogs.
     

     And this just in from Ken – here’s why we haven’t seen him lately – he’s busy boxing up local artists’ archives that he had stored!

Zooming from home

Danita, Jane, Daisy, Marsha, Hugh, Laura, Sandy, Bev, Barb So.& Rita. Barb S-N visited & showed us some watercolor work.

       Danita did 4 views of crystal by moving the book 1/4 turn! She also did color swatches for her inherited pastels – great idea.

      Jane’s 5 min. sketch, then she took colored pencil to it. Now the question of how do you take a photo of an accordion sketchbook!

        The last of Daisy’s neighbor’s decorations (they’re coming down!). Next the beginning of a design spread…what will be added?

      First Marsha’s 5 min. sketches (you can tell she really know her colored pencil stuff!), then Bitty’s (a dracaena) with wax crayons.

        
Hugh is moving toward abstract by sketching on top of maps.  Laura is trying woodless Koh-I-Noor colored pencils – nice layering!

     Sandy’s doing a sketch every day – she did the figure one day in the middle one, background next day.   5th St  is a great place for people .      

      Bev is finding all kinds of things to draw around her in Brookings. She’s always been one of our most prolific sketchers. She’s back!

   Rita did a great 5 min sketch of her shears (later coloring the handle yellow!), and tried a loose watercolor of mushrooms before inking.

Just because we’re sketching from home doesn’t mean we’re not taking classes, giving each other ideas, presenting challenges…

Marsha, Jane, Danita, Sandy, Hugh, Bev, Rita, Bitty, Lealan, Daisy, Barb So, Katie, Laura.

   Bitty is taking a watercolor class through OAS – watercolor washes, divide them, turn pieces, add to them. Except that last one – WOW!

     Katie had done the class before, and had an answer for how do you frame or mount these things! Click on the directions to use.

      Marsha’s taking the class, too, and shared the 5 minute sketch challenge.  Laura did a field trip & spent as long as she wished.

      Barb So’s sketches show that staying a home doesn’t have to be boring – a concert on tv, the striking bird out the window, & leaves.

     Please click to enlarge these delightful sketches from Bev who’s living down at the coast now, & seeing interesting things to sketch.

  Daisy brings her interest in sketching to her quilt making – here are some quilt blocks to capture memories of 2021, sketched in b&w.

      Staying at home for Danita means lots of room outside to explore. She’s also exploring how to add text to her sketchbook pages. Nice!

      Staying home for Hugh always means daily walking, too. That artist’s eye is busy wherever he is: desk, owl in a tree, autumn leaves.

      Jane is on a search for the “perfect” daily sketchbook. A small (4×6″) accordion fold can be one day or two. Larger 8″ square folds out too.

       Lealan has been busy capturing holiday lights with watercolor, present wraping with markers, and the eagle in a tree in b&w.

      Rita was playing with a layout for her annual “travel” (at home) journal, a crystal vase of ornaments, and a dear young friend.

     Sandy took the advice “sketch what’s in front of you” seriously – veggies on the counter top, her own feet in socks, breakfast muffin.

From the comfort of our own homes, zooming:

Marsha, Jane, Barb So, Daisy, Rita, Laura, Hugh, Bev, Sandy, Bitty, Danita all signed in. It was nice to have Rita here from California.

      Barb So stepped out of her comfort zone using black paper, and to great effect! Way to go! Then a sweet ceramic cat in watercolor.

   Bev sketched the things around her – lemons on her tree in Brookings, forest detritus, and her blooming camellia.  Lovely.

   Bitty sketched things around her, too, including the Burchell’s Sandgrouse she saw on a field trip. Nice diversity of sketches!

   Daisy’s back skulking around her neighborhood continuing to capture holiday decorations. And she’s started a new quilt!      

Danita waits until she’s finished a sketchbook before she does the first two entry pages – what a delightful sketch, as well as good  idea!

Last page of Hugh’s sketchbook! It’s been a challenge to find views that use both pages, but he was determined and quite a success.

      Jane usually does daily gratitude sketches at about 3″, clustered on a 9″x12″ page, but the poinsettia sketch demanded more space! Hmm.

   Laura did a sketch of a table decoration from a friend, and Rita did a sketch of a friend’s previous house (& had to explain to owners!).

   Marsha started with a simple line drawing, then added “scribbles” using the Carbon Pen (pictured) and color to turn this into “WOW!”

     This guy’s puffy coat & mask hanging from his ear fascinated Sandy. The dogs belong to her grandson, & featured a birthday card for him.

Zooming from the comfort of our homes!

Marsha, Jane, Danita, Laura, Bev, Daisy, Barb So, Hugh, & Bitty.

             Daisy continues to add to her sketches of neighbor’s decorations.    

           Barb So stayed close to home with her sketches, including her dogs’ favorite new toy – a bright pink pig! Lovely sketches as always.

     Laura always makes felt ornaments for a group of friends who have gotten together at Christmas, & did a sketch of them this year, too.

      Jane does her small daily gratitude sketches on a 9″X 12″ detached sheets of paper, with varying success in sketch arrangement.

      Bitty did some sketching from a video demonstration about mushrooms, then showed us some evocative land & sea scapes.

     Danita continued to do documentation of the buildings on their property, and her husband Michael showed a sketch from his book in process tentatively called “Why Things Fall Down.”

        Marsha chose an old family favorite decoration to sketch; Hugh the old county courthouse; Sandy tried a new perspective for tea break.

Meeting from the convenience of our own homes, & glad to see one another: Marsha, Jane (who needs to remember to take screen shots instead of camera ones), Bev, Laura, Hugh, Katie, Sandy, Daisy, Danita, & Barb So.

      Last meeting there was an interest expressed in hand carved stamps, so Jane brought her carving materials, stamps, & samples of stamping used for images, backgrounds, and in collage.
       

   Barb So is experimenting with colored pencil on black paper – isn’t it delightful?  And Sandy has a new bird to bring to life, watercolor.

Hugh continues to experiment with water soluble wax crayons on color tinted paper – gray paper here, book open to  landscape view.

    Daisy’s new venture is mapping her neighborhood and doing sketches of all the holiday decorations. A book is coming here!     

        Danita is sketching her neighborhood, too – her immediate neighborhood! Their house, discoveries on the ground, their yurt.

     Katie is getting prepared for teaching another zoom watercolor class, so this is to demonstrate the development of a sketch.

         Marsha keeps refining her skills, first with an ink & watercolor of holiday decorations, then an iPad sketch of a guy on tv.  Great!

    And Laura’s discovering one of the strategies of a home-bound sketcher: sketch from photos! Fun lighthearted approach.