Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art, UO Campus, Eugene, OR

Because we are students of Ken O’Connell, we got a special tour of the Oregon Invitational – forty-five 21st Century artists. Here he’s discussing Robert Gamblin’s Amersterdam series.

Ken knows many of the artists, which enhanced our appreciation.

          Discussing works by Robert Bibler, Margaret Coe, & Carol Hausser,

      Works by Paula Overbay, Susan Applegate & Jim Shull (Jim’s work on masonite being hand held); John Jay Cruson; & Leland John.

        Then we viewed samples of Ken’s sketchbooks, from 2006 – 2018.

What to sketch, what to study – we went every which way.

        Penny J & Lealan study one of the paintings, while Jim starts sketching the guys doing an installation in the next room!

      Penny J, Lealan, & Barb Sh focus on Edwin Koch’s Nectarines in a White Bowl, which Penny J then sketches. Nice crisp line work.

        Jane was mesmerized by Karen Carson’s Big Red – so much energy!

     Hugh & Sandy start their sketches with Barb Sh looking on – Sandy did a version of Big Red, too, with Hugh inspired by Ken’s sketch.

       Daisy was one of the first to start sketching – here looking at a painting, Split Screen, by Jay Backstrand.

         Franzi was new to our group, but not new to making art – nice to have her here. Marsha is sketching sketchers thanks to her photo!

        We followed up our visit by going to the Marché Museum Café – perfect for treats and chatting, and of course more sketching!

      Bev found the café to be a great spot to do quick portraits and gestural studies, which she always does so well.

        Daisy dutifully sketched her sandwich, and was elated to be achieving DARK in her sketch. Job well done, Daisy!

        Jim had a good view of the serving area, and in his 2nd sketch here he began to add people in the café. What a delightful sketch.

        Penny got into doing the serving area sketch, too, while Danita at the far table did Erik’s drink & hat & what was next on the table!

Public House, Springfield, OR

We were grateful for the vinyl wall panels and the heat today!

Nearly all: Hugh, Erik, Daisy, Bev, Marsha, Barb So., Sandy, & Serge.

        Bill thought the chair would be easier on his back while he worked on a Valentine’s card for his tango partner (his wife!). What fun.

        Hugh continues to explore the use of Posca acrylic markers on toned paper. Interesting overlay effects in the botanical garden scene.

        Daisy started out with a slash of a line, then lightbulbs and the archway to the wall with stained glass windows for context. Nice!

        Erik is a master at perspective. After putting in pencil guidelines, he uses Caran d’Ache wax crayons to begin fleshing out the sketch.

        Marsha is on a roll, sketching the sketchers! Here she has caught Barb So. & Sandy in action, using Pitt markers to build color.

        Bev uses Pitt markers, too, and look! She smudged the color on the leaves while the ink was still moist! And of course, hearts for the day.

        Barb So was oblivious to being Marsha’s model while she was sketching the tree outside, the logo and entry to the Public House.

        Sandy’s accustomed to sketching on her lap, a perfect setup for her sketch beyond the vinyl wall of the pots by the entrance.

        Satoko talking to Sandy & Serge. Here’s how Serge’s sketch evolved, first the general layout lines, then the details to capture the view.

    When Satoko sat down to sketch next to Lealan, she had to laugh at  Lealan – busy coloring a graphic on a handout that Laura brought!

        Laura was sketching the stained glass windows through the arches, not an easy task. The windows are not divided in equal parts!

        Ellen was looking across the courtyard…at Bill! So he got into her sketch, along with the corner of the building & distinctive font.

        Jane was looking all over the place, capturing little scenes in the squares format Katie designed. Nothing too serious – phew!

        Satoko was the last to show up, but look how much she got done! First a back sketch of Bev with Jane peaking over her shoulder, then a sketch of Jane & Erik (both looking so youthful) who stayed to chat.

Doing the gallery walk of the sketches: Ellen, Sandy, Hugh, Erik, Laura, Marsha, Lealan, Satoko, and Daisy.

The Public House, Springfield, OR

Love the light (& the heat!) here – Bev, Laura, Sandy, Hugh, Satoko, Serge, Marsha, Lealan. Jane behind camera, Daisy on her way.

          Bev started right out sketching folks at the back table (Serge, Satoko, Jane), and challenged herself with the architecture. Great!

       Laura used a pre-stamped page, sketched the trellis and hop vines over it, then couldn’t resist adding spring tulips at the bottom!

          At the far end of the next table, Hugh was experimenting with acrylic ink using his dad’s WW II drafting pen, then Posca markers.

       Sandy used Hugh’s ink bottles as her inspiration, she sure looked happy with the results, then added just a little bit more detail!

          Jane sketched the steeple in her landscape sketchbook, added a stained glass window, & building names (1st Christian Church first!)

        Satoko could only stay to sketch with us for a little while, but she made those minutes count! What a wonderful tree sketch emerged.

        Serge’s dedication to honing his sketching/watercolor skills is so admirable, despite his “aw, shucks” demeanor. Way to go!

        Marsha was sitting across from Laura, a perfect sketch subject, and not content with one version, she chose a different angle for a 2nd.

        It’s a kitten in the snow, Lealan joked. Then she took it and ran with it. Oh look, the snow’s melting…and the plants are coming up!

Daisy started with her coffee cup & palette, added the graphic logo, then tackled a corner of the building architecture.  Wow.

The Paddock, Eugene, OR

What are we doing in a bar? Well, other than consuming good coffee and food, I mean. Turns out we found things to sketch, of course.

You might have known we’d head for the light! Barb Sh, Ellen, Penny, Laura, Marsha, Bev, Sandy, Serge, Erik, Hugh, Lealan, Wanda, Zoe.

        Wanda was mesmerized by a photo of reflections in glass. Zoe had a sketch she’d done of her dog. Wanda’s glass sketch is at the bottom.

        Marsha decided the only way she’d get her “model” to hold still was to take a photo! Don’t you like the way she framed her sketch?

        Meanwhile, here’s what the “model” (Erik) was doing – trying to capture the morning fog! OH MY GOSH.

         Lealan has an intense look of concentration, and does it ever pay off in her vivid sketch of Bev & Erik – love that wonderful background.

     Jane sketched the condiment tray when she wasn’t taking photos. She colored it later with Caran d’Ache Museum Aquarelle pencils.

        Bev sketched the little box of candies that Laura brought, then added sketches of what she saw around her. She has a great style.

        Penny sketched the candy box, too, along with the teapot, etc. She used a water brush on the calligraphy marker lines to pull out color!

          Speaking of color, Serge continues his discipline of practicing watercolor techniques – put a line down in water, then drop color!

        Hugh’s a color fan, too – first acrylic markers on black, then pen and watercolor – interesting landscape contrasts between them.

        Sandy started drawing people, then the Duck poster on the wall with watercolor & white marker. Here’s her finished watercolor sketch.

         Laura was looking outside at the lighted patio area – she picked a perfect pre-stamped page for her sketch, bringing on the light.

        Ellen’s on a special mission, sketching each of her sons tipping their dad’s hat in a tribute to him. What a wonderful keepsake to create.

        Barb Sh did a sketch with text about her ink bottle holder, chose her next subject, and started in with dip pen and ink. She’s so clever.

        Daisy did the coffee in front of her, then the 3′ metal rooster on display. Her watercolor treatment really is delightful. Nice work!

Hugh said, “Let’s do a gallery walk!” So we commandeered the billiard table & put out our sketchbooks for all of us to see!

Tradewinds @ Jiffy, Eugene, OR

It was a little cooler here this week, so all 18 of us sketched inside!

      Wanda, Marsha, Bev; Jim, Laura, Hugh, Ken; Penny, Barb So, Sandy, Satoko, Barb Sh, Laura. (Missing: Ken, Lealan, Serge, Jane, Daisy.)

        Wanda is new to our group, and came with photos to draw. She may be new to us, but she clearly has developed skills!

      Marsha is really branching out in her sketching – this is not a simple object.  Her sketch of Jim and Hugh within the context is alive!

      Speaking of alive, Bev’s succulent sketch is sure alive, nicely complemented by her sketch of the people beyond Jim’s back.

        Daisy is having such fun with continuous line sketching. She also brought an “add a page” book for travel sketching – neato!

      Jim astonished us with his quickly done sketch of the refrigerated case in front of him, then on to a landscape sketch from a magazine.

     Hugh’s still askew, doing an interior sketch at a diagonal slant – wow!

    Jane borrowed Katie’s squares format to do little vignettes of what she saw around her, then a background of the logo. Does it work?

        Serge did two very different sketches of the scenes at Tradewinds, borrowing the squares idea for window frames. Yes, it works here!

       Barb So resorts to a favorite sketch topic – the people around her!

        Barb Sh had an Elegant Writer sketch, then a folded two-way sketch. Then she began a delightful sketch of another sketcher – Sandy!

       Penny took the opportunity to sketch the items on the table in front of her, including Lealan’s hat and sketchbook. Love that hat.

      Laura sketched what was on the table in front of her, and then began a mystery sketch…you’ll have to come back to see what it was!

         Sandy did a sketch of Laura behind plants at the table, and then of Hugh and Erik. Did I say we frequently sketch each other? Oh yes.

      Satoko is fast at capturing a bit of a scene around her, and includes values hints, too. We love having her sketch with us.

        And here’s what Erik, Ken, and Lealan were sketching. Clever folks.

Tradewinds @ Jiffy, Eugene, OR,

“Outside” sketching (with the heat blowing on us): Bill, Ellen, Jim, Ken, Erik, Barb Sh., & Jane behind the camera. Wonderful sun on us.

Inside sketching: Marsha, Katie, Bev, Jude (& Daisy later).

          Ellen is new to the group. When asked if she usually works with pencil/graphite, she replied, “No. I’m a potter!” Great job, however.

          Bill had the perfect pre-stamped page to sketch a music conductor (wow, look at those hands!), then back to his favorite: portraits.

        Jim’s imagination took off on his fence stamped page! He showed us a trick to painting without dragging your hand through wet paint.

        Jane said, “I’m done!” “Oh, no you’re not,” said Ken. “Give me that thing.” And he proceeded to add trees in the negative space. Wow.

          “Here, you work on mine,” Ken said to Jane. So she added the logo and name to his chair sketch while he worked on hers. Fun time.

       It takes a lot of pressure to get the rich wax crayon coverage Erik likes. Why does he keep doing it? Because he’s terrific at it!

          Barb Sh wanted to use a dip pen, and found this gizmo to hold her ink bottle. Subjects: Erik & Ken. “Yep, that’s me,” Ken said.

         Marsha brought a doll in a Japanese kimono which she’d had for a long time, cautious about trying to do a drawing of it – ta dah!

        Bev drew the potted succulent on the table, the the Japanese doll from a different angle with her head turned. Delightful pages!

        Katie keeps adding little vignettes to her page of frames. The one today was the delicious scone she had. Next the store logo?

        Jude was mesmerized by the wine bottles in the shelf display.  The questions: do them all? what about the bottoms? Pure whimsy wins!

        Daisy started out doing a “blind” drawing (not looking at her page), then another looking, a loose watercolor, and the store logo. Yes!

Jane’s place, Eugene, OR

It’s become an annual event – bring your sketchbook and put stamps or spray swatches or patterns on pages ahead of your sketching! Here’s a view of the stamping table with the sprayers in the mirror.

         Ken was the master demonstrator with the compressed air sprayer using Copic markers for pigment. Yes, we’re all fascinated!

        Most of the rubber stamps were background texture, with some patterned stamps to add for page decoration. Oh, what to do!

      Daisy brought some stamps, too, and the curiosity  stamping was on!

        Jane closed her book after spraying a stencil using a Tsukineko spray bottle – oops, easy to get too wet, as Erik saw, too. Penny did better.

       Penny also tried the pressurized sprayer, as did Barb So after tips from Ken.  Tricky to get the right distance & keep the stencil on.

        There was a whole lot of action going on – Hugh & Sandy did teamwork on one, then Lona did one on a postcard. How clever.

       Marnie had a previous sketch done which she decided was just right for stamp action – nice design going there! Hugh tried that, too.

        Jim and Lona took their stamped/sprayed pages and utilized them for background and framing for  a sketch – so unusual and fresh.

          Then Sandy discovered a new use of marking pens and stencil – wow! Barb Sh showed Erik her dimensional paper journal, and Penny J reverted to (gasp!) plain old sketching. What a morning.

We had been assured that Tradewinds was going to be open on January 1st, but when folks arrived they found it wasn’t so. Did that stop them from sketching? No! “Begin the year as you wish to continue,” Marsha said!

     Daisy and Marsha headed for Market of Choice. Daisy wants everyone to note that she started the year eating vegetables: spinach and kale pastry! Marsha faced “fear of the blank page” with admirable accomplishment – sketch what’s in front of you! Great!

      When Jude and her friend Wanda showed up, they solved the problem by going to Hideaway Bakery, and sketched an antique store item Wanda brought with her. Nicely done!

Sketchers like these are clearly resilient and determined. Way to go!

Public House, Springfield, OR

    It’s hard get a photo of us all, because people keep coming and going (getting coffee, coming from an appointment, etc.). 1st – Jude, Marsha, Ken, Katie, Daisy, Hugh, Jim, & Laura. 2nd –  Laura, Bev, Bill, Jim, Daisy, Katie, Marsha, Helga, Sandy, Hugh, Ken, Jude.  Below are samples of sketches by all of us, in alphabetical order by first name (because the editor is too rushed to figure out the story otherwise):

        Bev not only does a sweet sketch, she frames it with what’s around – a trellis, and the table! Then on to the stained glass windows- oh boy.

     Bill has a fascination for faces, and what interesting ones he collects!

        Daisy’s getting very adept at drawing and laying in color with colored pencils, but she’s also wondering what she can do to “go darker.”

         Helga starts with the main arch of the wall, then expands it into detail and definition. You can tell that the door is set back from the arch!

        Here you can see Hugh’s clever setup for his water soluble wax crayons – he goes directly to them with water brush, then to paper!

          It’s no surprise that Jane started with the botanical. Then she added a penciled outline of a couple of chairs, & the name of the place above.

        Jim did a quick outline in pencil of the building façade & people in front of it, then watercolor – look for what he doesn’t do…

        Jude was looking at a different wall, caught the lights; worried about the angle of the roofed pier, but Jane said the shadows will make it ok.

          Katie started out with a continuous line drawing – oops, no room for the rest of the flower! But it all turned out just terrific anyway!

      Ken said he just found this old watercolor set so decided to use it! Then he brought out his recent ceramics to show us the glazing.

          Laura started out with one head (Jude), added another person (Sandy), then another (Ken) and the building background – what fun!

        Marsha sent these pics in – sometimes people across from you are just too tempting not to draw! Here’s Jim, Daisy, and Jane. Oblivious.

          And here are some of Marsha’s sketches – didn’t she do them well!

        Sandy was sitting across from her sweetie, Hugh. She says she thinks this is the best she’s ever done of him, and she’s done lots! Yep.

     And Satoko’s back from Japan! She’s so quick – a sketch of the flowers before her, and another of a nearby sketcher (Helga). Way to go!

Public House, Springfield, OR

Much to our surprise, the building didn’t open until 11, but the courtyard was both covered and heated! Great light. We liked it.

         Jane sketched flowers on the table, the sign above them, the colored window logo, & one of the sketchers. Had lunch, $1 off next time!

        Sandy’s a lap painter – first the flower arrangement, then an peeled orange. She & Bill found they both had been organization consultants.

           Bill confessed to sketching people while he was in meetings, and that he had to write down their names so he’d recognize them again.

            Erik was drawing people, too – Hugh, right across from him. As the tradition goes, you show the person your sketch of them, & they sign.

     Meanwhile, Hugh was far far away in Canyon de Chelly. What a wonderful rendition! He’s using water brush on pigment crayons.

      Jude also sketched the flowers on the table, using water soluble colored pencils. She has a lovely delicate touch. Elegant flowers!

      When Laura leaned back in her chair, she discovered she could see the old church steeple (a challenge!). Then she did what was around her.

         It’s always so fun to see what Bev will find to include on her pages, with a nice design strategy having the flowers reach across the page.

        Lealan came a little late, but wasted no time in getting the marker pens working to capture the vibrancy of the flowers on the table.

        Remember Lona’s red page last week? It’s the background for her Christmas mouse! Red edges on the next page? No problem for her!