5th St. Market, Eugene, OR

This is a popular place, but we’re finding different views here – Sandy, Barb Sh, Laura, Jim, Erik, Bev, Hugh, Daisy, & Danita.

      Barb So, Laura; Erik & Hugh; Barb Sh checking things out with Erik.

      Bill challenged Barb Sh to sketch with her mouth last week, and this week she did it with her right foot! Then a sketch of people here.

       Barb So was sketching people here, too, but got frustrated with Hugh who kept changing positions. Finally, that leg is believable!

      It’s going to be hard for us to see Bev leave us, going back to Brookings. We’ve enjoyed her & her unique design style so much.

      No one was surprised to see Daisy sketching her pastry, but then she showed us her tool test palette on toned paper – what a clever idea!

      I think Danita has been watching Jim H, here taking on the cafe across from us in all its detail. She said, I added the blue backdrop.

      Hugh discovered that if he put a clear adhesive shelf paper on his iPad it gave him “tooth” to sketch on – and here’s the result today!

   Jane sketched her pastry, and then chairs, chairs, chairs. Doing the design in red, white, & black was fun to do, too.

      Jim H (remember Jim?) was doing the same scene Danita picked, but at a slightly different angle and style. Love the layered watercolors.

      Laura chose the chairs to sketch, too. They’re HARD to do, to get the angles right, the perspective. Who’d have thought. Nicely done!

      Sandy is having a wonderful time sketching people. What delightful grouping and lively color. Well done, Sandy. Don’t stop!

Along Came Trudy, Springfield, OR

We kind of filled the place up – Bill, Jim, Jude, Barb So., Lynda, Danita, Sandy, Daisy,  Bitty. But that’s not all!

  Danita, Daisy, Hugh, Bitty, Laura, Jude, Barb So., Jim, Bill, Lynda; Sandy, Erik, Marsha. And yet there’s more.

      Sandy was really concentrating on sketching Laura, who kept moving, she said! But she did a great sketch of her anyway.

      Marsha uses many mediums well – pencil, ink, and iPad! With the latter, she created a black page & then started erasing. Terrific!

    Erik used a watercolor wash for the dark sky, and doesn’t that tree just pop off the page! He keeps his tools sharp for tiny branches.

      Danita showed Erik some mesh drywall tape she brought to share. It’s repositionable on paper. Jane drew pencil guide lines with it, Barb Sh painted over it for the floor texture in her sketch.

      Oh look, Danita used it, too – perhaps these guidelines will be used for one of the quotes on the wall in the cafe.

   Barb Sh often sketches with her non-dominant hand, & Bill challenged her to draw with her mouth, so she did! What a fabulous spirited sketch of one of her dogs.  Here are Bill’s people sketches.

      Barb Sh found an old rusty water pump along with other items, sketched them with water soluble ink, took a wet brush to the lines.

   Daisy & Barb So discovered that Bev sneaked in, and they were eager to share sketches with her. Here’s Bev’s sketch.

     Daisy’s really getting good at sketching pastries! Then she did a charming sketch of a shelf display in the cafe.

    Barb So made great progress on her sketch, using a frame around part of it, then adding items from around the room. Interesting.

      Bitty is playing with some of the art tools she got for the toned paper workshop with Pat Southern-Pearce, surprised at color changes.

    Hugh’s getting to be an old hand at using toned paper. Here he used Caran d’Ache wax crayons, water soluble, but without water.

      Jane was using the frame template, laid it on top of the page & Bitty said “Leave it!” She liked the abstract peek-a-boo effect!

      Jim took a hint from Ken O and went back to a previously done sketch to add color. He’s not a clean palette believer, can you tell?

   Jude likes the soft effect she can get with colored pencils, and adapted the frame template for a rectangle page shape.

       Laura cleverly incorporated the leaf design from the cafe plates in her sketch along with shelf artifacts – lovely whimsical touch!

      Lynda did some nice pencils sketches of items, and said “I think I’m ready for ink.” We think so, too. She’s taking a class next week!

Along Came Trudy, Springfield, OR

Mostly all of us: Bitty, Daisy; Danita, Erik behind Hugh, Marsha, Katie; Peggy, Sandy, Jim H., Barb Sh, Bill.

      Daisy was really at task sketching everything that was in front of her, including the leaf design on her plate! Nice collection of sketches.

      Danita zeroed in on a part of a shelf display – wonderful job on those complicated cones!

      Jim H. took a little wider view of a shelf display – delightful in black & white, but it really comes to life in color.

      A display in the corner caught Sandy’s eye, and again though the jink sketch was wonderful, the color makes it sing.

         Jane sketched the same corner, then added things from other shelf displays. That dressmaker’s dummy was a challenge for lots of us.

      Lynda came a little late, so she didn’t get a lot of her sketch done, but paid attention to details and shading on the edges of things.

      Peggy is having fun playing with colored paper –  here sketching cotton bolls stuck in a metal container. What fun, indeed.

      Hugh consults with Marsha who has done digital sketching before, discovering the various tools, and here’s his finished sketch!

      Meanwhile, Marsha plays with water soluble crayons for an upcoming class in toned paper, then a portrait sketch in pencil.

   Bill got a little sidetracked by all the quotes on the walls before he was back doing portraits in ink. He’s so good at this!

      And Barb Sh. had a great time sketching her hand in various angles to play with the pre-stamped shells on her page. So delightful!

.      Helga finished her sketch from last week, then went on to sketch another woman on her Japanese scarf. Nice graphic touch.

      Bitty continued to work on sketches of the orchids which caught her eye in a photo. Very elegantly done!

         Katie & Erik crack up. She says she was busy copying the wall quotes in another sketch book, so only added two items to this one.

When Erik got through his chocolate cake, he went on to work on some landscape sketches from the files in his mind. Whatta guy.

Theo’s Coffee House/Whirled Pies, Eugene, OR

This time we came early enough to grab tables by the windows for the light! Katie, Marsha, Laura talking to friend, Peggy, Jude, Bev; Jim, Bill, Hugh, Carol.  A few more drifted in later.

      Bev, Peggy, Helga, Katie, Marsha,Laura, Jude; Bill, Jim, Daisy, Carol; Sandy & Hugh (who was getting ready to sketch with his iPad).

         Jim did another big view on his page from a different angle – here you can see how he framed the space, gradually adding detail to it.

        Jane went small on a big page – artifacts of the place in the frame format (you can see her inking the frames), then watercolor.

       Jude focused on some of the unique chairs in the cafe, a real challenge, using pencil & water soluble colored pencil.

         Katie, a former elementary school teacher, just had to sketch the colored abacus – she’s a master at controlling watercolor!

       Laura had a pre-stamped page to work with, and tremendous restraint as she sketched her cookie, water glass & coffee cup.

        Daisy did a knock-out job on her blueberry danish (she earned that bite!), then sketched a person nearby – ink and watercolor.

        Bev likes sketching people in context, so you get the whole shebang. Here she’s chosen to leave the people without color – nice touch.

      Bill, on the other hand, enjoys paying particular attention to people’s faces and expressions – he uses ink and watercolor.

     Carol is drawn to drawing people, too, and had a new breakthrough using the suggestion of continuous line on the paper.

      Marsha is another portrait sketcher. Her next project is using a photo of herself as the inspiration for a graphic design.

   Hugh tried sketching using an iPad. He chose my favorite people perspective, the rear view with no noses! Fun capture, Hugh.

        Peggy brought her own source of inspiration – a magazine photo of a scene she’s very familiar with (but couldn’t find her own photo).

       Sandy brought her own prop, a quince branch in blossom! After a quick pencil sketch, She finished the sketch with watercolor – nice!

       Helga brought her own prop, but forgot her reading glasses! Go for the big shapes, people said, and she did a terrific job!

     Lealan, a woman of many projects (she has a book to be published), dropped by to show us her latest sketch & plan for making a print.

Theo’s Coffee House/Whirled Pies, Eugene, OR

   Danita’s Michael reads while the sketchers sketch: Jim, Danita, Marsha, Bitty, Peggy, Carol, Bev, Daisy, Sandy, Katie.

         Daisy was a stand-up sketcher, getting all those wall artifacts, before sketching the perfect model, mesmerized by her iPhone.

Bev sketched the model, too – different styles and tools – Bev used Pitt pens, Daisy used Copic ink marker pen & watercolor.

          Here’s how Bev’s sketch evolved, including using grey markers for different values in a sketch of some nearby people.

Marsha and Bev came over to see what Hugh & Sandy were up to in the bright light of the counter window.

       Hugh enjoyed sketching the street scene, using water soluble wax crayons with a water brush for color.

      Sandy, getting ready to go to Japan, drew tiny Japanese scenes in her small accordion sketchbook. That’s quite an accomplishment!

        Marsha is taking a class on portraits, and did a wonderful job using colored pencils – really her forté.

        Danita took the suggestion “sketch what’s in front of you” to heart – the water fountain on the wall beyond her! Now that’s interesting.

        Marsha stopped to see what Barb Sh was doing – portrait sketches, too, but what a different approach, and how fun!

        Carol started out focusing on the bottles, then added the serving counter and people, too. What an interesting scene.

        Peggy was looking the same direction, but started with the menu posted on the wall before going down to add the serving counter.

Hugh, Jane, &. Katie were interested in Daisy’s sketch talk.

       Katie started sketching one of the washing machine tub shades, then on to her coffee & danish, and a bird from the wall mural.

      Jane was fascinated with the tub shades, but more from a design orientation. “I’ve had too much coffee!” she said when painting.

Here’s Jane’s version next to Jim H’s – different attention to detail.

      Jim H. started with ink contour, added cross-hatching and shading, then went on to watercolor. What a vibrant scene he does!

   Bitty borrowed the frame template, wanting to zero in on the little orchids from a photograph, each one worthy of celebration.

Cornucopia outside patio, 19th & Lincoln, Eugene, OR

Woke up to frost this morning, & thought maybe we’d have a small turnout, but oh no! We remembered overhead heaters, vinyl walls.

   Sandy, Barb Sh, Danita, Sam, Bitty, Peggy, coffee server, Marsha; Katie, Hugh, Jim H, Serge, Lynda, Jackie. Intrepid sketchers, all!

        Marsha & Sandy started by comparing their sketches from last week. Marsha then took on the chairs and fence across from her.

      Sandy was looking the other way, and captured Peggy (all suited up for the cold weather) and Lynda at the next table. Nice color use!

       Barb Sh finished her sketchbook from Italy – here two of the wild gardens we visited – The Monster Garden, & the Tarot Garden.

    Barb Sh solved the problem of how to add commentary to her Verona sketch – in the pavers! Then she broke free into abstraction.

      Danita shared some insights with newcomer Sam and Bitty, then sketched the weathered Buddha in the courtyard patio. Nice!

      Bitty likes to get up close and personal in her sketches, and didn’t this sketch of narcissus turn out charmingly! Love the design.

      Sam began his sketch with light green colored pencil, then let loose with watercolor, layering colors for a dynamic result. Way to go!

      Jane did her sketch outline (except for banner & frames) using Lamy ink which is water soluble – have to let go of control with this one!

       Peggy took a very different approach to the pot of bamboo than Jane did – Micron ink pen directly to paper. Now that’s control.

     Katie took her watercolor sketch from last week and added ink for definition, then couldn’t resist adding some garden sculpture.

      Hugh typically starts with ink contour lines. Here he takes his water brush to the Caran d’Ache crayons and gets a watercolor effect, too.

     Jim H did a quick sketch of the garden art, then found a similar mask shape in his travel magazine to add to the page, too.  Nice eye, Jim!

      Serge may be the most determined experimenter/learner of all of us. Here he’s looking at the varying effect of values on the same sketch.

     Lynda brought her friend Jackie with her. Lynda is sticking to pencil for her sketches until she feels confident in what she’s doing (soon!).

      Jackie did a couple of head sketches before she was tempted to try using Katie’s frame layout, daring to start outside the frame, too.

Look who we discovered (warm) in the  “annex” – Bev and Laura!

      Bev sketched Laura in context inside the restaurant, and Laura sketched the kids’ toys the restaurant had on the shelves. Sweet.

Cornucopia, 17th & Lincoln, Eugene, Or
Cozy with the overhead heaters and the clear vinyl walls!

   Lealan, Katie, Jim H., Serge, Marsha, Bitty; Danita, Peggy, Barb So., Daisy, Lynda (& Jane behind the camera).

      It’s fascinating to see Lealan’s sketch emerge, starting with light turquoise marker, then adding depth with other colors and shades.

      Katie brought a travel photo to start, but then couldn’t resist sketching plants nearby – wait until the ink makes them pop!

      Serge always sets up a learning challenge – this one’s all about values & the impact they make. He’s using different values of Pitt markers.

      Marsha had a photo she’d just taken of the crocus blooming in her yard. The colored pencils make such a soft effect. Early spring!

      Bitty had fun dropping watercolor wet-on-wet for the whimsical pottery. I think some of her lunch got in the photo, too.

      Danita has the strategy of photographing her food so she can eat it while it’s hot and then sketch it! Even the condiments are present.

      The twisted vines are right down Peggy’s alley. Didn’t she do a great job of keeping track of what went where? Nice shadows, too.

   Barb So. got the vines into the background of her sketch – a glass jar on the table. Note: the jar is kept from “floating” by table & shadow.

   Daisy spied a stack of booster chairs in the corner – what a challenge! The cross-hatching and background color are helpful.

      The glass jar & condiment tray caught Lynda’s eye, too. She says she’s just concentrating on pencil right now. Color in the future!

      Jane had great fun fitting the vines, sculpture, & daphne blossoms into the frame format. Lots of whimsy going on here.

Alvadore Schoolhouse, Camas Country Mill Bakery, Junction City, OR

  Peggy, Hugh, Sandy, Serge, Marsha; Danita, Michael (her husband), Laura, Bev, Daisy, Jim H., Jean, Bitty. (Jane behind the camera.)

       Sandy started right off with the table decoration – so much color and line variation going on, it was great fun to sketch!

       Jane, sitting beside her, was doing the title page for her 40th sketchbook, and included part of the table decoration, too.

      Serge was in another world – the sunny colors of Buenos Aires, Argentina. I think his perspective lines took him right there, too.

   Speaking of lines, Marsha got some great line action in those twisted limbs of the bare trees outside. A warm winter scene – huh!

      Danita did a visual recording of her scone & napkin, then did a landscape while the paint dried for another final layer. Nice job!

      Daisy sketched her pastry, too, but as a fabric artist…her eye was drawn to…the display of hanging handmade bags! Well done.

      Bev was looking inside and out – here are Jim H & Bitty sketched sketching, then the scenes outside the schoolhouse windows.

      Laura saw something a little closer outside which fascinated her – trees just before leafing out, catkins hanging like decorations.

      Jim finished the color of a previous sketch (it just glows!), then he was back to a vineyard. I really like how the ink makes it pop.

      Bitty sketches with a Pilot Pen which bleeds a bit when she applies watercolor. What a great effect! Two more sketches, one of the cat.

      It was nice to have Jean back with us, and to see her inviting drawing of the interior of the school house as it is now set up. We like it here.

       Peggy comes back to the scraggly old tree every time, with the crop fields behind it, and the Cascade Range beyond. Lovely watercolor.

       Hugh was using his small landscape sketchbook, going across the gutter to stretch his window & get all the people. But what’s this…

      color blast! He’s using acrylic ink fillable markers by Dawler-Rowney; fun to make his own shades, too (orange, purple).  WOW.

Alvadore School @ Camas Country Mill Bakery, Junction City, OR

   The old Alvadore Schoolhouse is quite an attraction for many people (even Danita’s husband), especially with Jim H’s watercolor show!

   Peggy, Lynda, Danita’s spouse, Katie, Sandy; Danita, Daisy, Laura, Marsha,  Barb So., Serge, Jim, & Hugh. Paintings on wall by Jim H!

      Barb So did a sketch of a tree outside on her pre-stamped page, then added a cat from her photos, and finally a sticker from the bakery!

      Bev began with the window,  then the scene beyond, and then the sheep in the field across from the old schoolhouse. Delightful!

      Bitty’s sketch was a sketch within a sketch – a lovely watercolor of the scene outside, then a sketch of a sketcher & wall paintings, too.

      Daisy’s been well trained – sketch before eating! Well, do most of the sketch before eating, anyway. It sure does look yummy!

      Danita did a sketch of the table decoration complete with salt & pepper shakers, then a cluster of old tools she brought from home.

      Hugh is very fond of using water soluble wax crayons, often applying them with a water brush, but here direct to paper for quite an effect.

      Jane finds using framed vignettes to be a help in getting focused amid distracting elements – like other sketchers! This was fun.

      Jim had a taker for a sketchbook page, but she didn’t know if she wanted it colored or not – so he scanned a copy to paint for choice!

      Katie appreciates including thoughtful quotes in her sketchbook, and here uses a pre-stamped pattern page for subtle lines.

      Now what’s Laura up to….oh, the table arrangement! And didn’t her used of colored pencils make her sketch effective!

       Lona stopped by to see what Hugh & Jim were doing before taking on her own sketch challenge – pumpkins in a degrading line.

      Lynda had a simple flower sketch to show, but she usually tackles complicated views, like this vine covered post, or rock wall – wow!

      Marsha has developed a colored pencil strategy that allows her to work quickly and to fill her pages with warm detail. Nicely done.

      Peggy liked the scene outside so much she turned to a second watercolor sketchbook. She was still working on the sunflowers.

      Sandy dipped into her travel photos for this sketch and did a great job with the many layered rock stacks, moon peeking out behind.

      This is not Serge’s usual architectural scene, but terrific gestural portrait studies. He used two shades of Pitt pens for the shading.

Jane’s place, Eugene, OR

   This is what the set up looked like before everyone got there.

   The dogs were there to greet everyone (note the protective cover on the carpet for the sketchers), and here came the snacks!

   Ken was at the airbrush station – here’s Barb So trying her hand at it. The stencil table was just beyond Ken was eagerly utilized.

      Let’s see…apply the ink pad directly, use a brush to stipple the ink through the stencil, a spray bottle, or use Copic markers airbrush…

         Ken prompts Lynda through her first airbrush experience, then helps Jim mask his sketch for it – Sandy & Bill stop by to observe.

   Meanwhile, folks at the rubber stamp station were going wild!

      Think they’re having fun? The unmounted stamps were new for some, who learned how to peel them off the page & use the blocks.

      Stamps were chosen with an eye to how sketches would be incorporated later. Bill enjoyed showing Hugh how his turned out.

      Bev took a moment to just sketch! Jim tried the airbrush on his architecture sketch. Danita sketched, & used a spray with stencil.

The dogs may have felt a bit neglected, but the rest of us had a good time!