Perugino’s, Eugene, OR

      Only the person on the left has changed (in order to get us all in the photo!) Jan Brown on the photo on the left, followed around the table by Barb Aten, Barbara Sommers, Joanne Palmer, Barb Shirk, Barbara Stevens-Newcomb, Sandy and Hugh Larkin. In the picture to the right, Jane Harrison starts the lineup of sketchers.

    Then Ken O’Connell came in to show his rice paper sketchbook, testing tools to see if they bled through the paper. This took Sandy away from her sketching of the man across the room from us.

     Barbara A started a sketch of the design on the table, while Ken made the rounds, here encouraging Joanne; & Barb’s final sketch.

  We caught Joanne at a funny moment, while her sister Barb Shirk had a serious art exchange with Barb Stevens-Newcomb.

    Not that Barbara Shirk wasn’t sketching – here’s the design she did last week incorporated in her sketchbook, and the beginning of a sketch of a birdhouse from Perugino’s!

    Barbara Sommers shared a sketch she’d done at home, then started sketching some of the decor at Perugino’s.

    Jane had a print out of a sample layout Urban Sketcher Ruslan Gonchar uses (from the Ukraine), and she tried the frame layout, too.

   What are you doing, Jan? “Oh, just doodling.” Which was the perfect accompaniment to Ken’s doodling leaves in his new sketchbook.

     Hugh got a lot accomplished on his sketch of the view through the display case to the doorway and windows at the front of Perugino’s.

Coffee Plant Roasters, Eugene, OR

    Everyone got right down to sketching, but what were they seeing?

    Here’s  Ken’s from this viewpoint last April, and what he saw today.

     Erik chose a tastier view – Barb Sh helped find the color for shadow:

       And where did Barb Sh find those chairs to fill in her existing page?

    Jane was mesmerized by the old time clock on the wall.

     Penelope, intending to save half her biscotti for sketching, forgets her intention when she gets immersed in reading Ken’s Saab comic.

   But she takes Ken’s advice on how to do a biscotti save.

        When she adds her half consumed biscotti, Hugh says she should add the crumbs, too! And here’s Hugh doing the window view.

     Tricia says, “What shall I draw?” then finds the grinder & lamp behind Penelope & Hugh, and moves on to the Roaster sign:     

   And meanwhile, Barb Sh has been working on a negative space challenge – here’s how she resolved it.

Market of Choice, 29th & Willamette, Eugene, OR

   We were already busily at it when Ken showed up, but the activity always ratchets up when he’s there – taking photos of Barb Shirk’s work for his album of sketch samples, Jan looking on & cracking a joke, Hugh totally immersed in his return to sketching (a break from work), and Barb Sommers sharing her latest work.

  Barb Shirk showed how she resolved her last page, and Jan was interested in trying out the metallic crayons (Hugh, undisturbed).

         Barb Shirk starts playing with them and Jan quickly segues into using gel pen accents, while Barb Sommers sketches the crayons!

      Barb So also shared her sketch from Penelope’s, and Jane added watercolor to her version from another angle.

  Penelope continued her sketches taken from photos at the Jazz Station, which made us curious to go sketching there, too.

     Meanwhile, Jan had moved on to a sketch using Crayon d’Arche (& we were all missing Erik who uses them, too, but he was  home sick).

    What was Barb Sh sketching? Barb A looks on aghast at the photo of the spider Barb Sh found outside her house – terrific sketch begins.

     Meanwhile, Hugh (remember Hugh?) continues on his sketch from his iPad photo album, moving into adding color.

     In sharing some of his other work, he responds to Jane’s comments about liking the dark outline, by adding it to his current work. But what is Jane sketching? A ROOFTOP? Anything is game for her.

       And Ken, not being one to sit around, was up looking for a sketch subject – and looking down the aisles at the grocery store – aha!

    Back at the table, everyone is interested to see what he’s undertaken. Here’s his sketch to date (but he’s never done til he’s done, so keep checking back!).

Penelope’s Place, Eugene, OR

     It’s always such a treat to go to another artist’s home. Today we were invited to Penelope’s, and appreciated it’s charm – here’s Erik & Jan getting the kitchen tour from Penelope (note the biscotti), and Barb S-N and Ken appreciating Penelope’s grandfather’s painting.

    Two of the Barbs (So & S-N) look over Tricia’s sketchbook, then Barbs A & So get treated to a sample of sketch borders by Penelope.

     Jan was immediately intrigued with the design on a sofa pillow, and captured the design as well as the warmth & charm of the room.

           Barbs A & So were intrigued with the design on a bowl, while Jane sketched an orchid & bird on the table (color yet to be added).

     Erik got lost in thought as Ken & Barb S-N chatted. But wait….

Erik’s fingers flew into action to capture this friendly scene.

Here’s the crew today: Erik, Ken, Jane, Barb A, Jan, Barb S-N, Barb So, and Tricia – all thanks to our hostess, Penelope, taking the photo.

And here’s Penelope with the gang, thanks to Ken.

In addition to the yummy biscotti & coffee, the warm fellowship, doing interesting sketches, Penelope also gave a demonstration of how she uses computer software to create delightful tiny books. All in all, it was a memorable time!