Jan and Barbara were off to a quick start; setting to their respective drawings immediately.Barbara showed us her drawing of a visit to a giant sculpture head.Jan started working on some trees and foliage around the Market sign in front of us.Sandy arrived on her bike Friday to take a picture of two TDs hard at work, and one of them relaxing!She started drawing the table lamp in front of us, and was frustrated by perspective.Erik did a couple of short sketches illustrating the basics of one and two point perspective, but we all pretty much decided that since Cezanne’s time, there wasn’t much to be gained from slavishly using rules of that sort.  Just draw what you see!

 It was an incredibly beautiful morning at the Hideaway bakery on Tuesday.  Sandy and I were the only Top Drawers to show up; we were speculating that it might have been the fault of the beautiful weather.  But the two of us had a very nice conversation on our own.Sandy worked on a nice little drawing of the jade plant on the our table.  She was talking about adding color later.  Erik was a little remiss as usual in getting decent pictures of our work.

Sandy took a nice picture of me!

And embarrassingly, my photo of my own work turned out pretty well.

To start the story in the middle of the  morning’s drawing session: our work was interrupted by wailing sirens coming down Oak Street and stopping right in front of our cafe.  Evidently the coffee was too strong for an elderly  woman who fainted.  Her companions called the ambulance but thankfully, she seemed to be in fairly good condition, since the emts were quite calm after measuring her blood pressure.  They nevertheless took her away in the ambulance.

Our attention was not much distracted it seems.

The morning began with Erik Johnson and Barbara Shirk and Barbara Summers occupying a new spot on the veranda for a different view of The cafe and the neighborhood.  This shot was taken by Penelope who arrived a little later–but before the ambulance!Barbara Shirk was working on a beautiful drawing she started the week before of a woman and her dog.  She added some people in the windows behind them.

Barbara Summers was busy at an interesting drawing which was unfortunately way too light to show up in the photos we took…..

Erik worked on a drawing that showed up a little better in a photo, but not much.

Penelope bought a chocolate cream cheese cupcake, which she cut in half, planning to draw half and eat half.  Unfortunately, she started drawing both with only a small bite out of one of the pieces, and ended up taking most of the whole thing home.  It was one of the most amorphous subjects ever attempted by our little group….

When Sandy arrived she didn’t have time to do any drawing, But had a very pleasant (and exciting!) visit.

And to show what the Top Drawers in Italy are up to, here is a page from Jane’s sketchbook:
And here is Ken sketching at Carsulae:

Top Drawers met at Vero cafe Tuesday, for the first time in quite a while.  Jane arrived early and left a couple items after a pleasant conversation, on her way to a necessary massage in preparation for her long long journey to Europe.  So, after we had all been working and talking for a while, the newly appointed photographer remembered he was supposed to get some pictures, so here are Barbara Summers, Barbara Shirk, Jan Brown, Penelope Youngfeather, and Sandy Larkin proudly displaying their pictures, of which Erik totally spaced getting photos.

Jane did return from a short absence to say goodbye to everyone, and Erik did manage to snap a parting shot.

After which, Jane took the camera and added another picture of the happy group, and the delinquent photographer, who promises to do a better job next week at Vero again.

Inn at the 5th, Eugene, OR

      Barb Sommer sketches at the table with Sandy while Barb Shirk shows photos of her daughter’s painting, then Barb Stevens-Newcomb tells the story of her sketch which came from a dream.

    “They’re all BARBS!” Sandy chortled; except her and Jane, of course.

      Barb So shared her sketch from last week (which included Jane’s sandal), then started an Inn sketch across from the sketch of her dog.

      Barb Sh had a faint dragonfly outline already, then added a pot of flowers, and finally some juicy blackberries. Next week: dragonfly!

   Barb SN is trying the effects of water brush on her watercolor pencils, then broke down to go for it with watercolor wet on wet.