New Day Bakery/World Café, Eugene, OR

Ken barely had time to say hello to newcomer Bev Taylor and they were both into sketching!

        Ken sketched his rapidly disappearing Bear Claw pastry, and Bev confessed she loves to do portraits – lots of models here!

      Jane sketched her croissant & coffee, and Penny did the same from across the table from her (they had to be fast, before it got eaten up).

     Penny also shared a sweet bird she’d painted at home, and ended the morning by sketching the ethnic painting on the wall.

      Hugh intently worked on the scene across from him in a booth.

      Erik! You didn’t sketch your pie first! Aha, he said, and rapidly drew the colorful remains.  No stopping this guy.

      Barb So was finishing up a sketch she started at home of her sweet puppy – how can you not adore that face!

       Tricia started in with the colored glass windows, and her sketch quickly grew to include views from outside as well as comments.

      Meanwhile back at the other end of the table, Judith had come in and was delighting Ken with the sketches she did while in Japan.

      Barb A slid in across from Judith, and perfectly captured Judith’s pastry! There’s more than one way to enjoy a tasty treat.

And it’s never too late to get in a sketch, as Penelope demonstrates.

Emerald Art Center, 500 Main, Springfield, OR

The opening reception of our sketch show – thirteen sketch artists showing work from the sketchbooks, and sometimes the sketchbooks themselves!

      Heidi looks at Anne Bonine’s and Jane’s sketchbooks, while Paul and Jim look at the three shadowboxes full of Joby’s work.

     Phoebe, who took an online course with Jane, says she can hardly wait to get back to sketching.  Joby, Barb A, Erik, Cathy & Ken, Tricia and Sandy, all enjoyed seeing the variety of sketches displayed.

It was a special treat to have Patti McNutt display her gouache & ink sketch from Italy along with her follow up oil done back at home.

      Cheryl & Robert take a closer look at Jane’s selection of daily sketches. Satoko and Tricia chat in front of Sandy’s & Ken’s sketches.

      The most welcome comment of the night (right after “I want to buy that one, ” said about three pieces!) was “I want to start sketching.”
No wonder sketchers Phyllis, Jane, & Barb A were so happy!

Emerald Art Center, 500 Main, Springfield, OR

We were invited to hang a show of our work to help others visualize the joy of sketching, and the group didn’t hesitate to pull it together despite weather woes. The show will be up Jan. 10- Feb. 4, but our opening reception is Friday, Jan. 13, 7:30-8:30 – join us!

Here’s an overview shot of how the show appears in the upper gallery at the Emerald Art Center.

   Artists showing work  on these walls are: Jane Harrison, Anne Bonine, Erik Johnson, Joby Patterson, Patti McNutt, Barbara Sommers, Hugh Larkin;

      Hugh Larkin,  Jan Brown, Barbara Aten, Tricia Clark-McDowell, Satoko Motouji;

   Phyllis Helland, Sandy Larkin, Ken O’Connell, Jane Harrison.  Also included in the show but not pictured here is Penny McAvoy.

     Penelope gives some feedback to Hugh, our master hanger, on how level the pieces are, then Hugh steps back to admire the show.

Happy sketch hangers: Sandy Larkin, Penelope Youngfeather, Hugh Larkin, Barb Sommers, Jan Brown. Not shown here but helping out with the labeling, glass cleaning, frame straightening and general enthusiam were Ken O’Connell, Penny McAvoy, & Jane Harrison.

Come see our show!

While the blogger may get bogged down, the Top Drawers never let anything stop them from meeting to sketch – not bad weather, impending holidays, nor visiting guests (we just bring the latter along!). So here’s a catch-up posting:

Dec. 13, 2016, 5th St. Market, Eugene, OR

   

Dec. 20, 2016, 5th St. Market, Eugene, OR

     

    

Dec. 27, 2016, New Day Bakery/World Cafe, Eugene, OR

        

    

   

Jan. 3, 2017, New Day Bakery/World Cafe, Eugene, OR

    

    

    

     

And there you have it!

5th St. Market, Eugene, OR

    We all enjoyed gathering downstairs at the Market & using the big table, but it was a changeable crowd (as usual): Judith, Ken, Hugh, Erik, Sandy, Barb So, Penelope, Heidi, and Tricia in these shots.

      Sandy brought a berry sprig, which she, Jane, and Barb So sketched.

      Hugh and Erik made fast work of their sketches at the table end.

     And then there were the bear claw pastries – Tricia was agog at Ken’s rendition, while Sandy was busy sketching Ken’s pastry!

       Tricia shared the calendar she made of her Sicily sketches, then got caught up in sketching the wine cork swags above the wine bar.

        Meanwhile, Ken was busy sketching his banana, going darker.

        Then Sandy got involved in the banana sketch mania, too.

       Barb A came sneaking in with the water container her grandkids gave her for hiking – perfect for water color wherever she is!

    Judith was sketching the display across from her. Penelope, Heidi, & Tricia were too busy to talk. Then Penelope decided she should do a sketch from where she was currently sitting – Provisions!

      Heidi was bemoaning having a colorful bag but only a black & white sketch. Tricia offered her travel palette & water brush – color on!

      Phyllis joined us late, but not too late to sketch what she saw!