Oakway Mall Courtyard, Eugene, OR

    What a day to start in the sun! Barb S-N opens her sketchbook while Barb Sh shares her sketches from a recent trip to DC.

         Erik is a real sun lover, and loved capturing the contrast of the crane showing through the white oak tree against the brilliant blue sky.

    It was too hot in the sun for a few of us – here’s Barb So sketching.

  Jane completed her sketch of the white oak tree using Qor watercolors (so vivid), while Tricia contemplates using them, too.

Then the crew in the sun tempted all of us – here’s Erik, Penelope, Tricia, & Barb Sh.

   What was Barb Sh up to? A relative had bemoaned his loss of head hair, & challenged her to sketch his remaining nose & ear hair!

Penelope showed us her Winnie Givot inspired page of color swatches used for the facing page sketch – what a good idea.

   Then she got busy with a sketch of her incredible clematis, with matching color swatches on the opposite page of her sketchbook.

   Tricia finished up her tree sketch, and added the clematis, too.

         

Meanwhile, Jane was busy sketching one of the carnations a couple of girls were handing out, as well as the obligatory clematis. It was a great day for all.

Oakway Mall Courtyard, Eugene, OR

This is what happens when the webmaster is away – the stalwart people still show up, especially when sun is involved! But you have to supply the quips about what was going on yourself. Or not.

Erik, Sandy, Satoko – what a great selfie!

     

Erik and Satoko sure look like they’re going to be sketching.

Sandy says just as she was leaving she turned around & caught this.

Penelope!

New Day Bakery/World Cafe, Eugene, OR

It was a gorgeous day – hard to believe it’s just mid-April – so we gathered in the courtyard: Tricia, Barb Sh, Ken, Sandy, & Erik.

     Here’s Erik checking his process – light pencil outline, adding layers of color, then ta-dah!  “Sunrise at McDonald’s”

      Barb Sh (behind Erik’s shoulder, above) found some shade to sketch bikes (or maybe just one) parked just inside the courtyard gate.

    Jane sketched the bikes, too, but from a different angle.

Ken was just going to eat and run, but his sayings caught up with him as the group chanted, “Just draw something!” So he did.

      Then Barb Sh opened up her mystery box and brought out samples of the little books she’d created (here Satoko laughs at the message). Below are some samples:

                   

     

    But Satoko didn’t just come to socialize – a quick sketch of the couple at the table across the courtyard and a lovely application of colored pencils. “Rembrandt pencils are so creamy,” she says.

     Penelope brought her sketches to show us, and here she’s caught in mid-bite having encouraged Tricia to try sketching more loosely.

         Here’s Tricia with her loose leaf sketch, with a person in it!

New Day Bakery/World Cafe, Eugene, OR

   Let’s see now…where were we…Tricia, Erik, Barbs Sh and S-N, Sandy, Penelope, and Barb A.  Jane behind camera, Ken yet to arrive.

  But first Penelope shows us her tricks – a sock cuff on her wrist to dab her paint brush, a magnet in her water container & under the palette to hold it steady.  Then Barb A shows us tulips from a visit.

And before we can get too busy, a curious bystander wants to share her needlework art with us.  We so enjoy talking to other artists.

   Barb S-N had to leave early, so she got right down to it – sketching whatever was in front of her, arranged however she liked!

     Here’s where Barb A left off last week. Checking her photo, she continues to refine, then starts on a new sketch, Penelope’s flowers.

     Sandy’s proud of doing a watercolor sketch with no pencil lines!

        Here’s another great example of how Erik develops his sketches.

      And here’s how Barb Sh develops her sketch images, layer on layer.

    Jane started with images from the outside courtyard, got cold and came inside to finish her sketch all in black ink lines, no color.

        Tricia likes using the long landscape oriented sketchbook, but it works both directions as you can see above. Love the window view.

        Then Ken came in with samples of the book he’s writing about his wife, Gwyneth O’Connell, which we all found interesting. He’d also kept working on the quince sketch he started last week, then he couldn’t keep himself from the challenge of a quick sketch of the flowers Penelope brought. We all enjoy having him join us.

Barry’s Southtowne, Eugene, OR

We couldn’t resist coming back here (for the THIRD time in a row!): Erik, Judy Carter, the Barbs (Barb S-N, Barb So, Barb Sh), Ken, Jan.

           Barb S-N welcomes Judy Carter to our gathering, encouraging her to sketch the quince blossom Jane brought, but Judy already had something in mind – a colorful interpretation of a photo she had.

         So Barb S-N painted her own vision of the quince blossoms.

       Barbs So and Sh were catching up on their previous sketches, and discovered their cyclamen sketches done at a previously meeting.

    Erik got in a quick sketch of the quince before doing his signature color treatment with Crayon d’Arche tools. Always so rich.

     Jane tested how the Derwent Graphitint pencils blend (see patches at top of page, colors over Meadow) before doing her quince sketch.

     Ken and Jan are seen intently sketching – Ken’s secret to success: he borrows Jan’s tools (which she just now discovered!)

    Jan says she just sketches with whatever she has on hand – wow!

        Barb So is sketching a different quince, using her travel palette.

   Barb Sh adds to her page from last week, and Sandy sneaks in for a quick preliminary sketch before going off to sculpture class.

   Barb A stopped by before her stint at New Zone Gallery.  Penelope shows us her latest Jane LaFazio project page (fabulous!).

           Penelope brought her own model – blossoms from her apple tree.