Cortesia Sanctuary, Eugene, OR

              We’re back exploring and sketching at Cortesia, while the resident cat keeps us under close supervision.

  Here’s nearly all of us, with the last person the variable: Bev, Daisy, Marsha, Lealan, Jane, Tricia – next photo Bill. The cat didn’t do pics.

   Liz left early so didn’t get in the group photo. Here’s what she was sketching, which also eluded photography in the bottom group shot.

      Bev was sketching the cabin door decor, then another scene caught her eye. Interesting use of negative space for dimension. It pops!

      Daisy courageously took on sketching a mosaic mirrored tile ball – how to do it, was the challenge. And it turned out well, too.

   Marcia was fascinated with all the plants in pots on the different levels of the deck in front of her – line drawing very nicely done

     Lealan is still having a great time using Tombow markers. They were certainly fitting for the flow of layered colors all around her here.

      Jane says that when you just can’t figure out what to draw in a big scene, resort to the frames format and do small focus items!

   Bill started out with a portrait sketch, then began a design for his son’s birthday card – what’s a salmon look like, anyway? Great!

   Tricia, our host, found time to complete two sketches – what a delight for her to be able to share her sanctuary in different forms.

From the bottom left: Tricia, Tricia, Bev, Bill; top: Marcia, Daisy, Jane, and Lealan.  We thoroughly enjoyed being in this wonderful space!

Need Day Bakery/World Café, Eugene, OR

Barb So, Erik, Serge, Marsha, Bev, Lealan, Laura (& a guy taking away one of our props!).  It was such a lovely day sketching together.

       The sun made photography challenging, so you’ll have to come back to see how sketches by Barb So and Erik turned out – more to come!

          Serge took a different sketch direction; not architecture, but a carved stump & foliage – nice! Also shown are watercolor sketches – he has an outline format, then tries different watercolor techniques.

      Marsha sketched others on the patio around her, then started adding context color with the dramatic acanthus leaves & blossoms.

      Sketches by Bev – she’s so quick (using Pitt pen and pencil), and sees so many interesting things. It’s a pleasure to see her sketches.

      Lealan did a sketch of people on the patio, too, here using charcoal. Then she was back with her favorite Tombo marker pens.

      Laura experimented by doing her initial outline sketch in PINK ink. Then she used colored pencils to bring it to life, even going dark!

      Marsha caught Jane in action. Here Jane used an Elegant Writer felt tip calligraphy pen (water soluble), then hit it with light watercolor.

Cortesia Sanctuary, Eugene, OR

     Here’s the house, and here’s the garden gate…

And here are a lot of us, including Avery, Katie’s granddaughter!

      Marcia, Katie, and Tricia, all lined up. And here’s Tricia’s sketch of her garden, so lush and full of color (including color to come, she says).

      Katie had a pre-stamped image on her page, thought it would be a great background, and proceed to paint right over it. Yes!

   Avery has sketched with us (& her grandma) before, so she dove right in, sketching an arbor and the plants around it. Challenging!

      Marcia focused her attention on the little shelters in the garden, and got a lot of detail into her sketches, including color. Sweet.

      Bitty started by putting a sky wash down on her paper, then added the cabin & nearby plants, ending with the towering trees behind.

      Nobody does detail like Jim! He just kept adding details, refining them, and taking Ken’s advice “go darker!” Super job.

     Jane was trying toned (grey) paper, so different from her usual. She started with ink, added colored pencil, white gel pen, & brush pen.

       Lealan & Laura spent time chatting to catch up with one another, then Lealan disappeared into the tree – wow! Look at the light!

       Laura thoroughly enjoyed sketching the variety of flowers at the Sanctuary, especially the unusual foxglove. What a wonderful time.

Here’s the sum of our efforts – nice variety of subject and treatment.
Then we had a potluck lunch! Marcia, Tricia, Jim, Lealan, Jane, Bitty, Katie, Laura, with thanks to Avery on camera!

Owen Rose Garden, Eugene, OR

          OK, now that we’ve got that out of the way…there was also the

GAZEBO! What a sketching challenge, and some got right at it:

Marsha, Penny, Daisy

      Marsha found using a measuring straight edge to be helpful. Lovely!

     “Oh no! I’ve run out of paper!” Penny said. But we all encouraged her to just do part of it then, and she did.

      Jane actually resorted to using Satoko’s “thumb on a pencil” relative measurement system, and it worked pretty well.

          Daisy faked us out – she wasn’t drawing the gazebo at all, but rather the rose trellis arches – lovely capture of the day’s spirit.

Bitty, Lona, Bill & Jim found a place in the shade to draw. It was hot.

        Bitty loved being in the midst of the roses (lovely wet on wet sketch), but couldn’t resist a quick gazebo sketch as seen beyond them.

     Lona brought her own warmth to a watercolor sketch of the roses!

    Bill was adding color to his people sketches from a recent tour. He did some great gestural studies – just imagine what was going on.

    Jim has decided he wants to develop his people drawing skills. So who did he choose for his first victim…uh, model…? Bill!

      Who’s nearly hidden in the calla lilies? Laura! Here’s her finished sketch from last time in the garden, and today’s sketch.

       Speaking of calla lilies, here’s Ellen’s beginning outline sketch – nice.

     Turned around to discover Ken, also intrigued with the lilies. You can get a peek, too, of his sketch of Danita’s husband from another time.

Owen Rose Garden, Eugene, OR

We were all over the place – Jim & Bill together near the Tartarian cherry tree, with Liz nearby; Erik & Marsha confabbing about sketching; Daisy & Lona breathing in the roses; the rest everywhere!

            Bill, out of the house from recent illness, gloried in the sun while Jim refined his sketch and caught up on travel adventures.

           Barb Sh shared her design for a Goth wedding card, complete with gargoyles. Then a smaller version became part of her sketch today.

    Penny checked in with Liz, who was really intent on sketching that tree. What a fabulous day in the sunshine.

     Marsha, Erik & Ellen wander around looking for sketch sites, then Erik settles on the huge old cherry tree, too.

   Ellen found a fascinating enormous leaf to sketch, backed by a tree and accented by foxglove. How delightful.

      Marsha chose sketching in the shade, and had a poppy sketch from home to share before she tackled sketching a rose. Elegantly done!

      Daisy & Lona were surrounded by roses. Here’s Daisy’s loose watercolor sketch added to one she had done at home. Lovely.

      Lona started sketching a nearby bench set in the flowers, with a Van Gogh approach she said – love that yellow border, too!

      Tricia joined the gals, and did a splashy impression of the garden in front of her, then added text to fill out the experience. Nice.

      Meanwhile, Bev discovered poppies growing near the gazebo. What a lively sketch of them! Then she had to sketch roses, too, of course.

       

Laura started with one version for the poppies, then turned the page and did a new one for a different approach. Do it again, and again!

     

Penny got caught up in sketching the poppies, too, then took shade on the bench near Katie. Look at those roses beyond them!

      Katie is having fun playing fast & loose with her frames template – now let’s see, if I combine these spaces…and out of the frame…

       Jane tried playing with the frames, too, but rather than combine some, she had images breaking the frames, inside/outside.

    And here’s Lealan walking with Barb Sh. She may have come late after taking care of remodeling tasks, but there’s promise there!