Allan Bros. Beanery, 5th St., Eugene, Oregon

What a great turnout! Marsha, Katie, Ken, Erik, Hugh, Sandy, Penny, Barb Sh. So many came we had to add an upper floor annex: Bev, Barb So, & Lealan (with Jane behind the camera, of course). 

       The stuffed bear on a metal rack caught the attention of Bev & Jane (above), as well as Barb So. & Penny. That bear was so loveable!    

Barb Sh. came with a “map” of a recent trip, and proceeded to continue filling in her colorful response to the events.    

    Hugh took on the challenge of sketching some beauty berries encased in ice on his black paper – those wax crayons do it!

   Hugh started in on a sunflower after that, while his wife Sandy took on one of her favorite subject, another bird – the best twitter.

      Erik continued to build on a sketch he started last time – wowza!

     Like Erik, Ken doesn’t need to see an object to draw what’s in his mind’s eye. I suspect that tree will continue to evolve – check back!

      Katie started out with a page of calligraphied words capturing memories of a Thanksgiving outing, then a lighthouse sketch came.

      Marsha was determined to get to know her Inktense watercolor pencils, and started laying out a grid, then water brush, and on.

    Lona used the page she prepared last week to do a study of people, following tips from a book she brought along. Very effective.

       Meanwhile, Bev sketches the group from her viewpoint in the upper “annex” platform.

       Lealan recounted how fascinated she was with the crows in the bare branched trees that she saw on her walk – look how they came alive!

5th St. Market, Eugene, OR

Here they are, up for the sketching challenge: Ken, Lona, Daisy, Helga, Bev, Barb So (& Jane behind the camera). Bring it on!

        Bev captures the scene out the door to Mindy’s shop, then moves on to the poinsettia under the tree, & a nice motto, too!

        Helga started with a single poinsettia, then let her artistic license take over with added context, and even the store lettering – wow!

       Daisy’s sketch of the scene at Mindy’s was selective, with just enough detail and color to make it a compelling portrait. Nice!

     Jane’s getting good at a quick food sketch so she can also quickly demolish the model. Then back to a favorite topic – a flower.

      Barb So had time to let her poinsettia sketch develop and try doing a sketch of Lona sitting across from her. Yay for trying something new!

      Lona’s love of vibrant color is an inspiration – she finishes one sketch and moves on to do a background for another (note brush size).

        Ken’s sketch built on a quick wash he’d put down before, and didn’t it work out well for capturing the scene before him!

        Lona was frustrated in drawing the round tables outside, & Ken asked her if she wanted some help – yes! The table is only round if you see it from a bird’s perspective – see how the circle collapses into a skinny oval from our perspective? And here’s the result!

Nov. 28, 2017 – 5th St. Market, Eugene, OR

   We really liked being able to spread ourselves out here. Helga, Katie, Hugh, Bev, Daisy, & Barb Sh on the left; Lona, Sandy, Barb So, & Ken on the right (with Jane behind the camera, and a few more to come!).

       Helga had a squash sketch from home, then started sketching the scene across from us – look at all those tiles! Next she’s trying color.

        Katie had some lovely sketches to show us, then started in with what was in front of her, saying why did it turn out so small! (& delightful)

      Hugh was smugly pleased with his sketch of Jane’s panna cotta, then moved on to a sketch of bleeding hearts. This guy is getting good!

       Marsha joined us for a quick sketch of colorful pot on the counter, and across from her in a flash appearance was Penny!

        Bev really got going on the poinsettias on the table – lovely as usual!

      Daisy took on the traditional challenge of sketch before you eat, and managed to get a poinsettia sketch done in the corner of the page!

      Barb Sh was pleased with her page of her daughter’s dogs, then took her favorite pen to draw the poinsettia – look at the watercolor, too!

       Lona started off with a pencil sketch, had to do a design on the next page while she was waiting for watercolor to dry before layering!

      Barb So had Marsha’s tool display across the table from her, a perfect subject for sketching!

      Sandy walked off this morning without a sketch book, so hubby Hugh volunteered his “emergency sketchbook” and Ken volunteered his eye study for a subject. She put that book to use!

      Ken was adding to his “landscapitos” from a recent trip, then adding to previously started pages, one with interesting color shapes.

      Jane abandoned her ink sketch of her plum panna cotta so she could eat it, and then sketched an outside decorated lantern (in pencil!).

      Lealan came by just in time to show her sketch from a family visit, then quickly got down to sketching three of the group! Nice start.

16 Tons Café, Eugene, OR

    You have to keep your eye on the musical chairs! Left: Barb So, Penny, Bev, Marsha; right: Daisy, Barb So, Helga, Bev, Marsha.

       And in this corner, Lona and Erik, soon joined by Satoko!

      Barb So doesn’t need a musical chair game to keep moving – here’s a persimmon done at home, a quick tree and a person  sketch, too!

      Bev is on a roll with preparing her pages ahead of time with stamped patterns, and then look how she incorporates them in the sketch.

     Marsha does an inked line drawing and then does she ever get into color! Who needs three hands when you have so many fingers.

     Daisy was fascinating with the paintings on the wall at the café, and imagined one of them on her coffee cup!

            Helga zeroed in on one of the paintings (see middle photo), too, then let whimsy take over the rest of her sketch. What fun.

        Lona used a photograph as inspiration for her signature style – so vivid and full of life.

     Erik (remember him in the corner?) was kept busy doing color value studies.

      Satoko said, “This is what you do when you make a mistake (in ink).” What used to be the beginning of a person, becomes a structure!

         And meanwhile, Jane was playing with two different water soluble ink pens. Bev tried the Elegant Writer – yes, it’s juicy!

16 Tons Cafe, Eugene, OR

          We like this cozy cafe, where we can spread out – Hugh, Erik, Sandy, Bev; Ken, Marsha, Danita, Daisy, Lealan; Danita, Barb Sh, Katie.

       Hugh was really cranking them out – a new coversheet for a new sketchbook, and he was off! Nice black on white sketch, too.

     Erik tempted Sandy with the whipped cream on his lemon curd crepes, but it didn’t slow down her sketching of mini portraits.

        Here’s how Erik’s sketch evolved – love those colors!

        Bev got a lot of sketches done (including one of Erik in the middle).

       Jane’s sketches were of her new favorite dish – avocado on toast!

        Marsha chose the same topic, but used colored pencils instead – what a lovely rendition!

       Ken’s sketchbooks are never “done” – he keeps going back and adding new depth, a new study, a new use of a previously done wash.

      Daisy almost forgot to sketch her food before she ate it all, but managed to do her all time scope of sketching anyway.

      It’s so interesting to see how Lealan’s sketches evolve – wow!

      Danita looks at Barb Sh’s finished sketch page done at her toy store, and then Barb Sh is off on a new page spread sketch.

        Danita worked on adding layers to a previously started sketch, and then shared a sketch she’d done recently at a performance.

        Katie faced the dilemma of what to do first – sketch or eat? And she solved it by taking a photo of the food. Ha!