Well, there was a little confusion over the Top Drawers’ meeting spot this week.  Perhaps it was because so many were on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, toodling around looking at art and sketching.  Only Barb Sommers turned up at our originally determined site–Thistledown Farms–Sorry, Barb!  no pictures yet from her….
At the last minute, Jan Brown and Erik Johnson thought that the New Day Bakery and World Cafe would be warmer and closer, though  only Jan and Hugh showed up!  Erik had other urgent responsibilities to attend to.
So there are a few pictures!

Here’s Hugh at work

And here’s what he’s working on:

And here’s a couple from the hardy travelers!

Barbara Shirk’s house, Eugene, OR

Here’s the crew in Barbara Shirk’s colorful back yard –  in back: Ken, Jan & Barbara Sommers; in front: Sandy, Renata (Heidi’s sister), Heidi, & our wonderful host Barbara Shirk.  (Jane behind camera)

     Barbara tells Ken how she made the brownie-waffles. Jan & Barb So enjoy having tea with theirs, as well as yummy croissants.

             Barbara had a demo of how to use water soluble “dust” (Ken Oliver Crafts – Color Burst, or Colour Craft – Brusho). She used a stencil over the paper, poofed out some color dust, then spritzed it with water to reveal the color – you can fold your book or paper to get a reverse pattern. Then you have a background for sketching! Here’s Barb’s sample first, then Jane’s stencil work (& a stencil still carrying enough wet color to do a 3rd page, upon which she sketched).

          Here’s Barb So. picking her color “dust”, spritzing the “dust” that’s on top of a stencil, folding her book, then lifting the stencil – ta dah!

       Barb shows Renata and Heidi what she did, and then they were eager to try it, too.

          Barb Sh holds the stencil flat while Renata poofs the “dust” across her stencil and then spritzes it with water. Heidi is tickled with the variegated color effect she got by using different “dusts.”

     Jan really got a vivid effect with her color burst. Sandy took advantaged of the hand held dryer for hers (note Ken in the garden).

          Meanwhile, Ken was busy sketching in the garden, letting the color and shapes inspire the multi-layered page he’s creating.

        Barb So enjoyed Jan’s sketch of a nearby colorful pot evolve.

    The nearby hardy fuchsia’s caught Heidi’s sketching eye.

       Sandy & Renata were sketching side by side – here’s Sandy’s sketch of one of the whimsical snail sculptures Barb Sh has in her yard.

       Both Sandy and Renata enjoyed the process of sketching over the top of their colorful stenciled backgrounds, too – the last photo is of Renata’s playful flowers (inspired by the garden). We hope she’ll come back and sketch with us again, although Germany is far away.

5th St. Market, Eugene, OR

Nine sketchy artists gathered around tables at 5th St. Market this week – here are Barb Sh, Ken, Rita Cavin, Erik, Jan, Sandy, Sue Ashton, & Carol Schaafsma, with Jane behind the camera.

       Sue, Carol, & Rita are old painting buddies, who went on the sketch trip to Italy with Ken in 2015. After catching up, everyone was right into sketching (note Sue with scone model – yum!)

     Sue puts color to her scone sketch, and Carol tackles a perspective challenge, while Barb Sh and Ken talk to Rita  about her painting.

     BarbSh shared her 3-D pop out effort of Carlsbad Caverns – wow!

    Jan & Sandy, old TD buddies, enjoy chatting, too.

     Erik gets a image onto his paper – a familiar (but somewhat sad) sight in Oregon – a clear cut hill. Those stumps really tell the story. Nice to have a sketch of the bright sun behind a forested hill above.

       Jan used one of Erik’s water soluble crayons, and that found using a blending brush gave her the texture she was after for background.

     Jane and Sandy couldn’t resist the little Cream Cheese Danish with fresh raspberries – purchased solely to sketch, of course. (Yum, yum.)

       Barb Sh adds color to her museum sketch, and Rita shows us her sketch from the cafe across the way. Good to have her, Carol, & Sue with us again. We love the connection among artists.

   And speaking of artist connections, here’s our dear TD Joby clear across the world doing what we do, sketching (& biking). In the first photo she’s in Piata Amzei, Bucuresti; the second sketch is of Stjarisu, Transylvania, Romania. Thanks to her fabulously fit biking husband Jim for the photos. We love having artist support staff.

Barry’s Deli, Eugene, OR

Our meetings often start with catching up…

          Barb Sh’s sketchbook included a “perhaps finished” David Helphand concert at the masoleum, as well as the courtroom of a recently observed trial. Sandy added her backyard ceramic tree & stone fountain to the sketch of the fellow she did last week.

     Erik was a good example of how yes, you can appreciate the fine pastries at Barry’s and still turn out a stunning masterpiece.

         Jane resisted immediate gratification (surprise!) by sketching her magic bar first. Fast. Penny got to sketch the empty container (and don’t you like the loose watercolor of a flower she did previously?).

      Sandy got a different angle on the box, with untouched treat.

      Ken started sketching the trees outside, then some studies of Jane.

     Penny did a sketch of Jane, too, along with her tools, which Jane was busy sketching, too (here with the actual mini-palette on display).

     Barb Sh told Jane now she needed a hand reaching with brush into the palette, and proceeded to demonstrate hand sketching. Nice!

Barry’s Deli, Eugene, OR

Here’s the herd of cats: Barb So, Jan, Ken, Sandy, Sharon, Barb Sh, Erik, & Penny. Jane (aka, the cat herder) behind camera, Tricia – late!

   We started out by catching each other up to date – here Barb Sh shows Jan her sketches from a recent trip to Albuquerque.

    Then Jan showed her thumbnail sketch that lead to a ceramic piece.

   Ken couldn’t resist adding more color to the sketch he did last week of Erik. Tricia opened her sketchbook to a memory of red peppers.

      But Sharon topped it all – her last sketch was from the last time the TDs were here at Barry’s! But look at how the sketch developed.

     A look over Erik’s shoulder saw a scene emerge from his memory.     It looked good in color, but then came the black! It was night, he said, and then the drama unfolded. Wow, what an exciting rendition!

     Barb Sh showed us a thumbnail she made for a future sketch, but went back to finish one she’d started – images within an image – nice.

      Sandy’s eye was caught by trees & the people at nearby tables.

           Penny started sketching Sharon at the end of the table (who just wouldn’t hold still!), ending with loose watercolor tree sketch.

        It’s always so interesting to watch how Jan’s sketches develop.

        And here’s Ken at work, bringing color & depth to his tree sketch.

       Jane, who claims not to understand collage, did a page of collected images. Then she wanted to see what Tricia was up to – don’t look!

      OK – here’s Tricia’s finished sketch from Mt. Rainier, and her quick sketch from today at Barry’s, too. Another tree!  Trees rule. Mostly.