Guess who’s learned to use a virtual background on Zoom???

Marsha, Jane (in Trevi, Italy), Danita, Laura, Rita, Hugh (at the  coast), Bitty, Daisy, Barb So, Sandy (at the coast), and Bev.

Marsha’s 5 min. sketches. A study in light starting with a photo, then turning it into black & white to use for a painting interpretation!

Jane finished her accordion sketchbook, now what? Bee 9×9, Arteza 8.25×8.25, Etchr HP 5/75×8, S&B Zeta 7×7, Shinola 5×3.75? “What paper do you like best?” Rita said. Hmm, Arteza with the crab I did:   

Danita played with negative space – first imagined grass, then the background & splatter! And some more sketches from her “yard.”   

          Barb So had to go early, so we just got a screen shot of her sculpture sketch.  Laura is still playing with Derwent pencils – nice colors!

    Rita’s busy resolving sketches – the spacey one with mushrooms got..
more of them! Loose yard sketches were her favorites. I see why!

      When Hugh’s not out walking to pick up on people sketches, he reverts back to travel photos (which makes us want to be there!).

   Bitty’s trying her sketch skills applied to watercolor (yes, friskit on the boat masts) – great discussion on object depth with the boats.

      Daisy’s enjoying her design class, trying things outside her comfort zone and liking them! And the last neighborhood Xmas decoration.

      Bev’s using some hand carved stamps (missing our Jan. stamp-out!), and getting used to drawing boats since they’re around her now.

     
When Sandy can’t find people (including her husband) to sketch, she just looks around her & sketches her home! Sometimes adds dogs.
     

     And this just in from Ken – here’s why we haven’t seen him lately – he’s busy boxing up local artists’ archives that he had stored!

Zooming from home

Danita, Jane, Daisy, Marsha, Hugh, Laura, Sandy, Bev, Barb So.& Rita. Barb S-N visited & showed us some watercolor work.

       Danita did 4 views of crystal by moving the book 1/4 turn! She also did color swatches for her inherited pastels – great idea.

      Jane’s 5 min. sketch, then she took colored pencil to it. Now the question of how do you take a photo of an accordion sketchbook!

        The last of Daisy’s neighbor’s decorations (they’re coming down!). Next the beginning of a design spread…what will be added?

      First Marsha’s 5 min. sketches (you can tell she really know her colored pencil stuff!), then Bitty’s (a dracaena) with wax crayons.

        
Hugh is moving toward abstract by sketching on top of maps.  Laura is trying woodless Koh-I-Noor colored pencils – nice layering!

     Sandy’s doing a sketch every day – she did the figure one day in the middle one, background next day.   5th St  is a great place for people .      

      Bev is finding all kinds of things to draw around her in Brookings. She’s always been one of our most prolific sketchers. She’s back!

   Rita did a great 5 min sketch of her shears (later coloring the handle yellow!), and tried a loose watercolor of mushrooms before inking.

Just because we’re sketching from home doesn’t mean we’re not taking classes, giving each other ideas, presenting challenges…

Marsha, Jane, Danita, Sandy, Hugh, Bev, Rita, Bitty, Lealan, Daisy, Barb So, Katie, Laura.

   Bitty is taking a watercolor class through OAS – watercolor washes, divide them, turn pieces, add to them. Except that last one – WOW!

     Katie had done the class before, and had an answer for how do you frame or mount these things! Click on the directions to use.

      Marsha’s taking the class, too, and shared the 5 minute sketch challenge.  Laura did a field trip & spent as long as she wished.

      Barb So’s sketches show that staying a home doesn’t have to be boring – a concert on tv, the striking bird out the window, & leaves.

     Please click to enlarge these delightful sketches from Bev who’s living down at the coast now, & seeing interesting things to sketch.

  Daisy brings her interest in sketching to her quilt making – here are some quilt blocks to capture memories of 2021, sketched in b&w.

      Staying at home for Danita means lots of room outside to explore. She’s also exploring how to add text to her sketchbook pages. Nice!

      Staying home for Hugh always means daily walking, too. That artist’s eye is busy wherever he is: desk, owl in a tree, autumn leaves.

      Jane is on a search for the “perfect” daily sketchbook. A small (4×6″) accordion fold can be one day or two. Larger 8″ square folds out too.

       Lealan has been busy capturing holiday lights with watercolor, present wraping with markers, and the eagle in a tree in b&w.

      Rita was playing with a layout for her annual “travel” (at home) journal, a crystal vase of ornaments, and a dear young friend.

     Sandy took the advice “sketch what’s in front of you” seriously – veggies on the counter top, her own feet in socks, breakfast muffin.

From the comfort of our own homes, zooming:

Marsha, Jane, Barb So, Daisy, Rita, Laura, Hugh, Bev, Sandy, Bitty, Danita all signed in. It was nice to have Rita here from California.

      Barb So stepped out of her comfort zone using black paper, and to great effect! Way to go! Then a sweet ceramic cat in watercolor.

   Bev sketched the things around her – lemons on her tree in Brookings, forest detritus, and her blooming camellia.  Lovely.

   Bitty sketched things around her, too, including the Burchell’s Sandgrouse she saw on a field trip. Nice diversity of sketches!

   Daisy’s back skulking around her neighborhood continuing to capture holiday decorations. And she’s started a new quilt!      

Danita waits until she’s finished a sketchbook before she does the first two entry pages – what a delightful sketch, as well as good  idea!

Last page of Hugh’s sketchbook! It’s been a challenge to find views that use both pages, but he was determined and quite a success.

      Jane usually does daily gratitude sketches at about 3″, clustered on a 9″x12″ page, but the poinsettia sketch demanded more space! Hmm.

   Laura did a sketch of a table decoration from a friend, and Rita did a sketch of a friend’s previous house (& had to explain to owners!).

   Marsha started with a simple line drawing, then added “scribbles” using the Carbon Pen (pictured) and color to turn this into “WOW!”

     This guy’s puffy coat & mask hanging from his ear fascinated Sandy. The dogs belong to her grandson, & featured a birthday card for him.

Zooming from the comfort of our homes!

Marsha, Jane, Danita, Laura, Bev, Daisy, Barb So, Hugh, & Bitty.

             Daisy continues to add to her sketches of neighbor’s decorations.    

           Barb So stayed close to home with her sketches, including her dogs’ favorite new toy – a bright pink pig! Lovely sketches as always.

     Laura always makes felt ornaments for a group of friends who have gotten together at Christmas, & did a sketch of them this year, too.

      Jane does her small daily gratitude sketches on a 9″X 12″ detached sheets of paper, with varying success in sketch arrangement.

      Bitty did some sketching from a video demonstration about mushrooms, then showed us some evocative land & sea scapes.

     Danita continued to do documentation of the buildings on their property, and her husband Michael showed a sketch from his book in process tentatively called “Why Things Fall Down.”

        Marsha chose an old family favorite decoration to sketch; Hugh the old county courthouse; Sandy tried a new perspective for tea break.