5th St. Market, Eugene, OR

        Bev said someone commented that she was never smiling in pictures that were taken of her sketching. Huh, muttered Barb Sh next to her.

      So maybe I should give a warning, “Smile!” before I take a picture, Jane said (& even got a giggle out of Barb Sh.)

“Smile!” And they did – Lealan, Ken, Barb So, Barb Sh, & Bev.

   But then the serious sketching began – here’s Lealan’s initial sketch of the barista using Tombow markers, and Barb So. with watercolor.

     Jane started sketching her almond croissant, went darker, then tackled the photo of multi-colored octopus – more on that later.

             Ken, who taught us all to sketch with ink, rediscovered the fun of drawing (first with the left hand) in pencil, then going darker, too.

So did we seriously have fun sketching? Yes! The cats are the proof.

5th St. Market, Eugene, OR

It all started out pretty calmly…

Barb A, Betsey, Erik, Helga, Bev, Tricia, Barb Sh & Penny at task.

   Then we had to add another table for Judith (celebrating her birthday with a cinnamon roll), & partner Annie who was getting encouragement for the upcoming sketch trip to Italy from Ken.

    Barb Sh. was busy adding text to her double layout, done with her Lamy pen and sepia water soluble ink.

    Penny borrowed some of the ink to sketch the holder Barb Sh had made; Bev quickly got into details outside the window.

    Jane started sketching the pinwheel Danish, then remembered she had a Lamy pen with black water soluble ink – fun to pull shadows.

    Tricia was intrigued with the potted plants on the outside patio.

     Erik began planning a story sketch, & Betsy tried out some paints she had tucked away for awhile – it’s gouache! Beautiful colors.

But what is this Penelope brought in? It’s Flat Stanley, visiting from her nephew in Ohio! Let’s do a sketchbook for him to take home!

    Jane did a page showing sketching tools, & Bev did an Oregon butterfly. The pages started adding up as they went around.

     Penelope chuckles at the sketch Barb Sh did of Stanley holding an Oregon Banana Slug, & Tricia & Barb Sh enjoy all the sketches.

      Then Stanley started showing up in our own sketchbooks! Here he is in Bev’s, and in Tricia’s. What a cutie!

     He joined the portrait page in Auntie Penelope’s sketchbook.

      Barb A did a quick sketch with notation of color, then decided she had time to do it now, and voila! Here’s Flat Stanley – ta dah!

Flat Stanley takes a bow! We had such a good time with him.

Café Yumm, 18th & Willamette, Eugene, OR

    What a surprise today to have Barb Shirk’s sister JoAnne & husband Doug (who went on the Italy sketch trip last year) show up to Top Drawers.  A whole lot of sharing ensued, and sketching, too! From the left are: Judith, newcomer Betsy Huffsmith, Doug, JoAnne, Barb Sh., and in the next photo: Bev, Barb So., and Erik. But that’s not all!

      Barb So is going to Italy to sketch this coming September, so she was particularly interested in seeing JoAnne’s Italy sketchbook. The violet page is a recent sketch Barb So did with a nice letter addition.

    Barb Sh chats with Bev & Erik while she adds more to the page she started before with a sketch of her hand.

     Doug starts by sketching his hand, too (such a “handy” model), segues into his own Italy sketchbook, then takes Ken’s advice and tries sketching people from the back view (no noses to deal with!).

      Bev elaborates her sketch with a decorative border, and adds color with her colored pencils. She has such a delicate way – delightful.

    What on earth is Erik doing…  I finally asked. The table top pattern! It’s a meditative practice, he said. I guess it would be!

      Judith wondered which version was better – the watercolor, or the 2nd one in colored pencil. We thought the watercolor was fresher and freer. Next she tried replicating one of Ken’s sketches – Nice!

     After looking at a pencil portrait she had done, Penny decided to work on something different – the Café Yumm counter (but where are the cookies, Penny?).

       Betsy is not only new to the group, but she introduced a new sketch twist – process drawing. We want to know more about this. Turns out, Betsy is a friend of Barb A, and here she holds the book Barb A brought to share with the group done by a local bicycler, David Wolfersberger, who sketched his travels across the United States.

Tricia loves using her landscape sketchbook full length.  Here’s a sketch from a recent visit, and then adding the view across the parking lot of Café Yumm today – wonderful camelias in bloom!

       And Jane, just back from Arizona where weather was in the 90s, sketched the dripping wet potted tree outside, covered with moss. Welcome back to Oregon!

Meridian Building, Café Yumm, Eugene, OR

       This was a new venue for us, and we liked the quiet &  bright light. Around the table were: Hugh, BarbSh, Kaili & her grandfather Pierre, Judith, Barb So, Erik, Bev, and Jane behind the camera.

     Arriving early, Hugh shared the sketch he did from Jane’s photo of him hanging Erik’s show, as well as a sticker by an unknown artist.

      Erik tried out a new to him Faber Castell wax crayon made for kids – he said it was smooth, but low in pigment. Cool case. So he was easily diverted by a photo of an ancient jug – wonderful sketch, Erik!

        Then Hugh got down to business, sketching a hidden away scene from France – and look at the magic with use of the waterbrush!

       Bev started out sketching in her lap, then moved on to the table top where she picked out things that intrigued her as she looked about.

        Barb So saw things from a slightly different angle, and here’s her charming sketch selected from the window display.

    Barb Sh is never at a loss for something to sketch – give her a hand!

      Pierre finished a sketch of a cafe chair he’d started (what a challenge with all those curves!), then the window view caught his eye.

     Kaili chose a family artifact to sketch, and did a great job. She enjoys sketching with her grandfather as much as he does with her.

Here’s a sample of Kaili’s usual art work – lovely depth and shape.

    Judith started out with a cheerful little fluffy bluebird, then moved on to doing a sketch of her hotess’ house intended for a gift.

   Jane sketched some hellebore from her garden (from photos), did a little color, then abandoned that to sketch the logo from Café Yumm.

16 Tons Café, Eugene, OR

You’d think we were at a fast food joint the way folks were here and then gone, and then here and then gone….we have busy lives!

Here are some of the early birds – Heidi, Barb So, Penny, Judith, and against the fall wall are Hugh & Erik. Barb & Penny were busy planning their trip with Ken to Umbria this fall – so intense!

    Heidi had this exquisite pen & ink drawing from a recent trip to the coast, and Judith was excited to unpack her new travel palette.

    Judith was curious about other  ways to apply color, too, and Heidi gave her a quick tutorial about using colored pencil overlays.

    While Penny checked reservation data, Barb So wrote out her trip deposit, and then quickly got into a beginning portrait of Heidi.

      What was Bev up to hiding out in the corner – more portraits! She does them so quickly, and people don’t even suspect!

        Erik was in a great mood – so what’s beginning to appear…keep coming back to see the reveal!

     Hugh is keeping to his sketch a day commitment – this one a re-visitation of a trip to Europe – worthy of commemorating.

Told you it wasn’t fast food (OMG, those crepes!), but so delicious that Ken & Tricia both forewent the “sketch it first” edict.

     Meanwhile, Lealan sneaked in to do a quick sketch of Ken and Tricia.

      Just about then, Judith had completed her first watercolor version of a hybiscus, and then of the room itself – ignore the ceiling, Jane said, it will take care of itself in the viewer’s eye. Made Judith happy.

       Speaking of Jane, here she is with her sketch of her dog (from a pic on her iPad). Yes, Ken did sketch – adding more color to a postcard.

       Barb A came to meet us specifically to pick up mitt-gloves for her upcoming birding trip in Klamath Falls – then she sketched them!

     Tricia excels at putting objects together to make a whole experience, and today was no exception. She has been accused of not being able to leave any space untouched, however….see below: