Emerald Art Center, 500 Main, Springfield, OR

The opening reception of our sketch show – thirteen sketch artists showing work from the sketchbooks, and sometimes the sketchbooks themselves!

      Heidi looks at Anne Bonine’s and Jane’s sketchbooks, while Paul and Jim look at the three shadowboxes full of Joby’s work.

     Phoebe, who took an online course with Jane, says she can hardly wait to get back to sketching.  Joby, Barb A, Erik, Cathy & Ken, Tricia and Sandy, all enjoyed seeing the variety of sketches displayed.

It was a special treat to have Patti McNutt display her gouache & ink sketch from Italy along with her follow up oil done back at home.

      Cheryl & Robert take a closer look at Jane’s selection of daily sketches. Satoko and Tricia chat in front of Sandy’s & Ken’s sketches.

      The most welcome comment of the night (right after “I want to buy that one, ” said about three pieces!) was “I want to start sketching.”
No wonder sketchers Phyllis, Jane, & Barb A were so happy!

Emerald Art Center, 500 Main, Springfield, OR

We were invited to hang a show of our work to help others visualize the joy of sketching, and the group didn’t hesitate to pull it together despite weather woes. The show will be up Jan. 10- Feb. 4, but our opening reception is Friday, Jan. 13, 7:30-8:30 – join us!

Here’s an overview shot of how the show appears in the upper gallery at the Emerald Art Center.

   Artists showing work  on these walls are: Jane Harrison, Anne Bonine, Erik Johnson, Joby Patterson, Patti McNutt, Barbara Sommers, Hugh Larkin;

      Hugh Larkin,  Jan Brown, Barbara Aten, Tricia Clark-McDowell, Satoko Motouji;

   Phyllis Helland, Sandy Larkin, Ken O’Connell, Jane Harrison.  Also included in the show but not pictured here is Penny McAvoy.

     Penelope gives some feedback to Hugh, our master hanger, on how level the pieces are, then Hugh steps back to admire the show.

Happy sketch hangers: Sandy Larkin, Penelope Youngfeather, Hugh Larkin, Barb Sommers, Jan Brown. Not shown here but helping out with the labeling, glass cleaning, frame straightening and general enthusiam were Ken O’Connell, Penny McAvoy, & Jane Harrison.

Come see our show!

While the blogger may get bogged down, the Top Drawers never let anything stop them from meeting to sketch – not bad weather, impending holidays, nor visiting guests (we just bring the latter along!). So here’s a catch-up posting:

Dec. 13, 2016, 5th St. Market, Eugene, OR

Dec. 20, 2016, 5th St. Market, Eugene, OR

Dec. 27, 2016, New Day Bakery/World Cafe, Eugene, OR

Jan. 3, 2017, New Day Bakery/World Cafe, Eugene, OR

And there you have it!

5th St. Market, Eugene, OR

    We all enjoyed gathering downstairs at the Market & using the big table, but it was a changeable crowd (as usual): Judith, Ken, Hugh, Erik, Sandy, Barb So, Penelope, Heidi, and Tricia in these shots.

      Sandy brought a berry sprig, which she, Jane, and Barb So sketched.

      Hugh and Erik made fast work of their sketches at the table end.

     And then there were the bear claw pastries – Tricia was agog at Ken’s rendition, while Sandy was busy sketching Ken’s pastry!

       Tricia shared the calendar she made of her Sicily sketches, then got caught up in sketching the wine cork swags above the wine bar.

        Meanwhile, Ken was busy sketching his banana, going darker.

        Then Sandy got involved in the banana sketch mania, too.

       Barb A came sneaking in with the water container her grandkids gave her for hiking – perfect for water color wherever she is!

    Judith was sketching the display across from her. Penelope, Heidi, & Tricia were too busy to talk. Then Penelope decided she should do a sketch from where she was currently sitting – Provisions!

      Heidi was bemoaning having a colorful bag but only a black & white sketch. Tricia offered her travel palette & water brush – color on!

      Phyllis joined us late, but not too late to sketch what she saw!

Perugino, Eugene, OR

     From one end of the table to the other: Heidi, Ken, Jan, Hugh, Erik; Judith, Jan, Hugh, Barb So, Patti. But it was kind of musical chairs!

     Heidi started out the sketching query – she had done a sketch of her grandson, but now wondered how to do it white on black, which Ken was eager to demonstrate, and Heidi eager to try techniques.

      Erik was back with us after recuperating from a detached retina. A bubble was put in his eye to push the retina back in  place so it could be laser stitched, & the bubble will take awhile to dissipate – here’s what it looks like when he looks through it, he said. Wow.

      Jan started sketching wine bottles and Jane loaned her the use of her Qor watercolors to see how they’d work – nice bright colors!

       Hugh is red-green color blind, and was asked how he knows what colors to use where. People tell him what colors things are, and his tools are all labeled accordingly. Clever guy!

     At the foot of the table, Judith was asking Heidi & Patti for sketching advice, and here’s Patti showing how to sketch a container.

       Penelope came in with Thanksgiving day sketches, said she realized she hadn’t sketched food in awhile, and got to work on biscotti!

         Jane was intrigued with the decorations at Perugino, and her sketch went clear across the page fold! Here it is with watercolor added.

      Barb So. and Hugh were looking at a decoration at the other end of the table, & here are their versions. Yes, it’s a penguin there!