Barry’s at Southtowne, Eugene, OR

Barb Shirk was eager to show us her latest artistic development using paper clay – dimensional plaques, quite delightful!

    But then, Barb is always open to sharing – here with Tricia talking about her most recently completed sketchbook – the page on the left is why the dog looked so alarmed: an alligator.  On the right she pulls out the sketchbook folding table of contents, alphabetized!

          Erik started right in with an image in his mind and look how it developed! He calls it “Sky Window.”

       Jane brought a purple oxallis to sketch – her sketch stages here.

    Sandy’s sketch came from a different perspective, colorful pot, too.

     Barb Sh started off small, but the sketch quickly expanded across to page two – now the color addition!

        Barb S-N began a simple single watercolor leaf, got distracted showing us her inexpensive water markers, then started playing with water and on across the page!

        And then there was Tricia, totally immersed with replicating her kid’s kitchen …agh!  look at all the details!

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

       It was such a pleasure to have Heidi join us today – what has she been doing? Oh just a little bit of this and that – wow!

Then we got down to sketching – Erik doing Sandy’s cup, Heidi sketching Jane’s incredible multi-nut muffin.

        Sandy took on the muffin challenge, too, while Heidi’s sketch is developing. Here’s Jane’s sketch done in brown Copic multi-liner.

    Erik’s version of the cup included drools down the side. Then Sandy started in on the mug while Barb So looked on.

      First Sandy’s muffin & mug, then Heidi couldn’t resist the cup, either.

    While Barb So was busy sketching people’s heads, Barb S-N showed Ken photos of her paintings at Springfield City Council, and then Barb A showed up for an artistic presentation – look at those boots!

      Meanwhile, across the street is the Lane County Jail – Jane took a simple linear approach, while Ken laid in rich colored pencil strokes.

5th St. Market, Eugene, OR

We’ve always been a little loose about our sketching schedule – we start at about “9-ish” we say. But people come when they can, late or early due to conflicting schedules, and we’re happy they’re here!

        Today started with a reminder of Barb Sh’s giant sloth sketch from the Museum of Natural History and Culture – remember? We all wondered how she’d resolve running out of paper – ta dah!

   Then the five of us in the first “shift” started sketching the red cyclamen Jane brought along – here’s Jane’s preliminary sketch with Barb So and Erik, and Barb Sh and Sandy getting color down.

    Barb So finished her ink sketch and added her signature light watercolor, much to everyone’s satisfaction.

       Erik borrowed Barb Sh’s Derwent Inktense pencil, then experimented with using Jane’s waterbrush pen to bring out color.

   Barb Sh demonstrates her technique with the Inktense pencils, using a waterbrush with just the right amount of water – from her tongue!

Jane gave up on putting her cyclamen in a pot. Here it is.

    Then the next shift arrived – Penelope with her late breakfast, which she dutifully began to sketch. Fast on her heels came Barb A and Ken, who claimed they came just in time for the critique!

Museum of Natural and Cultural History, UO campus, Eugene, OR

One of our group attendees is a docent at the Museum, and she invited us to see the display about the “buzz saw sharks.”

       Alaskan artist Ray Troll had several imagined paintings of them on display – here’s Jane in front of a self-portrait of Ray & the shark.

     They’re actually called “helicoprion,” and their remains were found in Idaho (because Oregon was way below sea level then). Barb Stevens-Newcomb really enjoyed being our museum tour guide.

      Barbara Aten got right into sketching the imagined model of the shark, accompanied by Tricia. Her last step was to add the sea water, but you’ll have to come back to see the final sketch.

      Tricia tackled the buzz saw shark, too, but had to add the saber tooth salmon – those were dangerous days way back when!

     Meanwhile, Barb Sh was trying to keep track of the bones of the giant sloth, relying on her anatomy training – it worked!

      And Penelope was fascinated with the old remains of the saw tooth shark’s “whorl” of teeth – got it!

Friendly St. Market, Eugene, OR

       It started out simply enough – Erik asked Jane if he could sketch her, Jane sketched the power muffin & beverages in front of her, Barb Sh came in with her sketch of her hand from last week.

   Then Ken O’Connell came in with a book a friend had published of her work, which captivated us: Barbara Stevens-Newcomb, Penelope Youngfeather, Erik Johnson, Barbara Shirk, Jane Harrison.

     Barb S-N was intrigued by the weight scale across the room, which magically sprouted leaves and then the escape was on.

   Penelope & Tricia started sketching the various beverage containers.

     Erik was nearly finished with his sketch of Jane when a woman in a magnificent cape and long boots came into the store.

    Barb Sh inked in leaves penciled in from a visit to the doctor, then added the guy at the next table. Fresh colors bring it alive.

      Jane’s sketch grew from the simple outline to color, to more objects, to her muffin in soluble ink. Which prompted Barb Sh to share her soluble ink sketch – very old Schaeffer blue ink turned purple!

   Meanwhile, Penelope added color as well as people at the table.

    And Tricia did the same (but differently!).