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!

Perugino, Eugene, OR

Judith Musick is a newcomer to our group, and wondered what we do and how we do it – here Barb Sh starts showing her, while Hugh and Barb So discuss our upcoming sketch show, Jan. ’17 at EAC.

    Barb Sh shows her how her sketch pages grow organically. Then here’s her response to Judith’s query, “do you ever draw people?”

   And speaking of drawing people, here’s Penelope drawing Satoko.

      And here’s Satoko taking up the challenge to draw Penelope!

   Jane demonstrated the ever popular sketch topics of what you’re eating, & what photos you’ve taken (note: her guy has been eating.)

    Meanwhile, Judith takes on 2 honored topics: tools & each other.

      Hugh’s been a good model for Judith, while he sketches a scene he caught on some paving stones, complete with autumn leaves.

    Barb A came by to show us how she’s been finishing up her sketches from Sicily – should she add color to the window or not???

       Does anyone ever draw maps, Judith wondered, looking at a wall poster. Maps! Penelope is the queen of map making in sketchbooks!

And then Satoko topped off the meeting by showing her PowerPoint presentation of the Italy sketch trip in Sept. 2016.  Let’s go again!

5th St. Market, Eugene, OR

      Have to keep your eye sharp to follow the changing participants, not to mention the changing focus of attention! Can you find them? Barb So, Ken, Jan, Barb A, Hugh, Pierre, Barb Sh, Penny, Patti…and more!

      Ken was dutifully (& tardily) sketching his fabulous cinnamon roll, and Barb Sh was completing her medieval scene sketch.

      Pierre tried adding water to his soluble crayon sketch, while Hugh sketched the coffee machine behind him.

      Penelope continued on her search to find joy in her sketchbooks, and Tricia took up the persimmon challenge. Speaking of which:

      Patti brought a persimmon for our visual pleasure, and here are Barb So, Penny, and Patti diving into the capture.

      Here are the finished sketches by Barb So, and by Penny.

      Here’s Tricia’s persimmon, and Jane’s ink sketch.

And when the persimmon furor abated, art discussion was full on.

          What were Jan, Barb A., Joby, Hugh (& Jane) discussing? An upcoming TD show! (More on that later. ) Then with Penelope’s arrival, it was back to art tools and looking at each other’s work.