Reminder - Milwaukie sketch crawl this weekend + June sketch crawl preview

Saturday, May 17 - Downtown Milwaukie

Keeping with the southeast theme, let's go to historic downtown Milwaukie in May.

• 10:00 am: Meet at Spring Creek Coffee - 10600 SE McLoughlin Blvd, Portland, OR 97222
• 10:30 am: Wander around downtown Milwaukie - Main Street, Dark Horse Comics, statues, etc.
• 12:30 noon: optional meeting at Pietro's Pizza to share sketchbooks. - 10300 SE Main St, Milwaukie, OR

Here's a map - I don't know if this is really the best way to walk around the area we'll figure it out.

Looks like a bunch of buses go near there, including the 70 and the 33.  If anybody wants a ride from downtown, let me (Andrea) know.

View Larger Map

Saturday, June 21 - Director Park, downtown Portland
The June sketchcrawl is planned for Saturday, June 21 (the summer solstice!) in Director Park at SW Park and SW Yamhill.  There are many drawing options around there including the new skyscraper that's under construction on the neighboring block.

My Italian Sketchbook

Here are a few sketches from my recent trip to Italy. There are more on my blog, if you're interested. http://draw2c.blogspot.com

At the Roman arena in Verona, we were more impressed with the exterior than the interior, until one of the visitors stood in the center and treated us all to a spontaneous aria.

It was off-and-on rainy in Florence, but we had a very nice morning in a quiet garden where I sketched across the Arno. In the upper left of the sky, you will see a mosquito.

While I sketched the Brunelleschi sculpture, two Italian women watched and then humorously, we all three tried to have a conversation as they looked through my sketchbook, making all the appropriate gestures and sounds.

As I was sketching this, my stomach lurched when I noticed the tiny people looking over the top of the duomo--not for me.

I decided that half of this very elaborate church with so many different styles, was plenty for me to draw.

This last sketch isn't mine at all. It was drawn by Laura, from Madrid, who I caught sketching me in the Florence airport as we waited for our flight. It was an hour late, but she and I had a delightful conversation about sketching and art, her studies in Florence and her future as a children's book illustrator. In the meantime, I hoped to make an Urban Sketcher of her.

Later, on the plane, the woman across the aisle from me was sketching her daughter, so once again, I had another lovely conversation about sketching and art. 

It was a terrific trip, made even better by sketching.

MOHAI, Seattle, and Gabi's exhibit...Drawn to Seattle

This excellent excursion, organized by Kalina and the Seattle sketchers, didn't start well for me on Saturday. I neglected to read the small print about where to pick up the Bolt Bus and so Curtis and I missed our 6:30am departure. Finally got it straightened out but by then Kalina was by herself on her way to Seattle and Curtis and I were hoping to be able to squeeze onto the 8:30 Bolt Bus. We did do that but that meant I would miss the sketching session planned for the morning. Oh well....now I know better!
When I got to MOHAI they were just setting out their sketches so I got to see the mornings results. MOHAI is a great place to sketch at in inclement weather (did I mention that it was raining?) with great big windows on the ground floor looking out at the boats docked at Lake Union. Check out the Seattle Sketchers blog for their sketches...they have already posted! seattle.urbansketchers.org

Waiting in Starbucks across the street for the Bolt Bus at SW 6th and SW Salmon.

Several of us felt it necessary to sketch this icon...but as Frank Ching said "it was difficult to get the proportions right". And I followed suit there and made it too tall.... so as a remedy I just folded up the paper to correct! Easy.

All the above views are out the window on the second floor of the museum. After lunch several sketchers gathered here to hang out with Frank Ching (artist in residence this weekend) and sketch the sights and doings going on there (you will see more of this on the Seattle site).

Here are some random shots of the exhibit. A spectacular exhibit that showed Gabi's sketches through several different types of presentations. Some of my favorites were the big enlargements.....don't know the exact dates of the showing but if you can make it up there it is well worth the trip!

 A wonderful thank you to Kalina and Katie (our Seattle transit guide) for all of the arrangements for this treat!

This Week's Sketching Opportunities

There's a lot going on in Portland this weekend!

Tonight, Friday, April 25, 6pm
Drink & Draw at the Portland Art Museum

Saturday, April 26, 10:30am
PNCA Family Art Festival

Saturday, April 26, 8:30pm
Drink & Draw Karaoke at The Alibi

Sunday, April 27, 10am
Hipbone Studio Model Marathon

Sunday, April 27, 7pm
Dr. Sketchy - Transmetropolitan (comics) theme

Preview of Next Week:

Saturday, May 3, 6:45am
Expedition to Seattle! Pacific Northwest Sketchcrawl at MOHAI to visit Gabi Campanario's exhibit


Do you know of more sketching events happening in the next week? Let us know in the comments!

PNCA Family Art Festival - Saturday, April 26

Patrick Forster, Director of Continuing Education at Pacific Northwest College of Art (PNCA), has invited Portland Urban Sketchers and any other sketchers, especially those interested in capturing human activity, to draw at the PNCA Family Art Festival, Saturday, April 26. The event takes place in the PNCA Commons and 120+ attendees are expected. There will be great points-of-view to sketch from.

Contacts: Sushanah Boston of Portland Urban Sketchers and Patrick Forster of PNCA.

10:30am: gather for coffee and donuts in Academic Affairs, room 132
10:45am or so: disperse in teams or alone to sketching spots around our campus
11:45am: meet for break in Academic Affairs, room 132
12:45pm: sharing of work

Hope you can make it :)

More information:

https://cal.pnca.edu/e/1057

Grand Budapest Hotel

My husband and I recently saw this delightful movie. St.Honore Bakery is featuring the Courtesan pastry as featured in the film. So,of couse,

we had to share one after the film.

Lovely to look at and delicious to taste!

This week's sketching opportunities

We've been coordinating with our compatriots at Drink & Draw and are now working together to spread information about sketching opportunities to the widest possible audience. In that spirit, I'm going to do my best to post regularly to this blog about all known upcoming sketchcrawls and special sketching events in the area, including our own events, Drink & Draw, Dr. Sketchy, and more.

There's just one item on the sketching calendar this week...

Saturday, April 19
10am
Zoo Sketch day, organized by Drink & Draw

I can't make it this time but have had a good time in the past... and yes, even in the cold and rain! There's lots of shelter at the Zoo.

If you know of more events going on this week for sketchers, especially events you may be attending yourself, please feel free to post about them in the comments!

Here's a sneak preview of the many sketching opportunities for next weekend...

Friday night, April 25: Drink & Draw Happy Hour Art Museum Sketchcrawl
Saturday, April 26: Drink & Draw Karaoke with ASIFA Portland
Sunday, April 27: Hipbone Studio Model Marathon
Sunday, April 27: Dr. Sketchy (theme not yet announced)

Pacific Northwest Regional SketchCrawl - May 3

On May 3 we'll be making an expedition to Seattle to see Urban Sketchers' founder Gabi Campanario's exhibit at MOHAI on Lake Union! In addition, the Seattle Urban Sketchers and others from around the region will meet up with us to sketch in that area which has a lot to offer, including the Center for Wooden Boats.

You can drive up on your own or join us on the Bolt Bus that's leaving Portland at 6:30am, arriving in Seattle at 9:45am.  Round trip costs about $40. We'll be returning on the bus that leaves Seattle at 6:30pm and arrives in Portland at 9:45pm (or, of course, feel free to choose your own return time).

To join in, please just go ahead and book your travel arrangements - and if you haven't let me know you're coming, you can do so by commenting on this post. I'm in communication with Gail Wong of the Seattle Urban Sketchers (thanks Gail!) and will keep you in the loop about our plans.

Our last Pacific Northwest Regional Sketchcrawl was in Tacoma and was a lot of fun. A small group of us went up by train and had a glorious sunny day sketching with a group of about 30 people from Tacoma, Seattle, Whidbey Island, and Vancouver BC if I remember correctly. We had a wonderful day, and I look forward to doing it again.

Spring at Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden

A good group gathered at the Rhododendron Garden to sketch the spring color and blooms.
The day started out a little chilly but eventually got warmer...at least in time for us to be gathering for our lunch break at Laughing Planet.

 I am pretty satisfied with my new Stillman & Birn Zeta series sketchbook below....it seems to work pretty well with the ink and watercolor.

Cherry blossoms and Japanese Maples among the tall Firs with Noodler's nonwaterproof ink and watercolor- Kiowa Pecan, Midnight Blue, Bernanke Black.

Logs floating in the pond with Noodler's nonwaterproof inkand a little green watercolor- Kiowa Pecan, Bernanke Black, Midnight Blue, Whaleman's Sepia

One of the bridges over the pond- Noodlers nonwaterproof ink, Bernanke Black, Whaleman's Sepia

Urban Sketching Workshops Around the World

So many different Urban Sketching events are being planned this summer! If you have an itch to travel, check out these exciting opportunities...

Oxford, UK!

 

Naples, Italy!

III° Naples Urban Sketching Workshop 

Thursday 5 - Sunday 8, June 2014

And of course, don't forget the big symposium in Brazil...

2014 Urban Sketching Symposium

Join us for the 5th International Urban Sketchers Symposium, August 27-30 in Paraty, Brazil. Registration is now open!

Staying local this summer? Join us for the Second Annual Urban Sketchers West Coast Sketchcrawl right here in downtown Portland!

"2nd Annual West Coast Urban Sketchers Sketchcrawl"

 Join us July 11 and 12 in Portland, Oregon.