Showing posts with label Urban Sketching. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Urban Sketching. Show all posts

Monday, April 8, 2013

Urban Sketching in Denver


DazBog Coffee Shop, Tennyson Cultural District, Denver.
The block letters that I drew say "thank you" in Russian.

Reverse side of above--black marker bled through so drew again.
Experimenting with different types of pens and markers.



Had Urban Sketching class with Frederick Pichon, a French architect and artist.  We
drew at the Starbucks at REI in Denver, too cool for outdoor sketching.  Hadn't drawn
people in years.  Surprising to experience how connected I felt to individuals that I drew.

Looking forward to finding a life drawing class in Denver so I can get my figurative
chops back.  Surprised that I enjoyed drawing girders and the angles of staircases as
much (well, almost as much) as drawing flowers and leaves.  After just drawing botanicals,
for the most part, for the last two years, it is interesting to broaden my subject focus.  


On the right is the large, industrial space, then drew the piece on the left with people added.
Loved that the poster the man is looking at it a poster of Nepal and a Buddhist stupa. 


A mixture of quick studies of metal steps and girders and people.  I really like the mixed and overlapped images.


A week passed between the above REI interiors and my second, and last, class with
Fred.  We were sitting outside close to the new wing of the Denver Art Museum.  Such
a great view of the library and sculptures down a corridor between buildings.  I had
seen a set of thumbnails from Urban Sketcher Miguel Herranz (Freekhand) and decided
to make small drawings in a grid rather than giving myself the whole page to labor over.

Great to meet Cynthia Morris, a fellow Urban Sketcher, artist and life coach through this
class as well.  Hope to draw with her again this summer and plan to get together with other
Urban Sketchers.  See there is a drawing and urban sketching group through Denver MeetUp.

Got an an additional unexpected treat.  Turned out to be first Saturday "free day"
at the DAM and got to see the wonderful Georgia O'Keeffe exhibit I had been wanting to see for
free as well.  What a great day!!  My Visual Art Journaling Group, Colorado group met in
the morning, then went to Tenn Coffee to hang out and sketch, then went to U. S. class.

Happy with my drawings, in general and pleased with my Urban Sketching experience.
As an art therapist I could not avoid noticing that my recent concern about my teen aged
son not wanting to talk about his homework showed up in my drawing of a huge calf and
cow sculpture near the museum.  Mom cow looks anxious and son calf has no mouth at
all.  I talked to my friend Sandra whose son is my son's best friend and laughed about this
image popping up.  Sandra's so great!  She just laughs and reassures me that my son will
be fine and not to worry.  Somehow I know she is right.  Hmmm, maybe I should take
the tag out of his ear and just let him grow up the way he will.  All I can do is make sure that
he knows he is loved and that I want to help him succeed in the best way for him.
Calm Down Bessy!

Thursday, March 7, 2013

Urban Sketching

inked pencil sketch with watercolor

I think I've figured out what I want to do for the rest of my life: illustrate the world through travel, Urban Sketching, Botanical Art Journaling and just observing the beauty and fascinating details of the world in general.  

Really excited about taking an Urban Sketching class from Frederick Pichon later this month through Colorado Free University  and I'm also having great fun teaching a Botanical Art Journaling class that started last Sunday.

You know that great feeling you get when the details of life all seem to sort of magnetically align and point to a fork in the road you hadn't really noticed before?  I love observing the world and recording what I see.  I've been wanting to travel to see all the places I teach my students about in my Art History and Humanities classes.  Universe, am I asking too much?  How about if I draw everything I love and am curious about and teach others to do this too?  Deal?

Saturday, February 9, 2013

Sketching Kitchen Leaves


Bay Leaves
Pencil sketch with Koi Watercolors
It's a cold February day and I don't feel like venturing out. So drawing bay leaves.
Loving daily sketching and feel like I've found a daily practice that makes
 me feel skillful and like I'm developing my drawing skills and also my power
 of observation.  


 This brings together so many of my interests and passions: 

  1. The Plein Air art of the Impressionist and Post-Impressionists
  2. Landscapes/drawing from nature
  3. The sacred quality of Nature and the value of of closely observing Nature
  4. The Denver Botanic Gardens and Botanical Illustration
  5. Visual Journals

 All this also informs the classes I teach through Colorado Free University.
 I have my Impressions of the Gardens class which I have had the opportunity
 to teach for a couple of years and one I am going to start soon: Botanical Art Journal.
 Like Plein Air art with simple supplies and a sketchbook.  I've also just become
 aware of the  Urban Sketching movement. Feel blessed!  Now, if I could only
 figure out how any of these endeavors could pay the rent.