Saturday, December 31, 2011

Next Sketch Group - Brooks Museum of Art










Next sketch group, Saturday, January 7th, 11:00 AM at the
1934 Poplar Avenue in Overton Park

Please comment here or on our Facebook page if you plan to attend. We'd like to let the Brooks know how many people are attending.

Hope to see you there!

On-site painting of the Brooks, above, by our own Martha Kelly!

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Central + Cooper

It is such a busy intersection + it was also the St. Jude marathon that day.  We got a kick out of listening to the cops direct traffic + the drivers that were not happy at all.  When it got quiet enough, you could hear the Christmas music playing from Midtown Nursery.  I got there an hour early because I mixed up the time.  I decided to do a longer sketch with only watercolor of the Mapco from my car:

Mapco 2

Then I sketched the nursery on the opposite corner: 

Midtown nursery

Tree lot

Midtown trees

One of the cops said we better draw him, so I did (when he would stay still enough):

Cop

My last two sketches were of the traffic light + trestle with runners under it (they were my favorites of the day):

Trestle

Traffic

Runners

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Urban Sketchers Workshops

Check out Urban Sketchers new Workshops Program! This is exciting stuff for Urban Sketchers' education program, and for people who love to sketch. Visit the Workshops Program blog to learn more about bringing a little bit of the international symposium experience to more cities through individual Urban Sketchers Workshops!

Monday, December 5, 2011

12-3-11 at Central and Cooper

On Saturday some of us met up at the intersection of Central Avenue and Cooper Street. I go through this intersection nearly every day, and it is always hopping. The first drawing below is of the Midtown Nursery on the northwest corner. The corner is very small as it backs up to an elevated train that runs diagonally, so that trestles for it span both central and cooper. The nursery is currently selling Christmas trees and wreaths, and is quite festive.

Below that is the view looking north at the trestle spanning Cooper.

The bottom sketch is from the Palladio Cafe, just east of Cooper and Central. It is a nice cafe within an antique mall, and they have cute Christmas decorations on the table.



Saturday, December 3, 2011

12.03.11

Today was a beautiful day at the corner of Cooper and Central! -CF

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Sketch Group This Saturday & St. Jude Marathon

If you are attending the sketch group this Saturday, December 3rd, please note that the St. Jude Marathon will go right through that intersection, but I don't know at what time. Might make it difficult to get to a parking spot, but it will be worth it! Having to deal with events and traffic is just part of what being an Urban Sketcher is all about!

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Final Sketch Group of 2011 on December 3rd!

When: 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM, Saturday December 3rd
Where: Central Avenue and Cooper Street
Meet in the parking lot to the east of Urban Outfitters, between that building and Palladio. We'll meet there and then branch out to draw all of the activity of this intersection, such as:
  • nursery at the north-west corner
  • old buildings on the south-west corner
  • busiest gas station in the world on the north-east corner
  • antique store next to the gas station
  • all of the railroad trestles
  • public art to the south
FREE
BYO sketching equipment.
  
Meet other sketchers, relax, have fun and share your art and experiences. All skill levels are welcome! 
 
For updates and to share experiences and sketches
*In event of rain or if it's too cold by then, we will gather in Cafe Palladio and do some indoor sketching.
 
 
Upcoming Sketch Groups for 2012!
Jan 7 -- Memphis Brooks Museum of Art 
There will be a fee to get in, but it will be worth it to get out of the cold!
Adults $7
Senior Adults (65+) $6
Students (with student ID) $3
Visit http://www.brooksmuseum.org/planyourvisit to get a $1 off coupon!
 
Feb 4 -- Peabody Hotel
Mar 3 -- Riverfront
Apr 7 -- Botanic Gardens
May 5 -- Beale Street (during but not at Music Festival)
June 2 -- Central Library
July 7 -- Mississippi River Museum (to be confirmed)
Aug 4 -- Young Avenue Deli
Sep 2 -- Collierville Town Square
Oct 6 -- TBD
Nov 3 -- TBD
Dec 1 -- TBD

Friday, November 11, 2011

Memphis Urban Sketchers at India Fest

Last Saturday was India Fest, and a few of us met there to do some sketching.
1) My nephew Calvin's school band was playing there, so I sketched them first.
2) They have booths selling food set up by regions so that you can taste important dishes from each region.
3) Kids put on some great performances!
4) I made sure to sketch lots of people after making the students in my sketching class draw people last week.
5) So many people, so much going on!

























Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Sketching before Cara Tomlinson's Lecture

Cara Tomlinson lecture
I went to an art lecture at Rhodes College the other night.
Here's a sketch I did:
Lecture 2
I'm looking forward to seeing the show soon.

Monday, October 31, 2011

Zoo Totem

I took my kids to the zoo last week. It was a beautiful fall day. Somehow I managed to find ten minutes to sit down and do this little watercolor of one of the totem poles outside the Northwest Passage exhibit. -CF

At the Café

Here are a few people from one of my many outings to the local coffee shop. -CF

Shelby County Clerks Office

In Memphis I think we have the option of renewing our car tag by mail or online, but I am not even sure because I'm always in line at the county clerk's office a week before my tags expire. At least at this location, on Exeter, you don't actually have to stand in line - you take a number and sit in chairs that all face the tellers' windows, like they are putting on a show. It doesn't take long, though, and if you go at your lunch hour you usually have time to get a take-out lunch nearby. Just don't go the last day of the month!

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Sketch Group NEXT Saturday November 5

Next Sketch Group:
November 5
11 AM to 1 PM
India Festival at the Agricenter
7777 Walnut Grove Rd.

Hi All!

November's sketch group will be at the 2011 India Fest (http://indiafestmemphis.org/)! There will be so much to see and draw (and eat)!

Please be aware that the cost to get in is $3, but also bring extra cash for all of the good food they have there.

We will meet just inside the entrance at 11:00 AM, then venture into the crowd to sketch. If you come in late, just come on in and start sketching! Meet up again at 1:00 PM at the same place for our show and tell.

As usual, this sketch group is open to the public and everyone is welcome, regardless of skill level.

Let's make some great sketches to share with the world, and show the unique diversity of Memphis.

Upcoming Sketch Groups:
Dec 3, 10 AM to 1 PM, either Central/Cooper/Young or Rhodes Library (to be confirmed), depending on the weather
Jan 7 Memphis Brooks Museum of Art (to be confirmed)
Feb 4 Peabody Hotel
Mar 3 Riverfront
Apr 7 Botanic Gardens (to be confirmed)
May 5 Beale Street (during but not at Music Festival)
June 2 Central Library
July 7 Mississippi River Museum (to be confirmed)
Aug 4 Young Avenue Deli
Sep 2 Collierville Town Square

Monday, October 3, 2011

Sears crosstown 
 This month we sketched at the Sears Crosstown Tower.  I've always thought the building was so interesting + it was really neat to be able to go inside.  I was pretty excited about it.  I wasn't really sure what to expect.  We went to the third floor first.  It was painted in one of my favorite colors- minty green.  The smell was so interesting...I could smell it the rest of the day.  There was dust + peeling paint everywhere.
Sears crosstownWindows
 I chose to sketch a section of the room that had some funky colors going on- minty green, yellow + red.  I liked the combination. 
IMG_5600Img027
stairs 
Then we walked through dark hallways + stairs to the cafeteria.  It was sorta spooky.  We had an interesting playlist of music going on in the cafeteria (thanks to some neighbors), haha.
Sears crosstown...cool lightsSears crosstown...cafeteria
I sketched an exit door + curtains with all kinds of mess on the ground.
exit door 
And the ceiling of the kitchen (i think).
ceiling
I think I may have had more fun taking pictures than sketching :)
IMG_5652IMG_5697IMG_5705

more pictures here.

Sketches from Saturday at the Sears Crosstown Tower

Below in the top left is a sketch from outside, and the other two are from inside the building.





















I drew this looking east in the building towards some big contraption with conveyor belts coming off of it.