SketchCrawl: Memphis

I had so much fun on my first sketchcrawl.  It was a beautiful day although the wind made it very chilly.  A group of us ate lunch at the famous Arcade and warmed up.  I've been wanting to sketch the Arcade and Earnestine & Hazels.  I also couldn't help taking lots of pictures :)  Sometimes I take for granted how cool our city is, but today I was proud to be a Memphian.

International Sketch Crawl

 The Memphis Urban Sketchers participated officially in the International Sketch Crawl this past Saturday for the first time. We met downtown in the South Main arts district, which has a lovely mix of old buildings to draw.

 I love everything about the Memphis Urban Sketchers. I love going out with a group to draw (and not be the only one huddled on the sidewalk). I love the folks in our group. And I love learning new ways of drawing. Today, inspired by a couple of people in our group, I tried drawing with a fountain pen and using plain water to make washes in the ink. I couldn't find my water brush (an all-in-one, pen-looking contraption), so I just used a regular watercolor brush instead, and I do like the softness of it.

Above is my first attempt, with a little blue watercolor added in. It's a quick method, and I did a whole series this morning, enjoying the brain fizz of trying something new.

 After meeting up to compare sketches, five of us hung around to have lunch in the famous Arcade restaurant and keep on sketching. I enjoyed the camaraderie, the sweet potato pancakes, and (once again) sketching in company.

I added extra watercolor to this one, but I wish I'd left it a little more simple. It's easy to overshoot the mark.

Sketching Collierville Town Square

On December 1st we had a wonderful sketch group in conjunction with Plein Air Memphis. Here are most of us before we set out to sketch and paint.

A couple of sketches

More sketches - looking at everyone's work is one of the best parts of the sketch group

We also got to see all of the paintings that the Plein Air Painters made, too!

Here is a lovely sketch by Nancy Mardis.

And one by Tom Pellett, and one below by me, Elizabeth Alley.

Memphis Urban Sketchers at ANF Architects

Memphis Urban Sketchers is excited to announce our first exhibit! ANF Architects is hosting an exhibit  of sketches by nearly 20 of our regular participants. In addition to sketches from all over Memphis, Collierville, and a few from around the world, entire sketchbooks will be featured at the opening reception.

Participants include Martha Kelly, whose urban sketching has been featured in a Memphis calendar and Memphis Magazine's City Guide, local painting legend Peter Bowman, and local illustrator Derrick Dent, in addition to artists, architects, art teachers, designers and dabblers.

Memphis Urban Sketchers meets the first Saturday of every month to sketch and visit, and have been since September of 2010. We are affiliated with Urban Sketchers (USk), an international group who share the interest of drawing on location and telling the story of their surroundings. All skill levels are welcome, and participants are free to attend at their convenience.

Memphis Urban Sketchers follows the USk Manifesto:
1. We draw on location, indoors or out, capturing what we see from direct observation. 2. Our drawings tell the story of our surroundings, the places we live and where we travel. 3. Our drawings are a record of time and place. 4. We are truthful to the scenes we witness. 5. We use any kind of media and cherish our individual styles. 6. We support each other and draw together. 7. We share our drawings online (and off). 8. We show the world, one drawing at a time.

Please join us at the opening reception as we show Memphis, one drawing at a time.

Memphis Urban Sketchers Exhibit
ANF Architects
January 10-31, 2013
Opening Reception Friday, January 11, 2013, 5:30 to 7:30 PM

January Sketch Group at the Peabody Hotel

Next sketch group

Saturday, January 5, 2013

Peabody Hotel, 149 Union Ave

10:00 AM

We'll meet near the bar - there are plenty of places to sketch inside and out!

Please comment here or on our Facebook page if you plan to attend. 

Hope to see you there!

Call for Submissions of Workshop Proposals - 4th International Urban Sketching Symposium

Urban Sketchers is honored to announce the opening of “Call for Submissions of Workshop Proposals” to anyone interest in teaching at the 4^th International Urban Sketching Symposium, to be held at Barcelona in the Summer of 2013.

Due Date: December 15^th, 2012.

Selection process*

The proposals will be reviewed by the Urban Sketchers Workshop Program Committee, which includes Matthew Brehm, Gabi Campanario, Orling Domínguez, Virginia Hein, Veronica Lawlor, Fred Lynch, Melanie Reim, Swasky and Gail Wong. Selected proposals will be announced in January. 

Compensation

The Symposium organization will pay for travel and four nights of accommodation for the selected instructors. Local instructors who will not need to travel will receive an honorarium.

Workshop Proposal Form: Contact me at memphisurbansketchers@gmail.com for the “Workshop Proposal Form” that needs to be fill out completely and sent to orling@urbansketchers.org before December 15th, 2012.

For more info you can contact:

Orling Domínguez

Workshop Program Coordinator

orling@urbansketchers.org

*Workshops Committee members  interested in submitting proposals will abstain themselves from evaluating and voting when their proposals are being reviewed.

Don't Forget! Sketch Group This Saturday!

Next sketch group

Saturday, December 1

Collierville Town Square - on North Main Street COLLIERVILLE, which is off of West Poplar Avenue, east of New Byhalia Road

1:00 PM to 4:00 PM

We'll meet at the depot (instead of the gazebo) and sketch with the Plein Air Memphis group. 

Please comment here or on our Facebook page if you plan to attend. 

Hope to see you there!

December Sketch Group at Collierville Town Square

Next sketch group

Saturday, December 1

Collierville Town Square - on North Main Street COLLIERVILLE, which is off of West Poplar Avenue, east of New Byhalia Road

1:00 PM to 4:00 PM

We'll meet at the gazebo and sketch with the Plein Air Memphis group. I'm really excited to have this joint sketch group/paint out with the Plein Air Memphis group. The Morton Museum of Collierville History is also promoting this event, and would like to have an exhibit with both groups in 2013 or 2014. I hope that a lot of you can attend this sketch group even though it is at a different time and a little bit of a drive :)

Here are some pictures of Collierville Town Square.

Please comment here or on our Facebook page if you plan to attend. 

Hope to see you there!

More Sketches from Shady Grove Presbyterian

 Tom

 Tom

 Diana

Beth

Sketching At Shady Grove Presbyterian Church

We met on November 3rd at Shady Grove Presbyterian church in East Memphis on a LOVELY fall day to sketch. There was a race going on, a band was playing and breakfast burritos were being served. We found a quiet courtyard that we had all to ourselves, but where we could still hear the festivities.