April Sketch Group - Saturday April 2

We're having another sketch group at Elmwood Cemetery!

Saturday, April 2, 11:00 AM til whenever

At Elmwood Cemetery - meet at the entrance

824 S. Dudley
From Lamar/Crump go south on Dudley, which ends at the entrance to Elmwood. If you're taking the interstate to get to Lamar, take 240 West and exit at Lamar.

If the weather is nice, I will probably pack a lunch and stay a few hours. Feel free to do the same.

Elmwood now has bicycles for rent! To reserve them email cookie@elmwoodcemetery.org

If you have any questions please leave a comment here.

Blue Plate Cafe by Mary Jo

This was Mary Jo Karimnia's first time out with the Memphis Urban Sketchers. She did this great drawing of her soup cup and plate. See more of her work here and here.

Blue Plate Cafe

We had fun sketching at the Blue Plate Cafe when it was so cold and rainy out.























Yummy yummy blueberry pancakes.












































Rick and Chandler

March Sketch

We met at Court Square this month. It was rainy and cold so we didn't get to sketch outside like we had hoped :( We sketched at the Blue Plate Cafe instead. We all sat at one big round table. I had already eaten breakfast, but I got a cup of coffee & sketched it. The table cloth pattern was fun to sketch:

(hand book watercolor journal + prismacolor col-erase pencil in brown)

Then I sketched a tea bag, creamer & sugar packet:

(moleskine pocket sketchbook + mechanical pencil)

My last sketch was of a salt shaker:

(moleskine pocket sketchbook + Faber-Castell Pitt Artist Pens + Lamy fountain pen w/ noodlers ink + a borrowed sharpie pen?)

I wished I had gotten to sketch this:

Maybe another day??? :)

Sketching Indoors on a Rainy Day

The plan was to sketch around downtown, but it was cold AND rainy, so we went in the Blue Plate Cafe instead.



























Lindsay working on a coffee cup.


























Everything.





















Mmmmm... blueberry waffles.


























Sujata drawing a honey bear with watercolors.





















Jordan drawing lemons.





















This is where we were going to sketch - at Court Square.





















This is where we went instead - they were very hospitable to our group!

If It Rains This Saturday...

Bring an umbrella! And meet under the pavilion at Court Square.

Sketch Group This Saturday, March 5

Next Sketch Group this Saturday, March 5, 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM

Meet at Court Square, 45 N. Second Street, Downtown Memphis

We'll sketch our way up North Main - feel free to veer off towards the river or to sketch the Vito Acconci sculpture at Front and Poplar.

Meet up in front of Alcenia's, 317 N. Main at 1:00 PM to see everybody's sketches. Stay for Saturday brunch if you can.










Upcoming Sketch Groups:
April 2: Back to Elmwood Cemetary!
May 7: TBA - hopefully an event
June 4: Mud Island River Park
July 2: Peabody Hotel
August 6: TBA - probably indoors
September 3: Memphis Farmers Market

All skill levels are welcome, and participants are free to attend at their convenience. Let us know if you have any questions!

memphis Urban sketchers

It was a great day and I visited the joyful Memphis farmer's market the first time that day thanks to Elizabeth. The atmosphere was jivy with music, fresh merchandise on sale, reminded me of fairs back home. Each of us chose our own spot and started to sketch. I was surprised that one of the artists actually sketched me in place of the market. That was quite flattering, since no one had ever sketched me before...

Here you see pictures of me with other artists present. I am the third from the left. I wish I had taken out the camera before the rest left, but I was busy sketching myself :(. You can see how I was sketched and what I sketched. I hope very soon I will post the finished work too here.. But since I never got back to it in months, I thought I can at least post  what I did that day...

Sketching at Bojo's

It was cold and still wet on Saturday, so what better indoor sketching venue to visit than Memphis's collective grandma's attic, Bojo's Antique Mall.

As the place covers nearly a city block and two floors, it was a bit overwhelming, so I tried concentrating on collections of things, such as the purses and boots below.

























crazy lamp

























more purses, and chairs

























china place settings
















Bojo's





















We really appreciate Bojo's letting us spend a couple of hours with them on Saturday!

Blue Ink

Yesterday's drawing session was overwhelming and wonderful.  I couldn't help but think of one of Memphis's best painters, Beth Edwards, as I roamed Bojo's; so I decided to sketch a doll in an awesome fringed turquoise stroller as an homage.  I used turquoise ink and a calligraphy pen.  Pen and ink, while similar the watercolor brushwork that I often use, took a bit of adjustment for me.  Luckily a little photoshop magic this afternoon helped me fix some of the values in the piece and clean up a few drips and drops.