davis sketchers

November 25, 2010Leave a comment

Photos from last Sunday’s Let’s Draw Davis sketch crawl: above, budding young sketcher Luke shows his dad a thing or two about urban sketching. You can clearly see here the ‘incroyable tenue de crayon de Pete’, while Luke demonstrates a new take on the ‘non moins incroyable posture’. Urban sketching runs in the family!

Fellow Davis blogging couple Alison (Pica) and Allan (Numenius) (check out their blog Feathers of Hope) show off their sketches at the end of the day on 2nd St. I have sketched with them before a long while ago so it was nice to sketch with them again.

On the left is fellow moleskine sketcher Laura, who came to the first sketchcrawl in October. She draws great pictures in sharpie pen, and told me a great trick for getting over that ‘first page of sketchbook’ anxiety that a lot of sketchbookers have – she starts in the middle of the book! I thought that was a great approach. On the right, my colleague in the Statistics dept Rahman Azari, a great artist who has a good eye for colour, sketching the autumnal tones at the train station.

And here is my sketchbook at the end of the day. I struggled through a cold, which got worse, but I’m glad to have had a nice day sketching with other Davis sketchers. More sketchcrawls to come in the new year, dates to be announced – please join us on the next one!

Let’s Draw Davis! Flickr group

meeting you outside the station, asking about your favourite colours

November 24, 20105 Comments

Last Sunday, the weather was bright, sunny and cold, following an enormous sketchbook-scaring-away rain and thunder storm in our part of California. Still, a few brave Davis sketchers got together for the second of our Let’s Draw Davis sketchcrawls, going from the train station and down Second street, braving the fantastic sunshine.

My sketch on the left was while I was sat outside the amtrak station, and I wanted to keep using the paint splatter thing, but this time contain it within a box. Interesting results. It’s a colourful enough view anyhow. You can see fellow sketchers Pica and Rahman sketching away.

While sketching, I was joined by my son Luke, who had just been to the toystore, checking off things he wants for Christmas. He also did a sketch; he likes using daddy’s paints. He’s a great little urban sketcher already!

Next sketch was the Davis Tower, still at the train station. Several of us sketchers were all sat together at this point so I got to converse about Weetabix, the new TSA screening regulations, Peregrine Falcons and Tottenham Hotspur, among other things. I’m getting used to sketching with others, it’s fun. I recommend it. I had to draw that guy who sat in the picture, he was very sketchable.

The day continued down 2nd Street. I added a few more pipes and hydrants to my NaNoDrawMo tally, but I’ll post them another time. Here are the corners of F and E as they meet 2nd St. The autumnal colours are out in force. More photos of the day to come…

let’s draw davis again

November 6, 2010November 5, 2010Leave a comment

Time for another sketchcrawl, I think. If you’re local and fancy coming out for a day of sketching downtown Davis, meet us at 11:00am outside the Davis Amtrak Station (2nd and H Streets). We’ll sketch from there down 2nd Street, with its historic buildings and interesting shops, then turn down E Street, before crossing 1st Street and finishing at Davis Commons, outside Borders (or inside their cafe area if you’re cold). All are welcome! Just bring something to draw with and something to draw on!

If you need any more information, please comment below or send me a message. And if you’re on Flcikr, please join the Flickr group “Let’s Draw Davis!”. And if you’re on Facebook (as so many are), I’ve even set up an event page you can RSVP to.

So come and sketch with us on the 21st! We’ll even sketch if it rains…

we drew davis!

October 19, 2010Leave a comment

Some images from Saturday’s “Let’s Draw Davis!” sketchcrawl. There were ten of us in total, and much was drawn. Above, sketchers Sandra, Mary, Cynthia and Steve busy drawing Cafe Mediterranee. Below left, eating and sketching inside the same place. Below right, Rahman skethcing the carousel in Central Park.

The day ended around 4pm, with lots of tired Davis sketchers. Above left: Anne, Laurel, Clara and Laura show off their work. Above right: Steve and Cynthia with their sketches of Davis Community Church.

And here am I, with my sketchbook. So that was a fun day! I plan to do it again, maybe even next month. If you’re interested in sketchcrawling here in Davis, let me know!

sketchcrawling central park, davis

October 17, 20107 Comments

And so (after many fliers and several emails and the odd tweet) the 29th Worldwide Sketchcrawl came to Davis. I met up with several sketchers, some of whom were brand new to Davis (just as I was on my first ‘crawl here at the end of 05), while some were long time locals. We started at the Carousel, davis-mom-central, and when people started arriving I tried my hand at standing and sketching and talking – I’m trying to get the hang of multi-tasking! And sketching people – I figured I’d focus more on that today, hence meeting by the Farmer’s Market.

It was a nice warm day – not like the mid-90s weather we’ve had all week, but still not feeling autumnal in the slightest. I sketched the Kettle Korn stall while people ambled past – I even met and spoke briefly with Michael Corbett, who I had sketched the week before at his book talk.

This is Rahman Azari, a colleague of mine and great artist (I went to see his work exhibited a few weeks ago at the Stonegate ArtFest), trying out the Koi waterbrush and paint set that I had recommended. I also tried a portrait of another sketcher, Mary Hook, who told me about the Davis Civic Arts Foundation (I think they are called) – something for me to check out.

And here are some Mormons, who (with quite a few others) were playing music in the park. They were very pleased to see the quick sketch I’d done of them, so I gave them a sketchcrawl leaflet and told them to check us out. Actually I quite liked the blue guitar, and I am specifically trying to sketch musicians these days.

More to come!!!

See more from around the world: 29th Worldwide Sketchcrawl Forum

on october 16, let’s all draw davis!

September 17, 2010September 17, 20104 Comments

Here’s an announcement: next month, on October 16th, I am planning a Sketchcrawl in Davis as part of the 29th Worldwide sketchcrawl. We will begin at 10:30am at Central Park (by the Carousel, near the Farmer’s Market), go around Davis sketching things all day, and then reconvene at 4:30pm at the starting point in Central Park to share each other’s sketches. For those who have never sketchcrawled, it’s a fun event which is open to all regardless of age or ability, where you can explore and draw our town in your own personal way, and meet others who also love to draw. All this in the knowledge that hundreds perhaps thousands of people all over the world are doing exactly the same.

Even if you don’t draw, but fancy giving it a go, please come along! Everybody is welcome.

If you are in or near Davis and would like to come sketching with me and others, please join us on October 16. You can contact me for more information, leave a comment below and I’ll get back to you. I’d really like to encourage location sketching around Davis, not just because it’s great fun, but also because a city or town or village is richer for having more artists. So let’s all draw Davis!