let’s draw the arboretum!

March 12, 20125 Comments

Yesterday was our latest “Let’s Draw Davis!” sketchcrawl, this time at the UC Davis Arboretum. Eleven of us met at Wyatt Deck, which turned out to be a great place to meet for a sketchcrawl. I think I chatted more than I sketched, so I was slow starting (pretty typical on Davis sketchcrawls for me), but it was good sketching conversation, and I learned a lot from speaking with others. I sketched in my Stillman and Birn (gamma) sketchbook).

And the redbuds are blooming right now, so whole stretches of the Arboretum are bathed in deep pink. This is different from the pink blossom on many trees (though my sketch doesn’t really show that distinction!). The last sketch I did was the one at the top. I enjoyed that one the most.

The next Let’s Draw Davis will be on April 14th (a week before the Worldwide Sketchcrawl, which is the same day as Picnic Day), and will be on G Street. More ‘urban’ than here! But I must say I always enjoy the Arboretum Sketchcrawls, it is such a pleasant spot to sketch.

Let’s Draw the Arboretum! Sunday, March 11

March 2, 2012March 2, 20122 Comments

It’s time for another sketchcrawl in the lovely city of Davis. This time around we will sketch at the UC Davis Arboretum, which I must say is lovely at this time of year. Might be a good idea to bring a packed lunch though. We’ll start at 11 at the Wyatt Deck, on the east bank of Lake Spafford (or is it the south bank? The one on the freeway side…), and sketch as you wish around the Arboretum, before reconvening at 3:00pm back at Wyatt Deck to check out each other’s sketchbooks.

DATE: Sunday, March 11, 2012

START:11:00am, Wyatt Deck (east bank of Lake Spafford)

FINISH:3:00pm, Wyatt Deck

As always the sketchcrawl is free an open to everybody who has an interest in drawing. All you need is something to draw with and something to draw on. There is parking nearby at the UC Davis Mondavi Center for those with cars. For a nice pdf map of the Arboretum, please go to: http://arboretum.ucdavis.edu/documents/visitor_map.pdf

Facebook event: http://www.facebook.com/events/239244632836918/

Hope to see you there! If you need any information please let me know by commenting below.

worldwide sketchcrawl #34, let’s draw davis

January 22, 2012January 23, 20121 Comment

On Friday there was a massive rainstorm in northern California, with flood warnings and downpours so loud I could barely sleep. “But Saturday is the sketchcrawl!” I sighed. Not to worry – it all magically stopped, and the sun came out and the world warmed up and what a lovely day for sketching. It wasn’t a massive group, but it was a fun day sketching by the farmer’s market. I always sketch more slowly on these events, because I spend a lot more time talking while sketching, but that’s one of the fun things about sketchcrawls, meeting and sharing experiences with other like-minded folk. I started by sketching the other sketchers:

Above left is Marlene Lee, sketchcrawl regular and an inspirational artist; right is Jennica Forrest, who I met on the last sketchcrawl at the community park.

Above left is Leah Jin, who I know from UC Davis, and above right is Morning Waters, an artist from Fair Oaks, California on her first Davis sketchcrawl. Nice to meet you!

This was the day of the 34th Worldwide Sketchcrawl, and people in cities the world over were out braving the cold to sketch their cities, and be part of a global sketching community. Check out their results on the sketchcrawl forum...

More Davis sketches to come!

let’s draw davis!

January 10, 2012January 10, 2012Leave a comment

It’s time for another Let’s Draw Davis sketchcrawl! January has been nice so far, weather-wise, lots of mild sunny days with bare trees, so great sketching weather. This time we’ll be starting at the Farmer’s Market, and finishing up at the Delta of Venus. It’s also the day of the 34th Worldwide Sketchcrawl, in which sketchers all over the planet get out and draw their cities and towns.

START: 10:30am, Davis Farmer’s Market (C & 3rd)

FINISH: 3:00pm, Delta of Venus Cafe (B St)

As always, this is free and open to anyone who likes to draw. All you need is something to draw with and something to draw on!

Facebook event page: http://www.facebook.com/events/301621166540875/

Flickr group: http://www.flickr.com/groups/letsdrawdavis/

Hope to see you there!

a sense of community

November 28, 20111 Comment

Last week we held our November 2011 ‘Let’s Draw Davis!’ sketchcrawl, up at Community Park. It was a pleasant Fall day (and I had not yet heard about the previous day’s pepper spray incident), Turkey Trotters were out running across Davis, the park was full of autumnal colours and temperatures were not too cold, at least not for the first hour or so (after which it started to get chilly). The regular Davis sketchers were joined by several new faces, mostly from Davis, but also one, Portland Urban Sketcher Linda Daily, whom I had met up in Portland at last year’s Symposium.

We started off by drawing around the Davis Art Center and the amazing wooden playground Rainbow City. It’s a completely community-built playground, one of the greater examples of epic community work in Davis. One of the other sketchers, Landon, told me that he in fact had helped make it when he was a child. There I am below sketching with the little Scully.

I sketched some people; still practising my people sketches. Below are (top row, left to right): Allan Hollander from Davis (I’ve sketched Allan before a few times), Landon Christensen from Davis, Marlene Lee from Davis (another sketchcrawl regular). Bottom row, left to right, are: Salvador Castio from Stockton, Linda daily from Portland, and Jennica from Davis.

After some more park sketchng (I drew these old playground pieces; perhaps these used to be City and UCD fire hydrants in former lives, judging by their colours), we met up at the library, where we warmed up and chatted about sketching. I also showed off my library display. It’s so great to meet other sketchers, and see their books and their tools, and learn about their approach or reason for doing this. That’s the point of the sketchcrawls! And for me they’re always learning experiences.

let’s sketch the park!

November 2, 2011November 3, 20111 Comment

It’s nearly time for another sketchcrawl in Davis! This time, we’re heading north to Community Park, starting at the Davis Arts Center and finishing up at the Davis Pubic Library.

This event is free and open to all who are interested in sketching! All you need is something to draw with and something to draw on.

DATE: Saturday, November 19, 2011
START: 11:00am, outside Davis Arts Center (corner of F St / Covell)
FINISH: 3:00pm, Davis Public Library (14th St)

Our last sketchcrawl was featured on the front of the Aggie a couple of weeks ago. We’ve also been spotlighted in Davis Life Magazine and by Aggie TV. The sketchcrawls are a fun way to get out and meet other sketchers, but also a way of really getting to know the city where we live, and explore it with our sketches.

(I will also be exhibiting some of my work at the library if you’re interested! It’s there now, I’ll post about it very soon…)

Hope to see you there!

Facebook event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=300652183297546

Flickr group: http://www.flickr.com/groups/letsdrawdavis/

let’s draw hidden davis!

October 13, 20112 Comments

It’s nearly the FIRST ANNIVERSARY of LET’S DRAW DAVIS! Our first sketchcrawl meeting was held on October 16 2010, a year ago, and we’re still sketching Davis monthly.

Join us for the next sketchcrawl here in Davis, California, this coming Saturday October 15th. It is the 33rd Worldwide sketchcrawl, when sketchers from all over the planet will be out drawing their cities on the same day (see sketchcrawl.com for more details!).

START: 10:30 Mansion Square (E St/2nd)
MIDWAY: 1:00 Orange Court (E St)
FINISH: 3:30 Cloud Forest Cafe (D St, between 2nd and 3rd)

We’ll meet at 10:30am at Mansion Square on E Street, and explore the ‘hidden’ spots and courtyards of downtown Davis. Starting at Mansion Square, behind the historic Hunt-Boyer-Dresbach House, we’ll move on across the street to the charming Orange Court, for more sketching and maybe some lunch, before moving on to the curious alleys, cafes and shops between E / D st, and 2nd/3rd Sts. We’ll finish up at the Cloud Forest Cafe, near the red phonebox, to check out each other’s sketchbooks.

Everyone is welcome! All ages/levels. Just bring something to draw with and something to draw on. Invite your sketching friends!

For more info, please leave a comment below or send me a message.

Pete

the last days of summer

September 18, 20112 Comments

This hydrant is by Wright Hall, UC Davis, and I drew it at the end of yesterday’s sketchcrawl. Well I drew most of it there, and then finished it off at home, adding colour too. I drew it on a 8×10 piece of Strathmore hot press paper in uniball vision micro, so it’s bigger than what goes in my sketchbook. I have had my eye on this fire hydrant for a while, sitting among the long leaves, with the colourful theatre dept building and the Eggheads outside the Art building behind it. It’s so calm, but tomorrow the new academic year will begin, and so will the craziness…

another day spent sketching uc davis

September 17, 2011September 18, 20111 Comment

Another “Let’s Draw Davis!” sketchcrawl, this time on the UC Davis, an eerily quiet UC Davis, the calm before the very big storm of new students. We were a smaller group this time, but no less determined to sketch, and there was a lot to draw on campus. We met at the Memorial Union bus station, by the red phone box, and fanned out to sketch the campus.

Above is North Hall, a building I’ve attempted before, the one with the fun-to-draw staircase. Below, Alan and Alison, long-time Davis sketchers, sketching at the MU bus terminal.

The next one will be on October 15th. Stay tuned for details!

let’s draw uc davis

September 10, 20111 Comment

Next week, it’s time for another sketchcrawl in Davis! This time on the UC Davis campus, which will be starting to bustle with the incoming new students.

START: 10:30am, Memorial Union bus terminal (by the red phonebox)

FINISH: 3:00pm, at the Eggheads near the Art Building

As always, this is free and everyone is welcome, all ages/levels. All you need is something to draw with and something to draw on!

For more info leave a comment below or visit our Facebook event page.

See you there!

petescully

postcards of the hanging

Tag: let’s draw davis