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/

33rd worldwide sketchcrawl

October 18, 2011October 18, 20112 Comments

Last Saturday was the 33rd Worldwide Sketchcrawl event, and here in Davis it was the latest in our ‘Let’s Draw Davis!’ sketchcrawls, that started exactly a year ago. I invited local sketchers down to sketch the ‘hidden’ spots of downtown, starting at Mansion Square on E Street.

There were about ten of us at the start, expanding to twelve in total (I keep a sign-in sheet!), regular faces as well as some newer sketchers. We were joined by a reporter from the student-run local newspaper the California Aggie, Ramon, who I sketched above. He wrote a nice article about the Davis sketchcrawl in today’s Aggie (link to today’s edition at bottom of this post). Mansion Square is an interesting place, quiet and off-strip, behind the old Hunt-Boyer-Dresbach Mansion. When I first came to Davis, I went for an interview in the Kaplan center there (which doesn’t appear to be there any more), doing well in my presentation (what did I talk about, I don’t recall, interactive theatre or ghostly black dogs or something) but less well in the SAT and GRE practise tests (it was the math that did it for me, I aced the language bits).

I don’t know what the brick thing above is, but it looks a bit like a slice of pork. Anyway, off across the street the sketchcrawl went to Orange Court, where I knocked out this very quick-looking sketch above right, and a few of us ate lunch at Sophia’s Thai Kitchen (one of the tastiest eateries in Davis). Below are Tiffany and Christine, two fellow sketchers.

Finally, some sketching in the alleys between E and D. There are some really interesting spots back there, hidden away, cool little tea sops and cute gift stores. This one, Creme de la Creme (which made me hungry for Creme Eggs, oddly enough, but then I’m always hungry for Creme Eggs)

The next Let’s Draw Davis sketchcrawl will be on November 19th in Community Park. The next Worldwide sketchcrawl will be, well I’m not sure, probably in January – find out by checking out www.sketchcrawl.com! (Can I just point out, for the 32nd ‘crawl I was in Lisbon? Thought I should remind you, because that was brilliant! And i still need to post some more stuff about Lisbon, if ever I gte the time…)

33rd Worldwide Sketchcrawl forum

Let’s Draw Davis Flickr group

California Aggie Oct 18, 2011

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

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!

of the people, by the people, for the people

August 30, 2011August 30, 2011Leave a comment

Saturday was another hot day, but another day of sketching in Davis. We held the latest “Let’s Draw Davis” skecthcrawl, this time in old North Davis, outside the Co-Op on G Street. I don’t go to the Co-Op very often (I just don’t get over there, though I used to be a member) but I really like the place, and they have great seating outside for a group of sketchers to converge and start drawing Davis. I took as always the opportunity to draw some of the sketchers before moving on to the more architectural items. There were about twelve of us total, a pretty good showing for what was going to be a hot day (about half braved it all the way to the end, where we met for a cold drink and ice cream outside Dairy Queen, a block away). It was fun chatting to other sketchers about sketching, materials, techniques, and I was excited to report all about Lisbon.

The Davis Food Co-Op is one of those beloved local institutions, fully owned by its shoppers, having grown out of a living room in 1972. Being completely owned by its members, it is another example of the way the Davis community works together, promoting sustainability, healthy living and education. It started out of a living room in the early 1970s, and is now a full-service grocery store. To find out more about the Davis Food co-Op, check out the FAQs on their website.

On the right is the clock that sits outside. There’s fellow Davis sketcher Allan (Numenius) sitting in front, I caught him in the above sketch as well.

Below, the Davis Food Co-op Teaching Kitchen. They offer classes in cooking here to people of all ages (including young kids). It’s right across from the Co-Op on G Street. This in fact is the last page of my eighth watercolour moleskine (though I still have several sketches from that book yet to post). This moley took only two months to complete!! Sketching old north Davis is nice as the leaves start to change colour. It’s still the height of summer, but as we get into autumn it becomes gorgeous around here. Fall is the best season in Davis, with clear sunny days and crisper mornings, but on Saturday it was getting into the big nineties so after spending about an hour sketching below, we went to the Dairy Queen to cool off and check out each other’s sketchbooks. Another great sketching day!

The next Let’s Draw Davis day will be Saturday September 17, on the UC Davis campus. The next after that will be on October 15; I am starting to plan ahead, and I have started a new website for information about the sketchcrawls (it’s still pretty bare, and will be an information site, rather than overloaded with blog posts): http://letsdrawdavis.wordpress.com. Check it out, and I’ll see you at the next one!

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

let’s draw old north davis!

August 15, 2011Leave a comment

It’s time for another Let’s Draw Davis sketchcrawl! This time, we will be sketching in old North Davis, starting at the Davis Co-Op on G Street, sketching the neighborhood, and then meeting up again outside the Dairy Queen, by the railroads at 5th Street.

Join us for another sketchcrawl in the city of Davis, California, on Saturday August 27. This sketchcrawl is free and open to all who have an interest in drawing, from beginners to old hands. This is a great way to connect with other local artists and people who like to draw, to learn from each other and to look at our city in a new refreshing way.

All you need is something to draw on and something to draw with!

DATE: Saturday August 27
START TIME: 10:30am
START LOCATION: Outside the Co-Op (6th / G Street)
END TIME: 3:00
END LOCATION: Outside the Dairy Queen (5th / I Street)

Everybody is welcome so feel free to forward this onto anybody who may be interested. See you there!!

Let’s Draw Davis Flickr group

Let’s Draw Davis Facebook event

drawing davis on a hot june day

June 27, 2011June 27, 20112 Comments

Saturday was another ‘Let’s Draw Davis’ sketchcrawl, and after a very hot week several sketchers braved the sun and came out to sketch Davis. It was nice to see new faces, as well as some familiar ones too. One of the things I like about these sketchcrawls is the opportunity to not only sketch with other artists but also to talk about sketching, pens, paper, technique, sketching bags, etc. It’s always nice to know you’re not the only one who thinks about these things. It’s nice sketching down by the station. Apart from the odd train rolling in and rolling away again, it’s very quiet, and peaceful, with lots of places to sit and lots of shade. Anyway, for this sketchcrawl I was working in two sketchbooks – the main watercolour moleskine, and the small ‘red moley’, which I started last weekend (and am already halfway through). These few colourful pages are in the small red moley, quick sketches, people sketches, on pre-washed paper. Above, Rio Vista sketcher Janice sketches the station in the sun, flanked by Jana from Sacramento and Nathan from Davis (both also sketched below). Trying out something new! I like the effect of the purple sketch.

I have to draw the station of course. It’s a lovely old building, but dare I say it’s a bit of a bugger to draw. I have attempted it a few times, but always have trouble with the precision and location of the arches for some reason. Still as a reasonably quick sketch you get the idea and that is the point after all.

More to come!

Let’s Draw Davis Flickr group

drawing downtown davis june 25

June 10, 2011June 10, 2011Leave a comment

It is time for another Let’s Draw Davis sketchcrawl folks, this time on Saturday June 25th! It will begin at 11:00am from the Davis Amtrak station (it was nice sketching there before, lots of benches, lots of history) and will amble through the old downtown area, before finishing up at the E Street Plaza at 3:30pm.

This is as always FREE and open to everyone, regardless of age or skill level. It’s a good chance to met other sketchers and artists, to see how they do things, to learn from each other. Plus the summer sun has finally arrived in Davis so it’s another excuse to get outside! (I’d wear a hat though…)

All you need is something to draw with and something to draw on. I personally use ink and watercolour in a sketchbook. In fact if you’r interested my materials are all listed on my ‘materials’ page.

DATE: Saturday June 25th, 2011

START: 11:00am, Davis Amtrak Station (2nd & H)

FINISH: 3:30pm, E Street Plaza (by clock fountain)

See you there!

Let’s Draw Davis: June 25 Facebook Event

Let’s Draw Davis Flickr Group

Aggie TV report about our January sketchcrawl

‘Let’s Draw Davis’ posts on petescully.com