I won't be there.

Just a note for anybody who might attend the sketch group tomorrow. I will not be there this Saturday the 24th due to an academic meeting I will be attending. A couple students at the AIPD said they would carry the torch so to speak and show up for the sketch group, so if you do show up to the square tomorrow, just look around for others with sketch books. Also, if you show up, email me so I can authorise you to post your work on the blog.

2nd week

It was a sunny beautiful day in Downtown Portland at the square. I got there a little late this morning and scanned the area for anybody who might be carrying a sketch book, but found nobody. So as far as I know it was just me again at the weekly pdx sketch meet. It was fun regardless.

There were a lot of people out today enjoying the sun. I came to a few conclusions. I really like sketching on the max because your subjects can't get up and walk away while you are drawing them, the downside is that it is kind of hard to draw while the trains is bumping around. But on sunny days like today, people will stand or sit in the square for long periods of time.

I am including a few pages from my sketch book today. The frustrating part is not being able to draw at the level that I really think I should be. But that is what the weekly sketch meet is for. IMPROVEMENT. I really hope to some others will join up.

I would also like to state that I am not liable if somebody gets upset at you for drawing them. If somebody looks irritated stop drawing them. I have yet to even have anybody say anything negative to me. I try not to make it too obvious that I am drawing them. I particularly enjoy drawing people who are dozing of on the train because you can stare at them all you want.

Sketch DAY!

I will be at the pioneer court hours squire tomorrow morning at 11:00 am for anybody interested in coming out and sketching portland. Email me to become a member and publish your sketch day pages on the blog!

PDX Sketch First Meet!

Today was the first official PDX Sketch meet. Yours truly was the only one in attendance, though I did here some interest from some of the students at school, so I still feel strongly that this group will take off. I started at the Beverton Transit Center this morning at 10:30 and stopped at pioneer courthouse square at 11:00.

It was a little chilly, but man, the drawing potential is unlimited at that place. I can't wait for the warmer weather when all sorts of people will be hanging out down there, just ripe for the drawing. As well there is great architecture and objects to draw. Next week I think I will do some Hot Dog stand studies while I am there. After about an hour at the square the weather started to look like it was going to rain so I hoped on the light rail and rode out to Gresham and back to BTC, all the while drawing as many people as I was able to.

Anybody with a desire to draw is welcome to join this sketch group/blog. It is a lot of fun. Next weeks meet should be at the same time and place, or maybe I was thinking that the PSU park blocks would be a fun place to go.
Here are a few pages from today's sketch book.

FIRST OFFICIAL PDX SKETCH GROUP MEET!

The sketch group will meet every Saturday at 11:00 am. I chose this time because I thought it would still give people reasonable time to sleep in a little on Saturday, and it is not so late that it will spoil any plans you might have for the rest of the day.

The first meeting will be February 10th at Pioneer Courthouse Square, down town Portland. 11:00 am. There are so many great drawing sites in Portland. My idea is to keep the drawing locations near to the Max Line, or maybe a lot of the weeks the meeting place will be the max itself.

At the time I am posting this I am the sole member of the PDX Sketch group. I hope that will change over time and more will join. Another great artist has shown interest and I am hoping he will join.

I will open this blog to new authors as they join so they will have the opportunity to post images of their sketches on this blog to encourage themselves and others to draw. The idea was inspired by Bobby Chiu's Subway Sketches. After doing some research I have found that a lot of great artists have formed sketch clubs in the Portland Area since the late 1800's as a way to keep inspiration and a love of art alive. I hope for similar excitement with this as we all work to improve our skills.