Bowls....and Britt Festival

Here's the latest from my book of small objects. The definition of 'small' is enlarging. It started with buttons and has grown. It's all relative, I guess.

Last week, some friends and I went to Ashland to see plays and spent an evening in Jacksonville at the Britt Festival. Mary Chapin Carpenter was the featured artist and Marc Cohn was the opening act.

My view was between a stranger with a handy wine glass holder and my friend, Barb.

Here are some quick sketches of some of the folks in the surrounding area who were all quietly enjoying the concert.

It was a beautiful summer night and both Mary Chapin Carpenter and Marc Cohn gave terrific performances.

More Small Things: Art Supplies

Who doesn't like to draw or paint their art supplies?

This is what Portland sketchers do when it's rainy outside. We also drink a lot of coffee and draw elipses.

On the Portland Waterfront: Bridge, Benches, and Boat

A couple of weeks ago, the Portland Urban Sketchers went downtown near RiverPlace to sketch. I didn't have my watercolors with me, so this week I went back and added some color and made a few more sketches. It was one of those perfect days complete with good sketching friends, baristas who posed for us, celebrating dragonboaters, friendly tourists, and absolutely gorgeous weather. We actually had shadows in Portland! Here are some sketches from the two days.

Sketch of Urban Sketcher

Same sketch but with color added later. She had to have her red hat!

A quick sketch of Urban Sketchers

In the shade of a cafe-watercolor added later

Dragon Boat head--I made a quick pen sketch of this and  later went over the lines and added watercolor. I took a few liberties with reality--but then, I guess I always do.

Portland's Festival of Flowers

Every year for the Portland Rose Festival, there's a display of flowers in Pioneer Courthouse Square. This year, Bill Will designed 'You Are Here', a map of the world using 20,000 plants.  This sketch shows South America, looking northward. The plants that were used included marigolds, impatients,  tomatoes, mint, camomile, salvia, begonias, and more. Later this week, the plants will be on sale, so I'll be back again for some good bargains.

The next sketches were made at Jamison Square. Sometime I'll post a drawing of the fountain where people watch the toddlers play, but it's a perspective challenge that is really difficult for me.

There are always lots of boats and ships around for Rose Festival. Recently, the Portland Urban Sketchers spent a lovely sunny Saturday sketching at Riverplace. The boat in the foreground looks like it would be really fun to zip around in, but it wasn't really that short.

This last sketch was done at Kennedy School in the Courtyard Restaurant. The McMenamin's restaurants and inns are filled with art in every nook and cranny. I especially like the lamps in this room.

We're hoping for less rain and more sun in Portland. My sketching friends and I are all eager to be outside drawing.