It is official - Draw Madison is now Urban Sketchers - Madison.  It is going to take me awhile to make our blog look more like other regional chapter blogs but I will need a bit of mentoring help from an Urban Sketcher mentor so stay tuned for that!  Our philosophy is basically the same in that we sketch our own community (or one we are visiting) from life to show our city and our world "One Drawing at a Time".  I will be posting more about how and why being a regional chapter of Urban Sketchers can make our sketching experiences even better.  Happy sketching and thanks to all the folks who have participated in Draw Madison events over the last few years!!

Mission San Xavier del Bac

Today we spent the morning at the mission, just a short drive south of Tucson. The weather was a comfortable 70 degrees.  I set up my folding chair in the middle of the courtyard directly in front  of the entrance and began sketching. It was founded as a Catholic mission in 1692 and construction began in 1783 on this Indian Reservation.

It is referred to as "the White Dove of the South."  Children came by and watched. 

Today was a celebration day for many reasons.....

WW SketchCrawl, April 23, 2016 Both sketched from the third floor of the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, but looking in different directions

Anticipating the WW SketchCrawl, Madison, WI,

More World Wide Sketchcrawl #51 at Capitol Square and Farmer's Market Saturday April 23rd

Gretchen, Tsela and Deborah at Takara Restaurant

Sketches by Gretchen, Elsie and Pat

Seven sketchers in total came out and we had a great time sketching on a very nice spring day.  Our local state Senator, Fred Risser came by with his petition which made it a pretty typical Farmer's Market morning in Madison.  Some of us had a pleasant lunch at a local Japanese restaurant and sketched a bit more before calling it a day.  Thanks to Gretchen, Elsie, Carol, Deborah, Ruth and Tsela for coming out to sketch.

Elsie and State Senator Fred Risser 

Sketchcrawl at the Capitol

A cool morning down on the Capitol Square, although that was simple compared to getting around the construction! But sketchers are a daring lot and we braved the crowds at the farmer's market to record what we saw.
My entry is drawn from the grass looking down the hill of State Street. The square is surrounded by stands at the market and the place was packed, so I tried to get the feel of that.

World Wide Sketchcrawl Saturday April 23rd - Farmer's Market and Capitol Square

After walking around the square today I decided we will have plenty to sketch without walking down State St. this Saturday and our weather forecast so far is excellent.  So let's meet at the Wisconsin Historical Museum at 10 am in their lobby by the gift shop.  I am guessing it will be warm enough by then to sketch outside and there are plenty of places to sit on the capitol grounds with good views of sellers and customers.  Then at noon we will meet in the capitol rotunda on the main floor and we can decide what to do for lunch.  All the restaurants are super busy for lunch but I checked out Graze and they will take your name and phone number and call you when your table is ready.  We could also buy something and eat it outdoors, too.  I had lunch today at Marigold Kitchen and sat outside and it was lovely and quiet but it will be much busier on Saturday.  We will meet one final time at 3pm in the lobby of Overture Center near the main entrance for a group photo of sketches and sketchers.   Hope to see some sketchers come out for the crawl!  

Plane air sketches...

Plane air sketching at 30,000 feet

My pocketbook-size

Pentalic sketch book with #2 pencil.

Temperarure when we land--93 degrees.

Olbrich #2

Draw Madison decided to have a reprise of beautiful Olbrich Gardens after our first snowy date in February, April proved to be full of precip once again (this time rain) so we were back in the cozy conservatory.

I had forgotten what a good idea it is to go back and sketch the same place, I had something to build off. Plus my friend Pam came along and we realized one of the tree trunks looked like a giant zucchini!

Come draw with us, you'll see things much more clearly....

Stillman & Birns Sketchbook, micron pen and watercolor set

Sketchcrawl State St. - April 23rd

April 23rd is World Wide Sketchcrawl #51and we decided it was time for Draw: Madison to have another one.  In our early days we did a couple and it was a lot of fun.  We will start at Farmers Market on the square and "crawl" down State St. sketching as we go.  I will post a map next week of places we can meet up each hour between 10 am and 3pm.  I am happy to be a facilitator and be at each given location.  Come for a sketch or two or the whole day.  We will break at noon for lunch which would give us a chance to chat, something we don't always have time for on Sundays.  

From what I can gather online World Wide Sketchcrawls began around the time Urban Sketchers got going and was started by like minded sketching groups around the globe.  It's nice to know that on a certain day some group of people who like to draw their city from life are out there doing just that.  I will be posting Madison as a site on an online info board for the World Wide Sketchcrawl so anyone checking to see if there is one in Madison on April 23rd will find it and know where we will be.  I noticed that so far several groups in France will be sketching and also UK, South Korea, Germany, Italy,the Netherlands, South Africa and Australia as well as groups in Florida and California so at least in spirit we will have plenty of company!

Sunday Sketching at Olbrich Gardens April 10th

Top to bottom, left to right: Pat, Pam, Ruth, Elsie,Betty, Reba and Gretchen

It was a rather dreary day but the sketching in Bolz Conservatory was anything but.  Orchids and other tropicals were blooming and the little birds were singing.  Welcome to Pam - hope you will come back and sketch with us again.

My sketch above.

Next sketching venue will be at the Wisconsin Veterans Museum on the Capitol Square on May 8th.  It's Mother's Day but we hope some of us still have time for a sketch or two.

feels like spring,
morning sketch at a country cafe

98# mixed media paper, acid free

#2hb pencil, micro-uniball black pen

with watercolor washes

Pheasant Branch Nature Conservancy

March was a good month for birdwatching at the Pheasant Branch prairie parcel in Middleton.  Cranes flying over and landing in the marsh and fields in the spring is always a thrill.  I did these sketches in a 7x7 inch Stillman and Birn Beta sketchbook with a Pentel Pocket Brushpen and gouache.  Later I realized there were alot of joggers and dog walkers and I should have included some figures so that will be my goal for the next time I sketch out there.

Spring in Madison

A sure sign of spring - the orange cone - has shown up on my street in Westmorland. Holly Ave is under construction and at times it appears to be a bit like performance art. I was particularly taken with the tiny flags they put up to mark utilities, seems like a fiesta is being planned!

View from my bedroom window

I headed back out yesterday when the weather warmed up to draw the amazing machines used for this project. They are so complex, I definitely took artistic license and eliminated a few things. Best part was when a guy riding his bicycle rode by and said "Hey, are you drawing The Cat?"

Caterpillar machine parked for the weekend

I love it when people notice us.

This is a Stiillman & Birn sketchbook, micron pen, and some watercolor.
Keep drawing!
Ruth

Sketching at Victor Allen's Coffee Shop - Monroe St.

 There were 8 sketchers at Victor Allen's this month.  It was a pleasant place to sketch on a rainy afternoon.  It was great to welcome Mary for the first time sketching with us and to welcome Carol back.  We hope to see you both again!

We decided to give Olbrich Gardens another try next month (April 10th).   Hopefully it will be warm and dry enough for some outdoor sketching but if not Bolz Conservatory is always warm.

March 13th Sketching Date Changed to Victor Allen's

Victor Allen's Coffee House  - Monroe St. 

Bolz Conservatory is closed for maintenance so we will meet at Victor Allens' for sketching from  1 - 3 pm instead.  See you there!

WRAA Art Exhibit at the Pyle Center February 27 through April 9th

Pyle Center  -  702 Langdon St.

Yesterday the Wisconsin Regional Arts Program show in Madison went up at the Pyle Center.  I noted the work of 3 Draw: Madison artists.   Linda Camino, Wendy Crone and myself each have 2 pastels in the show.  If I have overlooked anyone else please let me know.  It is a fairly large show with work on both the 1st and 2nd floors.  Definitely worth the trip but the closest public parking is in the Lake St. ramp about a bock and a half away.  The work of some other Wisconsin artists also hang there as part of a permanent collection.  A huge oil painting by Tom Uttech can be seen near the main entrance.  A staff person there told me Tom had to paint it on site due to its size.  The Wisconsin Regional Artists Association is open to all Wisconsin amateur artists.  There website is here:  http://continuingstudies.wisc.edu/art/wisconsin-regional-art-program/conference.htm

Draw: Madison News!!

Today I was exchanging emails about their blog with Mark Liebowitz who is on the board of Urban Sketchers and he wrote back to encourage us to apply to become an official regional Urban Sketcher group.  We had considered it years ago but the work involved seemed more than anyone had time for.  But it seems like it will not be much more work for the blog administrators than it is now and I have offered to do the work involved to set up a new official USk blog.  I sent the application in today and they said it typically takes a month or two for them to respond but it looked to me like we meet all their criteria now.  I will keep everyone posted and hopefully by summer we will have a new look and a more direct connection to a world-wide sketching group.

Elsie and I met this week to discuss future sketching venues and please always feel free to suggest any that appeal to you.  We are also engaged in doing some community outreach to get the word out that Madison has its very own urban sketching group and how much fun it is.

We also discussed the idea of sometimes having our monthly sketching date on a Saturday.  I noticed that this is what the Urban Sketchers Chicago group does.  Some venues are open on Saturdays that are not open on Sundays and it may appeal to sketchers who are often busy on Sundays.  I'll send an email to the group about this but please feel free to add any comments here also.  We thought it might be fun to do a Saturday morning sketch date and have lunch after for anyone who would enjoy that.

We are also hoping to be guests on a local radio program or two to get the word out about how much fun can be had for the price of a pencil and a sketchbook.  Stay tuned and happy sketching!!

Sketching Date: Sunday March 13, 2016 - Olbrich Gardens (again!!)

For our next sketching date we thought we would try Olbrich Garden again as last time the weather kept most of us away and it will probably still be cold enough that the the tropical warmth of the Conservatory will feel great.  While the gardens will not be quite as spring like as the photo above if it is as warm as it was last weekend outdoor sketching would not be out of the question.  We will meet inside the main building at 1pm and sketch until 3pm.  

dynamic colors .. by grandson Jack

Snowy Day outside but lovely botanicals inside Olbrich Gardens

By Elizabeth.  Nice that you joined us for the first time!

By Ruth   Great place to spend the afternoon sketching.

By  Louise    

Three of us gathered inside the botanical 

gardens for sketching.  It was a lively place.  Some came for the fine art show. Others just wanted a place to get out of the cold. Some stopped and inquired

about our Draw Madison group.

We meet the second Sunday of each month (not December) at various places

around Madison.   Any degree of experience with a pen, pencil, ink, pastels or paints is a pre-requisite.

The most important element is that you enjoy sketching.  Join us next month!

Click on the Events Calendar for the next sketch location.

Olbrich Gardens - Bolz Conservancy Sketch Date February 14th

On Valentines Day Draw: Madison will meet at Olbrich Gardens for sketching from 1-3pm.  The conservatory is usually the most popular place to sketch as there are benches, beautiful plants and birds and the warmth is greatly appreciated this time of year.  Admission to the garden center and gardens is free but a $2 admission fee is charged to enter the conservatory. A fine art and craft sale sponsored by the Madison Weavers Guild is also in the garden center that afternoon.

Bolz Conservatory

Sketchbook Skool "Beginning"

Last Friday the 15th was the first day of "skool" and it was Danny Gregory's turn to be the teacher.  It was a nice class with him sharing his story and offering ideas and encouragement to get sketching.  There seem to be quite few people in the class.  Mostly female as usual but a few guys, too.  I managed to do 3 sketches but I spent a considerable amount of time customizing a cover of a new 9x12 Strathmore Visual Journal.  I like the paper for mixed-media the best.  These were two urban sketches I managed to do this week.  These were done in a 7x7 Stillman Birn Beta sketchbook.  The paper is more like hot press watercolor paper and paint lifts off pretty easily.  Since enrolling I've discovered at least 3 other artist friends have taken this online class in the past and liked it which was reassuring. I am hoping to learn more about how to make an interesting composition on the page.  5 more weeks and 5 more teachers to go.  It's a pleasant winter activity.

Chocolaterian Cafe

Chocolaterian Cafe on Atwood Ave

Draw: Madison will be sketching here from 1 - 3 pm on Sunday January 10th.  In the past there has always been ample seating and lots of goodies to snack on.  Their hot chocolate is perfect for this time of year. 

Online Sketching Class Starts January 15th

I've been thinking for some time that it might be fun to do one of the online sketching courses offered by Sketch Book Skool.  http://www.sketchbookskool.com/.  Previously I had thought one could sign up any old time but it appears from their website that the next "semester" starts on January 15th and enrollment begins at 12pm EST on January 1st.  I'm planning on signing up for the "Beginning" class which seems geared to any level of experience and I especially like the work and blogs of a couple of the instructors for that one, Tommy Kane in particular.  Since winter has finally arrived, I felt this might give me some artistic inspiration and challenges without having to brave the elements until spring.  

SKETCHING ON BREAK, Linda

I'm on break now and trying to sketch everyday.  This is Ann Bolyn, while watching "The Tudors."

Sketching with Fountain Pens: Liz Steele and Goulet Pens

Sketch by Liz Steele and some of her favorite pens for sketching

Urban Sketchers correspondent, Liz Steele (Sydney, Australia) is currently doing a series on sketching with fountain pens on her blog: www.lizsteel.com/.  Her enthusiasm for sketching with pens is infectious ( I ended up buying 2 more Lamy Safari's and some new inks.)  She is not selling anything except her online sketching class called:  "Foundations" which I am guessing would be excellent for people new to urban sketching and also for those with some experience. Her series on pens started earlier this month and still has a few parts to go.  She really put alot of time into this and it is a wealth of free information. She recommends some specific pens in particular for the beginning pen sketcher.

Another place with a ton of free information on fountain pens for drawing and writing is Goulet Pens:  http://www.gouletpens.com/.  Brian, the owner, has done some great videos explaining just about anything you would want to know about fountain pens.  He keeps the videos short and it is easy to find the answer to just about any question.  Liz mentions Goulet Pens but is not in any sort of partnership with them.  Their website is easy to use and you can get a good idea of what the colors of the inks are.  They will send you small samples of the inks for a reasonable price.  I thought all their prices were reasonable and competitive.  My order from them was packaged extra carefully so nothing would break or leak in transit.  They do have some sort of partnership with Noodler's Inks but carry many other brands.  So far I have only ever used Noodler's inks but just got some "hand made" German ones from De Atramentis.  These are supposed to be "wetter" and not clog pens but I have never had a problem with Noodler's inks clogging any of my Lamy pens.

My personal favorites for sketching are Lamy Safari pens and Noodler's Lextington Grey.  It is a very dark grey and just a bit more subtle than black.  I have pretty bad arthritis in my hands but these pens are lightweight and for me the grip is very comfortable; I can write or sketch for quite awhile with a Lamy before my hand needs a break.  And they are very good value for the money.  You could pay alot more and not get a better pen.

                                                 Happy Holidays to Draw Madison!!!!!!

Ella's Deli

The interior is populated with animated characters handmade by the owner, employees and local artists. 45 years of whimsy. During the warmer months...

a 1927 Parker Carousel features outdoor rides. Four of us sketched & enjoyed every minute of it...

By Gretchen

By Louise

By Linda

By Elsie

 

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Pastel sketch on pastel paper by Linda

freehand design  -  pen and ink with light watercolor wash by Louise

INKTOBER, LINDA'S SKETCH

I have been very busy with a class I'm taking, but took sometime to do the InkTober sketch.

This is my neighbor's back porch.

Inktober at Pheasant Branch Prairie - Middleton

The prairie has been beautiful the past couple weeks with white and purple asters in bloom and cranes flying over.   I sketched mostly with the Pentel and Kuratake brush pens and added some color with watersoluble crayons.  It's  a challenge for me to stick with black and white and leave the color out of it.