Nick Napping - February 10th

What a beautiful day to go to the zoo!  After sketching the lagoon by Mills St. I went over to the zoo to check out the polar bears. Looks like I made the bear a little too small or the crows a little too big.  I love these Strathmore hardbound sketchbooks.  Versatile paper and they lay flat.  This one is 9x12 and I also really like the 11x14 for sketching or painting landscapes.  Pat Wafer

Watercolor sketch on Strathmore 500 series Mixed Media Journal

Edgewater Hotel 2-8-2020

It was just about warm enough to sketch at the Edgewater on Saturday.  I added color later indoors from memory using watercolor and Posca pens and Tombow markers. Lots of kids there and the skating rink was very busy. 

Kites on Lake Mendota

Frozen Assets Festival - Saurday Feb. 8th

This looks like an interesting event for some outdoor sketching.  So far the weather forecast is decent: 28 F and 5 mph winds but of course the cold and wind is always more near Lake Mendota.  If anyone is interested in doing some sketching in the afternoon feel free to contact me and we can decide where to meet. dgwafer@gmail.com The link to the event site is: https://www.cleanlakesalliance.org/frozen-assets/#festival  I will have my cell phone 920-421-2623 (which I rarely use) with me if anyone wants to check where I (or WE) are during the afternoon.  I'd like to check out the Edgewater and here is the Isthmus event link about those activities: https://isthmus.com/events/frozen-assets-festival/.  

Also take note we have our regular sketching date this Sunday Feb. 9th @ Firefly Coffeehouse & Artisan Cheese, 114 N Main St, Oregon from 1-3pm. 

Sketching at Sequoya Part 2

That was a mighty brisk walk I took to Sequoya Library a week ago for our January meetup. Not sure how many of us were sprinkled through the library, maybe 13?

It certainly took care of any chills we might have had, the sun was out in force and the library was toasty. We welcomed a couple new sketchers that day too.

Always nice to spend a peaceful afternoon with like minded people.

Photos are a partial showing - some had to slip out early. February meetup is a field trip out to Oregon and the Firefly Cafe, it's on the events calendar. I'll be putting a few more on in the next few weeks.

Stay creative,
Ruth

PS: bonus sketch I did last Friday when I took myself out to lunch at The Short Stack on State Street. Awesome place to sketch, but don't go there at the busy times, that place gets packed.

Sketching at Sequoia

  It was quite toasty last Sunday with the sun streaming in the corner of the library.  The only downside is no talking but then we probably got more sketching done.  I'm sorry I did not get to talk to some of the sketchers I haven't met yet. Thanks to everyone for showing up and hope to see you in February.

  Many thanks to Ruth for all her hard work and willingness to take on one more year.  I'm sure someone will step forward to take on 2021. I thought maybe it was time for our blog to have a bit of a new look.  Hope it looks ok?

Deborah sketching in a sunny spot at the library

Sequoya Library this Sunday

Get your mittens, hat, boots and sketchbook ready.

This Sunday, January 19 is our monthly get together at Sequoya Library on the west side of Madison. Located in that same plaza is EVP coffee, so although we will meet in the library some may want to sketch at the coffee shop.

And you no doubt are aware some snow is forecast on Saturday. I'm thinking positively for Sunday and I know I will be going as I live within walking distance of the library...one of the perks of choosing the places we sketch and placing them on the calendar.

And speaking of that, this will be my third and last year of choosing the locations and letting you all know where they are. I'll be completing the dates for the group through December 2020.

So if you enjoy sketching with like minded people each month you might consider doing this not overwhelming task. Please let me know if you are interested at one of the meetups.

It would be a shame to let the group fade away.

See you Sunday!
Ruth

....a sketch I made on some old book paper looking at Lake Waubesa in the afternoon on Christmas Eve 2019

December at the Garver Feed Mill

Fifteen plus sketchers showed up last Sunday to spend the afternoon at the Garver Field Mill, a newly renovated historic building located behind Olbrich Gardens. If you haven't had a chance to go you should. The building offers gorgeous natural light and at this point there was some wonderful coffee at Ledger's Roaster I enjoyed and offerings at Ian's Pizza and Surya Cafe.

Next up, Sequoya Library on January 19, 2020. Big bonus is EVP Coffee is open in the same plaza, so we will get together in the Library, but feel free to step out and sketch at the coffee shop.

Enjoy your holiday time and stay creative.
Ruth

November at Common Ground in Middleton

Greetings Sketchers!

We all had a delightful time last Sunday at a great place in Middleton I was not familiar with, Common Ground Cafe and general cool meet up place. When I arrived I was able to hear the end of a music set that had been going for two hours during their brunch time.

We all agreed to have this on the rotation another time.

Nice to see Genie and her family, including new baby Franklin....have to get a sketchbook for him soon!

I just put 4 events on the calendar last week which will take us through March, Next up, the newly renovated Garver Feed Mill on the east side of Madison in December.

Hope to see you there and happy sketching,
Ruth

October in the Graveyard

Thanks Mother Nature, you held off the rain and 11 sketchers had a great time exploring fall on the wonderful grounds of the Forest Lawn Cemetery in Madison.

This is a beautiful place, thanks all for coming.

Remember we have a special meetup planned 11/2 at Madison's Hawthorned library - this is Saturday at 1:30. Bring anything to share - drawings, tools, etc. and enjoy hearing about Cindy's participation in the USK Symposium this summer in Amsterdam.

Plus, sketch the library - what's not to love?

November's monthly meetup will be at coffee shop and restaurant Common Ground AND if we have a day of warm weather, it's located right by Pheasant Branch Conservancy. Check the events calendar.


Enjoy fall, get out and sketch,
Ruth

Meetup this Saturday

Hey Sketchers....

Here we are with our October meetup this weekend and the rain clouds are forming on my weather app...sigh, what can you do.

Remember we do have a rain location, over at the Sequoya Library at EVP Coffee, also possible is going to the Sequoya Library, so don't despair, keep sketching. I'll post a note tomorrow night after I take another look at the weather.

Added meetup opportunity! Cynthia Zick has posted an event on Facebook at the Hawthorne Library and will entertain us with tales of her trip to Amsterdam and participation in the USK Symposium, you can be sure there will be lots to share. Please bring your own sketchbooks and tools to share also - we like to take time to see what everyone is doing. We will meet 11/2, a Saturday, starting at 1:30pm.

So get busy!........... and stay creative.

Ruth

September Meetup on Monroe Street

Greetings Sketchers,

We got a September meetup in the nick of time, thanks to a warm and dry spot at Roman Candle Pizza on Monroe Street, our backup this month for mother nature's plans. Rain.

This new restaurant on the corner of Knickerbocker and Monroe is a wonderful place for our group to hang out on a Sunday afternoon, beautiful lighting, just a few tables full, tasty food.

Good time had by all, some pretty good sketches too.

Next up, Forest Lawn Cemetery in October. The rain alternative will be EVP Coffee Shop or the Sequoya Library, both in the plaza off Midvale Blvd. I'll be back in touch if that's necessary.

Take care all, keep sketching, no weather excuses for you!

Ruth

Update on Sunday 9/29 Meetup

It's on!

Even though you are looking at the iffy weather, I just went down to Roman Candle Pizza in the plaza at the corner of Knickerbocker and Monroe and they said Sunday afternoon was a great time for a group to come.

Even had some pizza - pretty tasty. They also have salads, looks like they sell ice cream from The Chocolate Shoppe too. Plenty of beer...

So, this place is down the street from Wingra Boat rental, if the weather behaves you can stay outside, otherwise, I'll be in the pizza shop

Who knows?, I might even get a beer.

We'll draw yet.....
Ruth

Rain and More Rain, Sunday Cancelled

Just took a look at the weather map for tomorrow sketchers and it's one big rain cloud all day long.

Thinking this probably isn't the day to go hang out at Lake Wingra....SO I have next weekend free, do you?

I'm going to move the date after I check with our FB group, then you'll see it pop up here.

But this isn't an excuse to not sketch, so get busy!

My Best
Ruth

August Meetup

What a terrific time 12 of us had in the University Heights neighborhood last Saturday. All the planets were aligned; the weather was superb, Tsela was such a great hostess, and what's not to love with the architecture in that historic district.

We all decided it was an idea worth repeating. Is your neighborhood interesting? I realized, living in Westmorland, I need get a date on the calendar. Lots to see here including a Frank Lloyd Wright Usonian home - stay tuned and let me know if you have an idea.

Thanks to all who came....we had a couple new faces, along with Louisa's two cute Sheltie dogs. We hope you all come back again.

Next up, Wingra boat rental off Monroe Street, check the events Calendar.

In the meantime, stay creative!

Ruth

More News from Chicago!

I heard from Alex, our contact in USK Chicago, she posted the following info on Facebook and I wanted to make sure everyone had access.

Sounds exciting, and if you can make it please let us know...leads the way for other Tri-State meetups by another of our 3 state group, doesn't it. It might be nice to get in touch with our friends in the MWK group to see if we can get  a meetup together among the two of us.

Always nice to meet more sketching friends.....

Let's sketch Chicago: Tri-State sketchcrawl - IN, WI, IL

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 · Hosted by Alex Zonis

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  Sunday, September 15, 2019 at 10 AM – 3 PM

• pin	The Bean 1 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, Illinois 60602

News from USK Chicago

Greetings Sketchers,

A newsflash for those of you who do not use the Facebook page, USK Chicago is having a Tri-State Sketchcrawl and that means us!

Make plans for this great opportunity to head to Chicago on September 15. USK Chicago Admin Alex Zonis, posted this message on FB today:

"Hi Madison sketchers! I am a USk Chicago admin. USk Chicago would like to invite you to a Tri-State sketchcrawl!

We came up with this idea to have a sketchcrawl and invite our neighbors: Usk Indianapolis, Usk Milwaukee and you - USk Madison. The sketchcrawl will be in Chicago, because we are in the middle, on Sunday September 15, before our Midwest weather turns. We are planning to spend a day sketching, getting to know each other, maybe having a snack and a drink together.

We hope you like our idea. Details are coming soon."

I'll post this on the events calendar with, as Alex remarks above, details to follow soon.

Beautiful day sketching this afternoon with Kellen, hope you have been creative. Look forward to our meetup next Saturday.

See you there!

Ruth

Saturday August Meetup

I hope you are as excited as I am to spend an afternoon on Saturday August 24 in the University Heights area of Madison. I drive by that area regularly and look with envy at those distinctive houses with challenging features to draw.

I regularly ask people, What suggestions and ideas do you have for places to draw? Tsela presented this idea and that's what prompted our August date. Tsela offers this writeup for further details:


Sketch the amazing houses and scenery in the historic University Heights neighborhood! We will meet at 1pm the intersection of North Spooner Street and Hoyt Street, in front of the blue house with white trim. At around 1:10 pm we will saunter up Summit avenue and right onto Ely place. Or feel free to wander out on your own.  You may want to bring a folding chair, unless you don't mind standing. At 3 pm let's coalesce where we started, and go to Tsela's house for tea, coffee, treats, and general socializing.

Fingers crossed for weather.

I'm going, are you?

Stay creative and keep sketching
Ruth

Sketching Vacations

Hi all,
I've nearly filled a travel sketchbook from my past three weeks in Vermont. What a great state this is and it brought back a lot of family memories.

well, these should be side by side....a wonderful Air BNB we stayed at in Middlesex, just felt so good to feel remote, in the middle of nowhere....

Another thing I like is bike riding, the Burlington Bike path is a beauty and flat - something not found in many places in VT.

So onward, the end of summer approaches. I just put two new events on the calendar, take a look, note that two are on Saturday.
Saturday, August 24, 1-3 - drawing houses off Regent - Thanks Tsela!
Sunday, September 22, 1-3 - Monroe Street/Lake Wingra , the park by the boat rental
Saturday, October 19, Forest Hill Cemetery, Speedway Ave

Ideas? Send them our way and keep sketching....
Ruth

Sketching in August and USK August edition of Drawing Attention

This month we will sketch at the Memorial Union Terrace and in University Heights (more info on this site later in the month) on August 25th.  See the Events calendar for details.

Here's the link for USK's August Drawing Attention.  Some great looks at other chapters around the world.    http://www.urbansketchers.org/2019/08/drawing-attention-august-2019.html?mc_cid=ee5d78a2a3&mc_eid=b8b408aaee  They bring their cats with them in Bejing!  Happy Sketching!

Upcoming Events this Summer

Member Jan has posted this great opportunity for us on Facebook and I wanted to make sure our Blog friends were aware of it.

Epic Systems

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Saturday, July 13, 2019 at 9:45 AM – 2 PM Meet in the visitor center parking lot. Self guided tour starts at 10:00. Bring a sandwich/snack, water bottle and chair (optional). ALSO I just put up our monthly event for August 25. A great opportunity suggested by member Tsela to sketch our way around the area of University Heights, focusing on the amazing houses there. More details to follow as we get nearer to the event. Happy sketching all, Ruth