on the way there – my usual travel sketching
Urban Sketching
Who are Urban Sketchers ? Urban Sketchers is a global community of sketchers dedicated to the practice of on-location drawing. We share our love for the places where we live and travel. There are regional chapters aroudn the world !
This weekend we were invited to to sketch with the Albury En Plein Air group. About 25 of us got together over a weekend. It is a bit of a journey from Melbourne so I made it a long weekend. We all arrived and left at different times and organised our own accommodation. Some of us caught up at some meals.
A lot of organisation had gone into the planning of the weekend. It was relaxed and easy going, with the opportunity to sketch in many places wirh diffferent people. We had a schedule of starting time and catch up times. However it had been pouring rain all week and the organiser had back up plans all the way. Thankfully the sun shone for two days and we could sit out.
I spent time sketching with differnet groups of interesting people. Some of us talked alot ! We all come from different art backgrounds and use different art mediums , both in our usual practice and on the day.
Albury has an amazing variety of historic buildings from many eras, even just along the main street Dean Street. I could have sketched for a week !
Gregg had also organised a catchup as a group on Saturday at a local Art shop and gallery Art Parts Fine Art Supplies. When we get together as a group at the end of a session we have a throwdown. This is where everyone puts their skechbook or loose sheet of paper out. of what they did that morning/ afternoon This is where go get to see what everyone has done. I think that it is a very important part of an urban sketchers event as everhone gets to see all the very different styles people have. It is very important for new people to the group (or to sketching) to realise that everyones art is different and and no two are alike. It is great experience for anyone hesitant about sketching in public or joining a group. AND we always take a group photo !
dinner
A few of us went out to dinner on Friday night, so of course I sketched it It is not an urban sketch as it is not sektched in context. Thers is no story being told here of the surroundings, or as a record of time and pplace, I could have sketched the restaurant surroundings and staff, to tell a story.
I have many different sketching themes and many of them are stand alone obects. They have a story but I dont tell it in my sketc,