I Love Flickr!

I love Flickr for so many reasons:

• I have multiple sites within Flickr to store my sketches for public viewing.
• I have a portfolio of my sketches in my own Flickr site.
• I have several folders within my Flickr site, where I can organize my sketches by subject.
• I can see sketches every day by other sketchers from our Urban Sketchers-Tacoma group.
• I can browse the sketches of sketchers from around the world who post in Flickr.
• I enjoy when people remark about or 'fave' one of my sketches: affirmations are nice.
• I like how easy it is to post my sketches to Flickr.
• I like to be able to watch the progress in my sketching skills, by reviewing posted sketches.
• I learn so much from the sketches I see in Flickr.
• I can follow sketchers whom I enjoy and who challenge me.
• I can encourage other sketchers by commenting and 'favor-ing' their work with a star.
• I learn about the world from following sketchers from around the world.
• I learn about ideas for sketch kits on Flickr.

I could double this list of why I love Flickr....but, you get the idea!

I just posted the sketches below in Flickr. They were done on our vacation...and all three were sketched in Montreal,  using a Micron .01 pen.

Old kitchen

Do you know about the global Urban Sketchers' weekly themes?  On Monday morning each week, one of the volunteers posts a new theme for the week.  Sketchers add images, either previously sketched or new ones done for the theme.



The global Urban Sketchers flickr pool weekly theme is kitchens.  After finishing my shift at Fort Nisqually today, I took a few minutes to sketch the stove in the kitchen building.  The day had turned sunny and it was about 55 degrees.  The stove was not fired up so it was a bit chilly in the building.

Sucessful Play Day!

We, the admins here, took the idea used at the Seattle Friday ad hoc ("Gab and Grab") and Frances expanded it.  Yesterday she hosted in her studio space a "Play Day" for Urban Sketchers Tacoma.

This is a relatively new group and we have many people new to Urban Sketchers (USk).  So today was designed to give a lot of information about both the group and how we do what we do!

Even with directions, it takes practice to recognize the right driveway.  Frances took care of that!


Rom was in charge of getting all the cars parked in the drive.  He got them all in and with a plan so the ones who needed to leave early could get out!


Darcie made name tags


After introductions and housekeeping announcements, I (Kate) led the Internet Tour for Urban Sketchers. One of our tenets is "we share on-line".  There is so much to see and learn!   This is one of the studio rooms set up with a large monitor.


During lunch, we had a "What's-in-your-bag" sharing.

Pat shares her bag.

In the afternoon, Frances gave all the sketchers a goodie bag of papers and unusual writing instruments.  This is the "play" part of the day.







 We also had a sharing table with art supplies to give away or sell.  Darcie brought is very cleverly designed custom sketch bags.  "As seen on the Urban Sketchers blog".

Those attending said they had a good time and learned a lot.  I enjoyed it myself.

We're doing it all over again on February 21, 2015.  See more on the USk Tacoma ad hoc page. 

Organ Concert

This organ concert is a regular Third Friday series at noon at Christ Episcopal Church, Tacoma.  The large pipe organ itself is the Brombaugh Organ.  I heard about the concert in an emailed update of events.  Frances and I decided to go with an eye to also sketching the church.  It was a beautiful concert and was well attended.

Marina

I purposefully left early for my shift at Fort Nisqually.  I wanted to stop somewhere in the park (Point Defiance)  to sketch.  It was under 40 degrees but sunny.  There had been some fog.  I sat in the warm car to sketch this scene at the edge of the Marina. 

The sculpture on the left is, I think, meant to represent anchors.  I didn't get out to see whether there was any information on it.





Pentalic Aqua pocket watercolor sketchbook, Staedtler pigment liner pen
Daniel Smith Watercolors

February Outing

Our next outing will be February 7th at Johnny's Dock Restaurant and Marina
1900 East D Street, Tacoma, WA 98421. 

http://www.johnnysdock.com/home.html

Meet there at 10am.  It is located on the Thea Foss Waterway directly across from the Museum of Glass and has lots of interesting views for sketching.  It is a restaurant, so we might want to "pay our rent," as it were, by having breakfast or lunch.  If it's a nice day, the opportunity to sketch outside exists as well.  We'll sketch until 12:30pm and then meet to share our sketches.  Some of us do plan to stay for lunch. 

Sketchers Studio Play Day

(Free Event)
Urban Sketchers Tacoma Sketchers Studio Play Day
10 am-2 pm: Saturday, January 24th
Location: FRANCES BUCKMASTER STUDIO—PUYALLUP WA  
Ample on-site free parking available; car pooling is encouraged.

RESERVATIONS ARE REQUIRED
Email  Frances Buckmaster (fbuckmas at ix.netcom dot com) no later than January 17th. ***Reservations will be first come/first served until we reach capacity***
Upon your enrollment, location information and any other details will be sent by return email.

Due to the popularity of this first one, which filled in a few days, there will be a second one on Saturday, February 21.  Same info applies.  

What is a sketchers studio play date?
This will be a time to get to know other sketchers and some of the group’s leaders, to learn more about the urban sketching movement and Urban Sketchers-Tacoma. You will learn about Urban Sketcher social media sites, and some of the opportunities available for sketchers including workshops and books on urban sketching. You will learn how every sketcher may be part of the global urban sketching movement simply by sharing sketches on the internet.  You will be able to review a variety of sketch kits, learn some handy hints, and try out some sketching mediums that Frances and Kate will provide, and, ask all your sketching questions. There will be some useful handouts to take home.

Bring your sketch kit to show and tell.

NOTE: We will set up tables to display any art supplies any attendees or leaders would like to trade or sell because they are no longer using them.In addition:

 After the Play Date: An optional Enrichment Tutorial Session will begin at 2 pm “How to Show Your Sketches on Flickr and/or Facebook” taught by Kate Buike.  Those who wish to participate,  bring your own laptop or tablet to receive help setting up a Flickr account, if time and numbers allow.  WIFI available.

flickr tutorial session

Lunch: Bring a bag lunch. Coffee/teas provided.

What to Bring
Bring your questions and curiosity, a bag lunch, your own sketching supplies, any art supplies to trade/sell, your suggestions of great sketch-out locations, and your willingness to try out some things that may be new to you.

Big Turnout for Meeker Mansion!

Tacoma Urban Sketchers had our best attended sketch outing to date!  This was thanks to the article in the "Go" section of The News Tribune yesterday. 

The Meeker Mansion in Puyallup, WA was gloriously decorated for Christmas.

Sketcher at the bottom of the stairs.

The mansion was built in 1890 and is a splendid Victorian era home.  There was an abundance of sketch opportunities and I just couldn't pick. I wandered around the entire house for about a half an hour.  By then, there were 2 or 3 or more sketchers in each room.  The ones in which I was most interested were full!  Sketchers everywhere:

So I settled down to sketch the period artifacts in a display case in the upper hall.



After I finished this, a spot was open in one of my preferred rooms.  These dresses were beautifully made.  The clothing and accessories of the period are very interesting to me as I'm working on period clothing and kit as a volunteer interpreter for Fort Nisqually


We gathered to share sketches....



and have a group photo (though there are several missing as they had left before).



More photos of sketchers and the Mansion are here  

In the News!

We're in the newspaper!  Specifically, the GO section of The News Tribune today (1/2/2015)  

Frances, Rom, Mark and I met with the journalist, Rosemary Ponnekanti, on Monday.  Out of our discussion came this very nice article about our Tacoma Urban Sketchers!