Scorci's

Thanks to Katie B, one of our members, we could sketch at Scorci's Italian Cafe before they opened. She works there and negotiated this opportunity. We were an unusually small group today. 



 Paul left early. 


I elected to go next door to Van Lierop Garden Market. It wasn't too cold so I sketched outside. There's always something interesting in the garden there.



I returned to Sorci's to warm up and ordered lunch. Manny's is my favorite beer but I didn't have any because I had to drive home. It's brewed by Georgetown Brewery.



While at a table to eat my delicious caprese sandwich, I sketched what was nearby.



More photos here.


--Kate Buike

Van Lierop Garden Market Sketch-out in Sumner WA

We're happy we had an 'indoor-outdoor' sketch-out location today! 

It was decidedly chilly outdoors, and it rained from the moment our sketch-out began until it ended. That didn't stop the 12 hardy sketchers who were able to join in the fellowship of sketching together this morning!

The Van Lierop Garden Market in Sumner WA has a huge greenhouse in its garden area. It shielded us from the drizzle and offered a lot of interesting things to sketch. We used our hot coffee take-outs from a neighboring shop as our hand-warmers. Inside the shop, the Van Lierop family members were busy arranging holiday decorations and serving customers. They occasionally popped out to see our sketches from time to time...and, April Van Lierop took our group photo for us.We appreciated the Van Lierops' hosting our sketching event this morning!

To quote a Wise One, "Loosey-goosey makes it juicy."

This morning I enjoyed the latest entry in Thomas Kitts' blog . I've learned quite a few helpful things since I subscribed to his blog some time ago, and also I have also regularly appreciated his sense of humor. I mention this because I like to tell artist friends about blogs I think are enjoyable and helpful to artists!

Today, Thomas mentioned that he has noticed GREAT painters switch mediums..say from oils to watercolors...with facility. They seem able to produce very good paintings in both mediums. 

Recently, he decided to try watercolors again after a 20 year hiatus. I resonated with his angst about moving out of one's comfort zone and trying new things....or, old things once more.  Thomas recently did a couple of little plein air watercolors, posted them in the blog... AND...

He was timid.   

He was uncomfortable.

He self-critiqued with crippling great haste. 

He confessed he had the urge to hide his watercolors from artist friends, perhaps committing them to a landfill.

I KNOW those feelings and behaviors. I've been stepping outside my comfort zone recently. I'm experienced with drawing and with values, but fairly new to using color in any medium.  Recently I began trying to both sketch and paint while simultaneously trying to be looser in my rendering. I've often skipped pencil under-sketching and painted first followed by drawing directly in ink on top of the color. I'm been experimenting with using water-soluble ink which can sometimes have a mind of its own. I'm trying out the experience of being faster and more slap dash (though ingrained drawing skills are still present) rather than being a VERY slow perfectionist.

Thomas offered some other great handy-hints and ideas in his blog today--which I leave to you to go see...AND, he offered a mental note to self  that made me chuckle:  "Looser is better. Looser is okay. Loosey-goosey makes it juicy..."   Take a peek at Thomas Kitts' blog. If you do, I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

O.K. FRANCES! LIGHTEN UP!  HAVE  FUN!

(First: Rebecca's Coffee Shop--One of my coffee hang-outs during the 3rd Annual West Coast Sketch Crawl in San Diego, CA 8-9-15)

(Second: Van Lierop Garden Market during our monthly Third Wednesday Sketch-out--Downtown Sumner WA 8-19-15)

(Frances-Loosey-Goosey-I-Love-Urban-Sketching-Buckmaster)