Favorites from Before, During and After the Symposium

This sketch is of Plaza Catalunya - how I miss it, and how I miss everyone who attended! I always tell people the Symposium is like camp for grown-ups because you get to see a special group of people once a year - a group that changes from year to year, but is always good.

This is a typical trip sketch for me: a meal, a note to myself, and a landmark. I spent the first few days there having a great vacation with my husband.

We spent a perfect day at Sagrada Familia.

Bharma!

And finally it was time for the Symposium! This is from Jim Richard's workshop - so much fun! I can't believe how much more comfortable I was drawing people after this workshop.

This is from Inma's workshop. I love it! I'll never look at a building I'm sketching the same way again.

Marc Holmes's workshop took drawing people to another level. I followed around this guy trying to sell those damn tweety things for about 20 minutes.

Melanie's workshop was a blast! I could've played with all of that texture and pattern on La Rambla all day long.

At Virginia Hein's workshop we had a slight distraction: drowning man in sunglasses! Virginia reminded me that when I'm sketching I'm still a painter.

And then we were all at the sketchcrawl and it was almost over! To me it felt like it really went by that fast, even though there were wonderful meals and walks and talks and cab rides! with new friends and old.

I can't wait to see you all again next time :)

The day after I was too tired and achey (how about we start a Symposium Exercise Regimen for next year - starting today!) to do much, but I did make possibly my favorite sketch of the trip at lunch. I think that proves that I learned a lot.

Also spent some time with Plaza Catalunya and the pigeons and the kids.

Then I was back to my typical trip sketch, enjoying a wonderful meal, but sad to say goodbye.

Hasta la próxima!

Greetings from Memphis

Hello all! I'm coming to Barcelona from Memphis, TN, where I've been working on sponsorships for the Symposium. This will be my third Symposium, and the second one I've been involved in planning. I attended Portland, OR in 2010, and attended and worked on the one in Santo Domingo last year.

I am a life-long sketchbook-keeper. Finding Urban Sketchers and having people to share this interest with has made the practice of sketching more fulfilling. Sketching more seriously and learning from all of you has improved my artwork. I'm an artist - I paint mostly oil on canvas and on paper - and sketching helps so much to inform my studio practice.

I'm really looking forward to meeting each and every one of you - seeing old friends and meeting new ones. I also can't wait to see and sketch Barcelona, and to finally meet so many members of the Symposium committee in person :)

Here's my blog of sketches and my website of paintings.

See you soon!

sketching in London

 with my paintings