Tools For Sketching On The Go

 

Sketching on the go, whether it’s while vacationing in a foreign country or while sipping coffee in your local neighborhood cafe, is an exciting way to experience the world.

I’ve had a number of requests to share some info about what I take with me on these excursions. The answer varies depending on where I am, how long I’m planning to be out, and what I’m hoping to capture. But, that said, here’s the scoop on the basics and the extras.

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Another Class – Another Great Experience

I just wrapped up the third virtual offering of my Sketching With Ink & Watercolor Class presented through the Community Arts program at the University of Saskatchewan.

Five sessions (once a week) spread out over a month from start to finish. The series is designed for artists and would be artists who are attracted to expressive line work and lively colors and keen to create images inspired by everyday life experiences.

We worked with ink and watercolor on paper, and engaged in a series of ‘see & try’ experiences – brief demos followed by hands-on exercises and assignments.

The aim: to build a set of skills to help people capture vignettes on paper wherever they find them – from their own backyards to street cafés halfway around the world.

These are some of the topics we covered:

  • Cultivating the art of noticing as a way to breathe more life into images
  • Experimenting with dynamic lines to add variety and emphasis to the work
  • Mixing and applying watercolors in ways that keep them fresh and lively
  • Approaching a scene, exploring compositions, choosing a focus & completing a sketch
  • Putting it all together – including specific tools and tips for sketching on the go
  • Developing skills in critiquing your own sketches to keep growing as an artist

I enjoyed connecting with another lively group of committed students. They were quick to share their questions, eager to try to the techniques, and steady on the follow through with their practice assignments.

This time I delivered an evening class (5:30-8:30). So special thanks to husband, Dave, who created a 5:00 snack to nosh on before class, and was ready with dinner to enjoy after it was over.

More than once, during the delivery of the sessions, I found myself smiling to myself and thinking, “This is fun!” What more could you ask for?

Cafe Series Backstory Video

If you’ve been following my posts on social media (Facebook and Instagram), you may have caught one of more of the ten brief videos vignettes in which I shared some of the experiences and inspirations that gave rise to the ‘Care For A Cuppa’ exhibition and the Café Series in general.

The series touched on all of these themes:

  • hospitality,
  • contribution,
  • community,
  • relationship,
  • connection,
  • contemplation,
  • beauty, and
  • creativity.

The entire series of vignettes has now been combined into one video shown here interspersed with paintings from the show. If you are so inclined, I invite you to grab a cuppa your favorite beverage, press play, and reflect on your own life experiences connecting with self and others over a mug of coffee or a cup of tea.

If you haven’t yet seen the ‘Care For A Cuppa’ exhibition which has been featured through the fall at City Perks Coffeehouse in Saskatoon, this link will allow you to browse the individual works virtually and enjoy a virtual video tour of the show online at the Pauseworks Studio website.

BTW, the show run was extended two weeks until December 15th at 801 7th Ave N.

 

 

 

Artists’ Workshop: A Day In The Life

Monday (September 13th) was the first day of the 2021-22 painting season with my Artists’ Workshop friends and colleagues. It was great to all be together again. The Covid situation gave us quite a merry ride through last year’s season.

The fact that all nine members of our group are double vaccinated brings some level of comfort. Still, with Covid numbers through the roof in this province, we’re being cautious – working at a distance from each other and wearing masks when we are moving around the space….

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Sending Love To Patrons Of The Arts

Ever since I first put my art ‘out there’ for others to see and to buy, I’ve marveled each time someone liked my work enough to purchase a piece. I’m still honored when people add my images to their life and world.

Some collectors own multiple pieces of my art, happily display them, and keep their eyes peeled for more. I call these folks patrons.

What’s a patron? Someone who supports a person, an activity, an institution. Patrons come in many shapes and forms, and are universally appreciated by those they champion.

Just last week, someone whom I would consider a patron, contacted me and asked about commissioning a new painting to accompany a pair of my paintings she already owned. Based on the description of what she was looking for, I determined that I already had on hand at least seven paintings in the desired theme and format.

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Virtual Art Classes

I would tell you that I’ve dipped my toe in the waters of virtual delivery of art classes, but in fact the experience was more like being thrown in the deep end of the pool!

The good news is that I survived, enjoyed it, and will be diving in again later this fall.

This spring, the University of Sask Community Arts program asked me if I would teach a virtual Watercolor summer class.

I agreed to offer a five class series in July titled Sketching With Ink & Watercolor; and I delivered it via zoom to eight eager, energetic and enthusiastic students.

It was a TON of work preparing to facilitate this program.

I had to figure out not only the content, but also the technical end of things – linking phone for demo with desktop computer for the theory and conversational end of the class.

Once the class was announced, before I could even turn around and let people know that the class registration had gone live, the session was already full.

And when I agreed to deliver a repeat of the session later this fall, the same thing happened again. The November 2021 class was fully registered in less than 24 hours.

The photos you see featured in this post are from the first offering of the program.

I thought you might enjoy seeing what things look like from the instructor’s side of the screen!

I am maintaining a list of people who are interested in classes I offer, so if you would like to be added to that list just drop me a line and let me know.

‘Lanterns Of The World’ Solo Show & Sale

And it’s up! I spent a couple of hours on Monday of this week – with the help of my able ‘studio assistant’/husband, David – hanging my Lanterns Of The World show.

This collection is my contribution to shining a little light in this pandemic battered world of ours.

My first solo public exhibit is open now and can be enjoyed throughout the month of July at the Brainsport Gallery off Broadway in Saskatoon – 616 10th St E.

Take in the show and treat yourself to Beppi’s Gelato – situated right next door. That’s what we did after we hung the paintings earlier this week!

An informal ‘Meet The Artist’ is tentatively scheduled for the afternoon of Saturday, July 17th – pandemic willing and the creeks don’t rise!

All works are available for purchase directly from the artist. Details are on the tags posted beside each painting.

I hope you are able to visit the show and enjoy the work.

Make More Of Life Through Art – Feature Article

If you think that during this Covid pandemic that time stretched – and then stretched again – you might be right.

I was originally interviewed by Hillary Klassen for an article on my journey as a visual artist back in January of 2020. The plan at that point was for the piece to be published in the Star Phoenix YXE Living lifestyle magazine. With the onset of the pandemic, all kinds of things changed, including those publication plans.

The article eventually appeared in December of 2020 in a Regina Leader Post publication, and a copy made its way into my hands in the new year.

Now, it’s taken me another half year to get around to posting the piece to my blog. That last delay is totally on me. Fortunately, the contents aren’t time sensitive.

As we move into the summer of 2021, I hope you enjoy reading the backstory on my journey to the world of art. Hopefully it might inspire you to undertake an adventure or two of your own – all in good time.

PS – If you click on the images of the article, they will enlarge and be easier to read.

How Did You Do That?

‘How did you do that?’ is a question I was asked more than a few times after I presented the paintings in the December 2020 Glimmers Of Hope series. It just so happens that I took some photos of the process so that I could write about it and share the magic with you. Here’s how it went.

 

First, I cut watercolor paper into five inch squares.

I prepared a number of different colored ‘mats’ for the work by applying masking tape to the paper squares.

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Saturday Morning Adventures With Paint

I spent a few hours this morning as a student in a couple of on-line watercolor workshops. Although I might prefer to be face to face in a workshop setting, still it’s a treat to be able to learn from artists all over the world from the comfort of your very own studio.

Thanks to Dillman’s Art Workshop Retreat in Wisconsin for sponsoring a live one hour demo paint-along with Colorado watercolorist, Janet Nunn. 

Janet works with Dr. Martin’s Hydrus Liquid Watercolors, but I improvised with my own tube paints. She demonstrated techniques featuring crumpled wax paper and a credit card. 

  • Here’s my version of her winter scene. I love the energy in the sweep of the sky and the snowdrifts.

Dillman’s regularly sponsors online demonstrations with all kinds of artists. Follow their Facebook feed to be alerted to upcoming programs and enjoy replays of past sessions.

Immediately on the heels of that session, I spent two hours in another paint along workshop with UK urban sketcher, Ian Fennelly. Ian is known for his lively, detailed, colorful sketches created with Tombow markers, permanent ink liners, and watercolors. 

  • Even though I live in the middle of the prairies, it was fun to imagine myself seaside as I recreated this rickety beached boat and its sentinel seagulls.

Fennelly’s session was sponsored by EtchrLab, maker of fine sketchbooks. They offer an extensive range of online mini-lab workshops at extremely reasonable prices.

There’s lots of online learning to be had if you keep your eyes and ears open. Have fun!

Copyright © 2016 - Pauseworks Studio - Patricia Katz, Optimus Consulting
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