Urban Sketchers Twin Cities

The 1968 Exhibit at the Minnesota History Center

2012-01-27T19:41:00.000-08:00

Roberta and I took a trip yesterday to the 1968 exhibit at the History Center in St. Paul. Lots of grey haired baby boomers (including us) reliving the past.

Click on the sketches to make them bigger:

The American Swedish Institute

2012-01-08T21:24:00.000-08:00

I always enjoy sketching at the American Swedish Institute.

Click on the sketch to make it bigger:

Minnesota Sinfonia Concert at the Basilica

2012-01-07T16:14:00.000-08:00

The Minnesota Sinfonia had a great concert today at the Basilica.

Click on the picture to make the sketch bigger:

Foshay Tower Museum

2011-11-04T20:06:00.000-07:00

Today it was an unseasonably warm day. Probably one of the last days for outside sketching for us Twin Cities urban sketchers. Roberta and I took a trip to the top of the Foshay Tower in downtown Minneapolis. The Foshay is now a fancy hotel called W. The hotel has a a succinct history of the building and its transformation.

Information on the museum, hours etc HERE.

Here is my two-page spread in my small journal of the view from the observation deck and the museum (click to make sketches bigger):

Roberta sketched from a movie in the museum showing flappers modeling Kickernick underwear:

Roberta's observation deck sketch:

Sketches of an Occupy Minnesota March and Rally in Downtown Minneapolis

2011-10-14T20:13:00.000-07:00

These are sketches I made today at Government Plaza between MInneapolis City Hall and the Hennepin Government Center.

Usually, the plaza has only a few people, usually public servants eating lunch. Today, it was filled with a bunch of people exercising their right to free assembly, carrying signs and discussing all kinds of stuff - it was very interesting to be there and document it in my journal. I wish I could have colored it in, but the light was fading and it was getting cold.

Click on the sketch to make it bigger:

A Tour of the Commons in Minneapolis

2011-10-08T19:47:00.000-07:00

Usually when I hear the word "commons" I think of the Garrett Hardin's 1968 essay "Tragedy of the Commons" which inspired this comic I did years ago. But the commons is still around us, you just need a bicycle and some guides to show you where it is.

Roberta and I biked over to Augsburg College for the start of a bike tour with journalist Jay Walljasper, author of "All That We Share", Augsburg sociology professor Lars Christiansen and climate activist Ulla Nilsen. It was a wonderful day for a bike ride and we learned a great deal and ended up at the Government Plaza where the the Occupation was taking place.

Here's some quick sketches I did along the way ending with a pitchman for peace Lloyd Brant with his Emergency Clown Nose (click sketch to make it larger):

St. Paul Almanac Poets and Writers Reading at Cahoots

2011-10-07T18:43:00.000-07:00

Thursday night, Roberta and I biked to Cahoots Coffee Bar on Selby Avenue in St. Paul to listen to readings by St. Paul Almanac writers and poets. We enjoyed the readings as we sat in the patio in the back. When it became dark, we used a book light.

The St. Paul Almanac has a list of future readings HERE.

The St. Paul Almanac is a treasure trove of good writing and artwork. Info on buying a copy of the 6th edition HERE. There's some great artwork by Urban Sketcher Andy Singer The book also comes with two maps by Roberta - preview Roberta's maps HERE.

Sketches in Roberta's journal:

Sketches in my journal:

Metro Sketchers Sketch at the Stone Arch Bridge

2011-10-02T18:50:00.001-07:00

The Metro Sketchers (Facebook page here) met again at the Stone Arch Bridge in Minneapolis. It was a great day to sketch - warm temperatures, bright sun at the low, autumnal angle that makes interesting shadows. The sketchers did very well, here's the results (click to make the sketches bigger):

Virginia McBride and her big sketch of the bridge:

Virginia McBride's smaller sketch using a Pentel Pocket Brush pen:

Tom Winterstein's sketches - bridge and mushroom:

Tom demonstrating his unique monopod sketching easel:

Tim Jennen's watercolor sketch of smokestacks:

Paul Spencer's sketch of the silos:

Angela Spencer's vivid pastel sketch of the stacks:

Liz Carlson's sketch of the Pillsbury Flour building (and finger):

My sketches in my big journal of the bridge and stuff seen from the bridge:

Clown Downtown

2011-09-29T08:45:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, I went to the farmers' market in downtown Minneapolis, and saw a man in a clown costume having a lengthy conversation with a homeless man. Here is a loose sketch of the scene. Click to enlarge. See more of my work at my blog and my portfolio site.

Minnesota State Fair Sketch Out: Judith Lang Main at the Fair

2011-09-12T05:00:00.000-07:00

Judith Lang Main joined the third Minnesota State Fair Sketch Out's first meeting at 1 p.m. August 27, 2011 with many pages completed! She had been working since early morning on capturing the sights and events of the Fair in her journal.

Judith worked in a Fabriano journal with pages of various colors. She used colored pencils to sketch and also applied some watercolor washes to various portions of her sketches. Her colorful artwork skillfully captures the bustle and energy of all aspects of the Fair—from the animal barns to the concession stands. Judith told me that she has lived in Minnesota for five years, and while she has been to fairs in Wisconsin, she had never attended the Minnesota State Fair before. This was a wonderful inaugural visit. I know that her sketches will inspire you to look not just at the Fair with new eyes, but also the streets and scenes in your daily life.

For more on the Third Annual Minnesota State Fair Sketch Out see also posts from Saturday and Sunday.

Minnesota State Fair Sketch Out 2011: Miss T at the Fair

2011-09-11T05:00:00.000-07:00

Left: The first in a series of bunny sketches by Miss T. at the 2011 Minnesota State Fair. Click on any of the image to view an enlargement. All images ©2011 Miss T.

Miss T. filled a 32-page journal at the State Fair this year. (She attended the sketch out and also went on another day.) She worked in a journal she made herself. It was approximately 5 x 7 inches and had text pages of white Rives BFK. As you can see in the images in this post, she used a Pentel Pocket Brush Pen for sketching and added light washes of watercolor with a Niji Waterbrush.

Working in a series has many benefits, but I think Miss T.'s series also clearly shows us how charming the results can be.

Sketching at the Minnesota State Fair

2011-09-10T05:29:00.000-07:00

Sketch Out Wrap Up

The Third Annual Minnesota State Fair Sketch Out was held on August 27, 2011. There were 13 people in attendance at one or both of the two meetings (1 p.m. and 4 p.m.). Additionally two other artists sent emails to me after the fact that they had sketched out on their own at the Fair on other days.

Over the next couple of days I'll be posting links to artists' blogs and sites, as well as work by artists who don't have an internet presence. I hope you'll check back to see some of the great work that was accomplished.

If you were at the Sketch Out and would like your images posted please send me jpgs, or a link to your blog so I can list it.

If you sketched at the Minnesota State Fair on another day, no worries—we'd love to see and share your sketches so either send me jpgs or links. You can reach me at rozjournalrat@gmail.com

I'm still in catch up mode after the Fair and haven't scanned any of my sketches—so I'll post about my Fair experience later in the week as well.

If you weren't at the Fair sketching this year I hope that you'll come out and join us next year! There will be a couple changes—you'll be able to get your button before hand so you can wear it all day; there will be a pre-Fair sign up for sketching "buddies"; and there will just be a single wrap-up meeting in the afternoon. Also, after two years of meeting on the first Saturday our day might switch back to Tuesday. I'll be sure to post details here and on Roz Wound Up in August 2012.

See Some Fair Sketches Right Now!

In the meantime, to get you in the Fair sketching mode for 2012 I encourage you to check out the fabulous sketches of Marty Harris and Suzanne Hughes at Marty's Flickr group for Minnesota State Fair Sketches. (Marty encourages you to join the group and post your images there if you are already a Flickr member.)

You can also see additional images and a write up of her 2011 State Fair experience on Suzanne Hughes' blog. I encourage you to check that out as well.

The artwork of both these artists gives you a great taste of the flavor and sights at the fair. I'll post more Fair Sketches here over the next few days.

Third Annual Minnesota State Fair Sketch Out: Saturday, August 27, 2011

2011-08-24T18:19:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again.

Saturday, August 27, 2011 is the Third Annual Minnesota State Fair Sketch Out.

There will be two meetings to meet other sketchers and share work and adventures: at 1 and 4 p.m. Find additional details and a map to the meeting locations here.

Participants receive a free commemorative 2.25 inch button as shown in this post (while supplies last—so you really want to show up at the meetings!).

If you can't attend the Fair on the day of the Sketch Out, just go to the Fair on another day, draw something from life (an animal, people on rides or in crowds, the odd buildings, whatever) and send me a jpg, and I'll save you a button (again, while supplies last). You can pick up your button at another time.

The sketch out has been growing each year. Sketchers of all skill levels are welcome. Bring a friend. (The Sketch Out is free, you have to pay your own admission to the Fair.) See you there!

Busted tree in Deming Heights

2011-08-15T21:33:00.000-07:00

Here is a tree in Deming Heights park, in Northeast Minneapolis, with the bark split open. The sketch doesn't do it justice.

See more of my work at lupiloops.wordpress.com and lupiloops.com

Minnehaha Falls With the Metro Sketchers

2011-07-03T20:55:00.000-07:00

Roberta and I biked to Minnehaha Park to sketch with the Metro Sketchers. Here are my sketches (click on the sketches to make them bigger).

This is the falls. I lost my shade and my colored pencils started to melt. I finished up the color later.

While Roberta was doing her watercolor of the falls, a giant spider crawled under her chair. A big blue-green wasp flew under the chair and attacked the spider. As they were a wrestling, a crowd gathered to watch. It was a life and death struggle. the Wasp won. I picked up the dying spider and moved him to a bench where he attracted more gawkers. Roberta and I continued our sketches.

Afterwards, we ate at Sea Salt. The line was long, but worth the wait.... and while I waited in line, I got to do another sketch.

Sketching Open Streets - Lyndale Avenue - 6/12/11

2011-06-12T20:32:00.001-07:00

Roberta and I biked over to Lyndale Avenue for the Open Streets event today.

Lyndale Avenue was blocked to cars from 42nd Street to 22nd Street. We ate breakfast at the French Meadow Bakery Cafe at 26th Street and biked and returned to sketch the parade of happy people biking, walking, roller-blading, skateboarding etc.

As always, click on the sketches to make them bigger. This is my sketch:

Roberta's sketch:

Flowers on Nicollet

2011-06-09T10:57:00.001-07:00

Sort of a quick 'n dirty sketch of one of the big planters downtown. Lots of cigarette butts and bits of trash surrounded the flowers.

The Sabo Bike Bridge in South Minneapolis

2011-05-13T12:12:00.000-07:00

There are lots of great things to sketch along the Midtown Greenway. This is the Martin Olav Sabo Bridge over HIawatha Avenue.

Click to make the sketch bigger:

Extreme Sketching - Mayday Parade

2011-05-01T13:15:00.000-07:00

Sketching outside below 50 degrees is uncomfortable, but it's nearly impossible under 40 degrees.

I thought I was prepared for sketching the Mayday parade today - warm winter clothes, fingerless glove and folding chair. But the 39 degrees ( felt like 30 degrees with the wind) weather was too much for me.

I had to leave before I could see the parade. I sketched the very cold crowd.

Better luck next year.

Click to make the sketch bigger:

Statue of St. Albert the Great (St. Albert the Great Church)

2011-04-23T13:25:00.000-07:00

Spring is here again and it's time for sketching outdoors. While bicycling in South Minneapolis today, I saw a granite statue in front of a church at 32nd Avenue and 29th St. of a priest holding an emormous frog. Luckily, there was someone nearby to explain that St. Albert the Great was a thirteenth century scientist. The sculptor is Mary Ann Lohman.

For more about St. Albert go to the church website.

Click on the sketch to make it bigger... and happy Easter.

April Sketch Night at the Bell Museum: Duck Stamp Night

2011-04-10T13:38:00.000-07:00

Above: Ken Avidor started the evening with a wonderful sketch of a trumpeter swam from Francis Lee Jaques' diorama background. He also worked from specimens. Click on the image to view an enlargement. (I think that's a whale vertebra that we rested his journal on!)

On Thursday April 7, twenty people said no to the lure of warm weather (our first since the fall) and joined together to sketch birds at the Bell Museum's Sketch Night. People graciously allowed me to photograph their sketches (some are from previous evenings, though you aren't required to work on topic). I have included the artist's name and if he/she has a website I have provided a link. (You can view my sketch of a Wood Duck on Roz Wound Up.)

I hope you will be inspired by this work and come to the May 5 sketch night (6:30 to 8:30 p.m.) when the topic will be Mammals. Curator of Exhibits, Don Luce will be on hand to answer questions.

(Note: After the May meeting the Bell Museum Sketch Night will go on hiatus until the fall.)

Please click on any of the images below to view an enlargement.

Don Luce (back) and Ken Avidor (front) each work on their sketches. Click on the image to view an enlargement.

Jeanne Jensen from Aquatic night. Click on the image to view an enlargement.

Jeanne Jensen from seed night. Click on the image to view an enlargement.

Jennifer Jabelow is experimenting with her sketching skills and she takes time at the Sketch Nights to work with alternative materials such as rubberstamps, colored pencils, and specialty pens, that are available for use.

Mosaic artist Julie Reeve sketched this graphite portrait of a female mallard. You can see Julie's wonderful mosaic work at MNArtists.org, then enter her name in the search engine.

Marsha Micek drew this graphite portrait of a Red Breasted Merganser in her Stonehenge paper journal.

Mary Jean DeRosier did this page of bugs and skeletons on insect night.

Mary Jean DeRosier worked on a front view of a female mallard on Duck Stamp Night.

Miss T sketched this woodcock on a journal page prepainted with watersoluble colored pencil.

Neal Wehrwein captured the Merganser skeleton in pen and ink.

Ruth Smith painted a watercolor and pen portrait of the Red Breasted Merganser.

Ruth Smith focused on the detail of a Merganser foot.

Suzanne Hughes created this male Wood Duck portrait with a new Sharpie drawing pen and watercolor washes.You can see her crisper scann of this portrait, and her other duck sketch from that evening, at her blog at the link provided.

The Snow Still Isn't Gone: Snow Pile at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds

2011-03-29T16:43:00.000-07:00

Above is another snow pile sketch. We still have snow up here in Minneapolis/St. Paul, but with the days warming we've also had some brilliantly sunny days and this has really melted the snow into interesting formations. On Monday, while driving past the Minnesota State Fairgrounds I saw this long lacy pile and realized if I didn't stop and sketch there soon wouldn't be any snow to sketch. That's the huge Collesium in the background, with a patch of blue sky peeking out at the top left of the page spread. It was a glorious day, and even though it was only in the 30s the sun was blindingly bright! Roz

Anti-War Demonstration in St. Paul

2011-03-19T20:35:00.000-07:00

Roberta and I biked to St. Paul and sketched the anti-war demonstration at the Capitol in St. Paul.

Roberta did this sketch of a small group of demonstrators from the steps of the Capitol building. The demonstration was larger. (click on the sketch to enlarge):

I sketched another group of demonstraters with St. Paul's Cathedral in the background, the colorful bunch on the right called themselves "The Radical Roosters".

Sketching at the Como Park Conservatory

2011-03-06T16:18:00.000-08:00

The Como Park Zoo & Conservatory is a fun place to sketch in the winter. Not just for sketching plants and animals, but for sketching people too. I went with Roz and other artists today.

Check out the sketches of the other artists on Facebook.

These are my sketches - click sketches to make them bigger:

Ramsey County Courthouse

2011-03-04T20:51:00.000-08:00

The Ramsey County Courthouse is an Art Deco masterpiece and a great place to sketch. I had to do some sketches of a court hearing today. You can see the courtroom sketches I did today at KSTP.com. Below is an extra sketch of the three-judge panel hearing the case in a remodeled and not deco courtroom. Also a sketch I did yesterday of huge, alabaster sculpture by Carl Milles . Interesting fact from the self-guided tour brochure:

The statue rotates on a motorized turntable, 66 degrees to the left and 66 degrees to the right. It takes 2-1/2 hours to complete a rotation.

Click on sketches to make them bigger:

The Minnesota Opera - La Traviata

2011-03-03T23:07:00.000-08:00

Once again, I joined the cartoonists from the Black Hat Collective and the Minnesota Opera Tempo folks for another Comic Artists Night at the Opera! sketch-out at the Ordway.

Tonight we sketched Verdi's La Traviata. Here's some of the sketches I did (click to make them bigger):

Sketching the North Star Roller Girls at the Mpls Convention Center

2011-02-27T10:11:00.000-08:00

Our friends invited us to watch the North Star Roller Girls at the Minneapolis Convention Center. We brought our journals and did our best to sketch the fast-moving action. An extra treat - the Roe Family Singers played during intermission (see a more detailed sketch of the Roe Family Singers at the Kingfield Farmers Market back in 2009).

Roberta's sketches (click to make them bigger):

My sketches:

Melting out

2011-02-17T12:18:00.000-08:00

It has been in the 40s and 50s in the Twin Cities this week. One of the most disgusting-yet-oddly-fascinating things about the first big thaw of the year is seeing what melts out of the snow. Everything deposited between layers of snow (or left behind before the first winter storm) ends up forming a layer of concentrated crud on the diminishing snow piles. Here is a composite sketch of a few of the things I saw while walking around Nordeast.

Click to enlarge

Travler tree, Como Conservatory

2011-02-13T15:47:00.000-08:00

Hope you like my fig tree.

Snow Pile on Grand Ave. in St. Paul

2011-02-08T12:28:00.000-08:00

I wish I had scanned this sketch of my latest snow pile "catch" before putting it into my journal, but you still get the idea…click on the image to view an enlargement. (And excuse the writo, of course it's Mont Blanc.)

Sunday I was out and about for a couple quick errands and didn't take my pack. Dick had his checkbook with him. Yes, he still uses a checkbook, and it's a lucky thing too because Dick also still uses a fountain pen and it's always with him (actually several, each holding a different color ink are always with him).

When we parked the car and walked towards our destination (Wet Paint, to pick up art supplies, which included my just-arrived special order of two-toned Pearl Ex stamp pad reinkers in evidence on the page!) I saw this bit of bicycle sticking out of the snow pile, or rather snow bank at the side of the pedestrian walkway. This is definitely an abandoned bike.

Since I didn't have any paper with me I asked for a sheet of their note pad at WP when we were leaving. And then I borrowed Dick's pen. I knew I had to draw this snow bank before getting back into the car. I had to hold the loose sheet in my hand with no backing, and Dick's pen has a wider nib than I'm used to, but the air was a balmy 23 degrees F. or so. Just fine for sketching.

And for people who don't live here, yes, right now, after all the snow we have had this winter, we have huge snow "hedges" that run the length of the streets, separating the road from the walkways, with short corridors broken through them for drivers to get back to their cars.

Now when I say huge, I mean often over 5 feet tall. We are literally running out of places to put snow throughout the Twin Cities.

At home the snow from the driveway has been tossed into the yard and pretty much buries the 5-foot tall fence. Since we no longer have dogs who might decide to go investigating and walk out on these banks of snow, it isn't really a problem. But there is something I really, really miss related to snow piles.

Dottie loved to go snow diving. When there were big piles of snow in the yard I would lob her red ball (which was actually always a blue rubber ball, but that's a long story) up into the air so it would fall straight down into a snow pile. Dottie would crouch and spring straight up into the air, her body in a perfect hairpin fold. In mid air her hind legs would ratchet back effortlessly like a platform diver and she would become an arrow of intent, disappearing into the drift, surfacing seconds later with a snow plastered face and of course, red ball.

If you would like to see a reenactment of this feat, find the documentary "Yellowstone: Battle for Life." About halfway through this stunningly photographed record of wildlife in a harsh, snowy climate, a fox performs this simple ballet. And you see the tilting of its head as it listens to the creatures under the snow. This is exactly what Dottie would do when playing in fields. The same excitement and controlled tension in her body. The game came from a survival skill of course.

I caught the exact moment of the documentary while channel flipping one day. It took my breath away. Nature may be red in tooth and claw, but those teeth are dazzlingly bright.

Snow piles, you never know the things you'll find in them—including memories.

Video: Sketching at the Bell Museum 1/3/11

2011-02-04T13:46:00.000-08:00

Okay... it's a sketch of a sandhill crane. Not very urban, you say?

But, it's really a sketch of a painting by Francis Lee Jaques at the Bell Museum on the campus of the University of MInnesota in Minneapolis during last night's Bell Museum's "Sketch Nights"

Roz Stendahl (Roz Wound Up blog) explains what it's all about in this video:

Minnesota Opera

2011-02-03T21:20:00.001-08:00

I also was part of the group that sketched the Comic Artists Night at the Opera! sketch party at the Ordway. It was hard to tear myself away from the story to get a few drawings in. If you have the chance, I recommend the show. Lots of betrayal and fantastic costumes. My kind of opera!

A Fun Day Sketching in St. Paul

2011-01-28T12:58:00.000-08:00

I dropped in to the Landmark Center yesterday to see the Schubert Club's museum. The museum guide was giving me a tour. Two musicians Daniel Velasco (flute) and his accompanist Aram Arakelyan were also n the tour and the guide gave Arakelyan (rare) permission to play the piano Brahms played on. Of course, I sketched the rare occasion (click on the sketch to make it bigger):

I also sketched the museum's tornado of musical instruments sculpture:

The Gallery of Wood Art was having a having an opening. Lou the Photo Guy " was photographing the event and posed for a sketch:

Here's Lou's photo of me sketching the musical tornado:

It's Winter Carnival time in St. Paul and the "visiting nobility" was whooping it up at the Landmark Center. I did a quick sketch:

Outside, the ice sculptors in Rice Park were putting the finishing touches on their frozen creations as TV news crews captured all the sparkly splendor of the frozen artworks:

I met up with the cartoonists from the Black Hat Collective and the Minnesota Opera Tempo folks who were sponsoring the Comic Artists Night at the Opera! sketch-out. We grazed on hors d'oeuvres at Pazzaluna and then headed over to the Ordway.

There's a good photo of the cartoonists (Kevin Cannon in the foreground) sketching in the dark with book lights at Max Sparber's review of "Mary Stuart" at MinnPost. It's a good opera, go see it. also check out the fun stuff Tempo has planned for this weekend for opera fans.

It was not easy sketching the opera, but I had a lot of fun and I got a some good sketches in my big Cachet journal:

See more sketches of the opera by at the Big Time Attic blog and the Lupiloops blog.

A Snow Pile Near the University of Minnesota

2011-01-23T14:35:00.000-08:00

Left: A diagram of a now non-existent snow pile. Click on the image to view an enlargement.

Sparked by snow pile drawings Ken made in 2010 I went over to the University to capture a massive almost 4-story high snow pile. It had been carted away.

Frozen ink which didn't dry created a painting problem for me on this cold day—You can read about that on the page. (On the recto page the large white area with brown stamp ink around it was a masked area made before I went off to sketch—I often prepaint my backgrounds in random ways.)

I won't be documenting my street as Ken did beautifully the other day. I don't have a clear view of anything from a window (trees and buildings obscure the views). I'd have to venture forth and I'd like the temperature to be at least 25 degrees Fahrenheit before I go out and sketch again. My hands were fine in my fleece fingerless gloves; I was able to keep the water in my Niji waterbrush fluid by holding it and keeping it in my coat's breast pocket; but I don't want to stand around and wait while ink unfreezes and then dries into the paper. I'm just silly that way.

Snow Piles Getting Bigger on Grand Avenue in South Minneapolis

2011-01-20T13:41:00.000-08:00

A sketch of the frozen street, slush, ice and snow from my studio window (with measurements).

Click to make the sketch bigger:

The MCBA Visual Journal Collective—Third Annual Portrait Party

2011-01-20T10:35:00.000-08:00

Monday was the third annual portrait party for the Collective. Twenty eight people showed up to sketch portraits and bind an editioned book commemorating the event. Ken Avidor was on hand not only to draw a portrait, but to capture the event with his wonderful sketches. You can read a complete wrap up of the event at the link given above. The link includes photos.

Consider joining us for the 2012 Portrait Party. It's great fun. You sketch a little, you produce a book, you go home with a smile that you used your time well.

Thanks to everyone who participated in this year's party. You all did a great job capturing the moment!

Does suburban count?

2011-01-19T17:21:00.001-08:00

I hope that suburban sketches are okay. From my garage in St. Louis park.

January Sketch Night at the Bell Museum of Natural History

2011-01-09T11:45:00.000-08:00

The turnout at the January 6th Bell Museum Sketch out was great—over 20 people. Sadly, I was carrying colored pencils and needed to switch bags before coming; I forgot to bring my camera. If you were at the sketch night and didn't hear me ask for scans of your artwork and would like to share it, or provide a link to your work on your website or blog, please write to me at rozjournalrat@gmail.com and I'll update this post.

Thanks to everyone who made Sketch Night such a great success! I hope to see you all on February 3 (topic: plants and fungi)!

January's topic was Birds! Specimens were brought out into the conference room and Touch and See Room. These included study skins, skeletons, and taxidermy. Here is only a small portion of what we drew.

Suzanne Hughes posted her sketches on her blog.

Left: Ken Avidor arrived early and worked diligently on a number of sketches. Here he not only captured the contents of one of the specimen drawers, but drew the workings of a swan's windpipe, compared to the Model T car horn that was provided in the display case for comparison. Pen and ink with colored pencil, on tan paper. ©2011 Ken Avidor. Click on the image to view an enlargement.

Left: My sketch of a Golden Pheasant. Pentel Pocket Brush Pen, with some gouache washes for color identification. (I was working on Bogus paper which doesn't take wash well, so color was added for note taking purposes only. If you would like to read more about the Bogus paper journal you can do so on Monday, January 10, 2011 at Roz Wound Up.) ©2011 Roz Stendahl. Click on the image to view an enlargement.

The Qwest Building

2010-12-18T09:17:00.000-08:00

I showed up early for a hearing on the 13th floor of the Federal Building in Minneapolis and sketched the top of the Qwest Building (formerly the Northwestern Bell Building).

Snowmageddon - Cars Stuck in Snow

2010-12-13T18:00:00.000-08:00

The first sketch is from the studio window during the blizzard. The other sketch I did today on Pillsbury Avenue and 32nd Street. I had to do the color by memory because my fingers were getting cold.

Click on sketches to make them bigger.

December Sketch Night at the Bell Museum of Natural History

2010-12-03T15:12:00.000-08:00

Above: Ken Avidor points out the discrepancy between the horseshoe crab specimen and his sketch (no one else would notice!). He worked with pen and ink and colored pencil on tan paper. Click on the image and view an enlargement.

Last night about 14 people (I didn't get a complete count) met for the third Bell Museum of Natural History Sketch Night. The topic was "Sea Creatures." This post shows you just some of the work that was created. The photo quality is poor as my camera doesn't do well in this indoor light situation. And then sometimes I can't stand steady because someone is telling a funny story and I'm laughing!

And it's official, we are a fun group. We had a vistor last night from San Francisco! Towards the end of the meeting I asked him how he had found the meeting and he replied, "You're all very funny; it was more fun than I thought it would be."

So next month maybe you should join us, Thursday, January 6, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. (Free; with a $5 museum admission if you aren't a museum member.) The topic will be BIRDS! (I can hardly wait.)

Above: Suzanne Hughes with her watercolor of an owl. Click on the image to view an enlargement.

Above: Roberta Avidor with her watersoluble colored pencil and watercolor sketches of a turtle skull and slipper lobster (so named because it is a resident of the waters off Japan and Japanese slippers have a split toe that the head of this lobster is reminiscent of [we learn stuff at these meetings too!]). Click on the image to view an enlargement.

Above: David Steinlicht displays the turtle sketch he made with pen and ink. (Suzanne Hughes in the background.) Click on the image to view an enlargement.

Above: Delores Steinlicht displays one of several journal pages she accomplished in the evening. She went into the Touch and See Room and sketched the live turtles for several pages. Here she shows her sketch of the interior of a turtle shell—it serves as their backbone and ribcage! Click on the image to view an enlargement.

Above: Tom Winterstein did a detailed graphite sketch of the slipper lobster. Click on the image to view an enlargement.

Above: I scanned my pages when I got home. This is my first go at the Hawk's Bill (spelling?) Sea Turtle. (I spelled it differently on my journal page and realized I should have asked for the correct spelling.) I used a Staedtler Pigment Liner on Folio paper in a journal I made that is about 8 x 8 inches square. I used Schmincke Gouache. I joined in with several conversations while I was sketching this. That and the focus on the color, which got really fussy, slowed me down. I had hoped to finish the current journal last night. Click on the image to view an enlargement.

Above: My second sketch of the evening was the same subject—the Hawk's Bill Sea Turtle. This time I focused on the line of the animal and left out the color. Much speedier. I like the angle on this a bit more. The strip of paper down the center of the spread is something that I added before this sketching session. You can see my third and final sketch for the evening, a Whelk, at RozWoundUp. Click on the image to view an enlargement.

Sketching Insects at the Bell Museum

2010-11-03T14:30:00.000-07:00

Don't forget, Thursday, November 4, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. is Sketch Night at the Bell Museum of Natural History.

If you're a Bell member it's free. If you aren't there's a $5 admission fee to the museum. (Ken told me today that you can also get free passes at your library by showing the librarian your library card!)

You can of course draw anything that you want, but there is a topic for the evening—Insects. There will be specimens on hand to get up close to for sketching!

Hope to see you there!—Roz

A Parting Look at My 2010 Minnesota State Fair Experience

2010-10-25T11:31:00.000-07:00

I just posted two videos (about 7 minutes each) that flip through my entire 121-page journal of the 2010 Minnesota State Fair. If you want to see what caught my interest at this year's Fair you can check it out at the link on Roz Wound Up. (Part one is at the top of the post and part two is at the base of the post.) You can also see them on YouTube without the post: Part One: Minnesota State Fair 2010 Journal, Part Two Minnesota State Fair Journal.

If you didn't join us at the Fair this year I hope you'll consider coming to the 2011 Minnesota State Fair Sketch Out—great sketching opportunities pop up every 2 feet! We'll keep you posted when the sketch out date is scheduled.

Walrus Skull at the Bell Museum

2010-10-08T14:36:00.000-07:00

UPDATE: Roz Stendahl has more about the Bell Museum sketch-out at her blog.

I had a lot of fun sketching at the Bell Museum yesterday. Roz says there will be more sketch-outs at the Bell:

Starting on October 3, 2010 every first Thursday of the month is going to be a sketching evening at the Bell Museum of Natural History. The fun starts at 6:30 p.m. and runs until 8:30 p.m. Bring your journal or sketchbook and favorite sketching tool. There will be "themes" for each evening or you can simply let the dioramas inspire you. (Admission to the event is free, but there is a $5.00 admission to the museum.) For more details on the sketch evening at the Bell Museum go here.

Click on the sketch to make it bigger:

Sketching at Grumpy's

2010-10-03T11:49:00.000-07:00

Sketched this at Grumpy's: on Washington Avenue. Click on the sketch to make it bigger.

Mmmmm.... beer....

Sculpture at the University of Minnesota

2010-09-30T18:39:00.000-07:00

Good weather for sketching this week... took advantage of it:

Upcoming Sketch Outs

2010-09-29T14:38:00.000-07:00

Mark your calendar for these upcoming events:

Altered Esthetics is holding a sketch out at Como Zoo on Saturday, October 9, starting at 1 p.m. Meet at the south entrance to the Primate House. (The sketch out is free; Como Zoo suggests a $2.00 donation for admission to the zoo.) Write to Kristy or Cassie at workshops@alteredesthetics.org

Starting on October 3, 2010 every first Thursday of the month is going to be a sketching evening at the Bell Museum of Natural History. The fun starts at 6:30 p.m. and runs until 8:30 p.m. Bring your journal or sketchbook and favorite sketching tool. There will be "themes" for each evening or you can simply let the dioramas inspire you. (Admission to the event is free, but there is a $5.00 admission to the museum.) For more details on the sketch evening at the Bell Museum go here.

Another Sketch from the Minnesota State Fair

2010-09-12T11:48:00.000-07:00

Left: Linda Smith "collected" T-shirts on her Sketch Out visit to the State Fair. Click on the image to view an enlargement.

On August 28 Ruth Smith and her mother Linda Smith joined us for the Second Annual Minnesota State Fair Sketch Out. Ruth is a writer seeking to create visual journals, so she sketched all day. Linda isn't a journal keeper, but with some prodding from Ruth, spent a happy day collecting interesting T-shirts. They both reported having a great day at the Fair.

How did you capture a slice of Minnesota life on your sketching visits to the 2010 Minnesota State Fair?

Swineart, or MoleSwine

2010-09-06T14:39:00.000-07:00

Sketches From the Second Minnesota State Fair Sketch-Out

2010-08-29T14:56:00.001-07:00

It was a hot day, but we had a successful sketch-out at the 2010 Minnesota State Fair with nearly 15 artists. Here are the sketches from the participants who met at 4 PM outside the Food Building (If I made any mistakes, omissions, misspellings etc, let me know and I'll fix it).

Click on the sketches to make them bigger.

Jennifer Schultz.

Roberta Avidor.

Roberta Avidor.

Roberta Avidor.

Chris Hettinga.

Ruth Smith Fairchild.

Ruth Smith Fairchild.

Cassie Pupovac.

Cossie Pupovac.

Shawna Nielson.

Suzanne Hughes.

Suzanne Hughes.

Suzanne Hughes.

Roz Stendahl.

Roz Stendahl.

Roz Stendahl.

Roz Stendahl.

Thomas Winterstein.

Thomas Winterstein.

Patty Scott.

Patty Scott.

Ken Avidor.

Ken Avidor.

Beehive & Nordic Ware Tower

2010-08-24T21:08:00.000-07:00

Bicycling the Southwest LRT Trail today, I stopped at Lilac Park in Saint Louis Park to sketch the Beehive . In the background is a tower for the Nordic Ware factory.

Here's a web page about park and the beehive. Nordic Ware sells a beehive cake pan.

Click on the sketch to make it bigger:

An Almost Perfect Summer Day

2010-08-22T11:37:00.000-07:00

Left: Sketch from the parking lot at Seward Co-op. Click on the image to view an enlargment.

Despite the 96% humidity I was able to get in a 19-mile bike ride, shower, and go out for donuts at Melo-Glaze with Dick, all before 10:30 a.m. On the way home from donuts we stopped for some essentials (healthy ones) at Seward Co-op. I just had time to splash on a bit of watercolor before Dick jumped in the car again. Someone had to stay in the car and guard the donuts!

Dick's speed meant I didn't have to sketch that sports car parked next to the rock! As I said, an almost perfect summer day—except for that humidity.

Second Annual Minnesota State Fair Sketch Out: Saturday, August 28, 2010

2010-08-22T11:25:00.000-07:00

Join us for the Second Annual Minnesota State Fair Sketch Out on Saturday, August 28.

There will be two meetings at which you can touch base and meet other sketchers. See complete details at the link above (including a map showing the meeting locations). There will be buttons designed by Ken Avidor and featuring a State Fair painting by Roberta Avidor.

For a preview of the buttons see Roz Wound Up on Thursday, August 26—Fair Opening Day! Better yet, just show up at one of the meetings and I'll give you a button. Buttons are free to sketchers (while supplies last).

If you can't get to the sketch out but still go to 2010 Fair to sketch, send me (rozjournalrat@gmail.com) a jpg to post on this blog—Twin Cities Urban Sketchers—and you can pick up a button at the September meeting of the MCBA Visual Journal Collective (while supplies last).

Post your Fair Sketches on Flickr!

2010-08-21T12:42:00.000-07:00

Have a fun and productive time at he Fair, then post your sketches with our group, Minnesota State Fair Art, on Flickr.

See you there.

Marty Harris

Lake Harriet Pavilion and Photo-Shoot

2010-08-01T20:08:00.000-07:00

Roberta and I had a picnic today with friends at the Lake Harriet Pavilion and listened to the Minnesota Pops orchestra. I did a quick sketch. Toward dusk, a photographer set up a photo-shoot with a scantily-clad model in front of the pavilion.

(Click on the sketches to make them bigger)

Like a Giant, Undulating, Flesh-Colored Condom

2010-07-28T14:40:00.000-07:00

That's what the wrap covering the Mendota Heights water tower looks like (they're sandblasting and painting under the wrap).

Video by David Steinlicht of the weird wrapped water tower here.

Click on the picture to make it bigger:

A Caboose in South Minneapolis

2010-06-13T12:52:00.000-07:00

Saw this caboose sitting in a bunch of weeds behind a chain link fence at 60th and Pleasant.

Click on the picture to make it bigger

Target Field from 50 Floors Up / Bike Polo

2010-05-24T17:32:00.000-07:00

Recent sketches from my journal.... The new Twins stadium from the Windows on Minnesota restaurant on top of the IDS building:

Sunday I dropped by and sketched the Midwest Bike Polo Championships 8 in the Dunwoody parking lot downtown Mpls. I have to do more bike polo sketches - it's a challenge.

Art-A-Whirl as a Vendor?

2010-05-16T13:51:00.000-07:00

Left: one of the sketches I made during the Saturday portion of my stint at Art-A-Whirl. Click on the image to view an enlargement.

Friday, from 5 to 10 p.m. and Saturday from noon to 8 p.m. I participated for the first time in Art-A-Whirl as a vendor. While it was a bust for me as far as sales went (other painters said sales were also slow; happily several folks did stop by to tell me they enjoyed the paintings), it was an opportunity to sketch a moving mass of people as diverse as you could wish for—young, old, hip, square, trendy, clueless, bored, engaged, wild, and almost asleep!

I don't know why I made the original decision to pull out my small, 4 x 4 inch Quattro gridded pad instead of my journal—I think the journal was in my friend's office and I didn't want to leave the "stall" area. It proved very convenient to hold this small book in my hand and sketch with a Staedtler Pigment Liner .1. I went through so many pages on Saturday that I actually had to glue them into my journal in a staggered formation, as shown in the image, so that they flip like book pages. I'll have more to say about this and my sketches on Roz Wound Up Monday, May 17, but I wanted to share my favorite sketch—the photographer next to us (who inexplicably disappeared about 30 minutes after I finished this sketch, never to be seen for the rest of the day).

Did you get out to Art-A-Whirl this weekend? There's still some time for you to go out and support local artists!

Last Week's Sketch Out at the Shepherd's Harvest Sheep and Wool Festival

2010-05-14T07:48:00.000-07:00

Above: the third, and final page spread from my trip to the festival. I was intrigued by the thinness of the shorn Alpaca. After stopping in my car to write some catch up notes I decided to do a quick landscape—the fairgrounds have changed a lot over the past 20 years and I wanted to have some record and notes about it. Click on an image to view an enlargement.

May 8 was the Shepherd's Harvest Sheep and Wool Festival in Lake Elmo, at the Washington County Fairgrounds. Lake Elmo is part of the Greater Metropolitan Area of the Twin Cities, which means that sketchers here get to have rural options in their urban sketching. (I've said it before Minneapolis/St. Paul really is the best place to live!)

Cold, windy, sleeting weather kept the sketchers from the MCBA Visual Journal Collective away, but I was joined off and on by members Karen Engelbretson, Suzanna Hughes, and Karen Wallach. (I don't have sketches from Karen as she was taking photos on the day.)

Left: Karen Engelbretson joined me early in the day and sketched the cutest lamb in the world! Gertie, a Romney lamb. (She really did have the most angelic smile on her face.) Karen was working in a Moleskine with pen. Click on the image to view an enlargement. ©2010 Karen Engelbretson.

Karen came up to me as I was sketching and said she'd walked by me two times before she'd seen me sketching. I take that as evidence that the Ninja Invisibility book I read is working!

I bumped into Suzanne Hughes in the sheep barn when I was getting ready to move on. She was just getting started with the Merino sheep so we exchanged phone numbers and agreed to connect later. (Cell phones do come in handy.)

Suzanne worked in an Aquabee sketchbook (wirebound, square, about 8 inches I think; the one that has the maroon covers and is good for wet media too). She worked in pen all day, capturing wonderful gesture drawings and more finished sketches of the animals she encountered.

Left: Here Suzanne examined sheep structure and caught the Merino ram in his full wool "coat." Click on the image to view an enlargement. ©2010 Suzanne Hughes

All in all it was a day well spent. A chance to have conversations with friends and learn fun animal facts (like how to shear an angora bunny!) Think about joining us next year—it's always mother's day weekend, and it's almost always raining on the day! (So dress in warm layers.) As long as it's warm enough for the water in the Niji brush to keep flowing I say it's all good!

You can see my other page spreads from the Shepherd's Harvest Sheep and Wool Festival on Roz Wound Up.

Turf Club

2010-05-05T22:41:00.000-07:00

Last night I was at The Turf Club in St. Paul. I took a sketchbook with me just so I could draw the woodwork around the bar. It was too dark in there to make out all the details, but this is roughly what it looks like.

Click to enlarge.

A Ride on the Light Rail

2010-03-29T12:19:00.000-07:00

Above: Page spread from my "Urban Journal" made with Stonehenge paper for text, with a wrapped paper cover. The journal is approx. 8 inches square. Verso Page—woman texting on the train on our return trip. Recto Page—sketches of geese at East River Flats on my walk home. Click on the image to view an enlargement.

Saturday I taught "Urban Journaling" at MCBA. We made a journal as described above and then the six students and I went off on the train to the Mall of America for some urban sketching on the train and at the mall.

The group of six was great fun, and they all worked hard and came up with some fantastic sketches which since I don't have a pocket scanner I can't show you, but maybe I can convince them to post at a later date.

When we returned to MCBA at 5 p.m., because I had been working and on my feet since 7 a.m. I thought it would be a great idea to walk home, across campus (the University of Minnesota). I tend to be a walker, but didn't really think about the distance. And I could have taken a bus to within a few blocks of home. But walking seemed a good plan. It was overcast and about 40 degrees. A bit breezy, but pleasant to stretch the legs after running about in class helping students, or standing at the Mall and sketching. (I also stood on the train going down to the Mall, and discovered if I loop my left arm around one of the gripping poles I can sketch just fine without falling into someone!)

The return ride was the most fun for me. I got a seat immediately and it wasn't so crowded. I spotted a young woman with her face buried down into the high collar of her voluminous jacket (which seemed a bit out of season for me but she probably left home in the morning when it was much cooler) texting! I knew she wouldn't be moving much. I had an opportunity to start to get used to the jerkiness of the train—it's actually a pretty smooth ride in some respects, it's just that there are occasional jerks and jolts which are bothersome when you are trying to draw a line of certain aspect.

My reward for the day of work came on the walk home when I elected to walk down East River Road from the Washington Ave. Bridge. The geese are making a come back but it is still sad not to see my friends. I stood at the entrance to the park and the geese were across the road on the hill top, unconcerned with my presence. I stood and sketched them for about 25 minutes. Watching, smiling, trying to catch certain movements or shapes. This activity is so incredibly fun that I can't write about it without sounding loopy.

Finally my fingers were getting a bit cold so I put my journal in the Ziplock bag I was carrying it in. (It was supposed to rain today so I brought Ziplock bags for each student in case it was raining on the way to and from the train station and they didn't have a bag big enough to hold their journals.) At the sound of the "zip" two geese put up their heads and started to walk towards me, closing the 20 foot distance with more curiosity than caution. One stood 3 feet away and started pecking shyly at the grass. The other came right up to me and stood about 12 inches away, looking up expectantly. (I think they associated the sound with picnic diners feeding them.) To stand so close to a wild bird, with the bright eye watching you—it always takes my breath away. I couldn't get my journal back out without startling them. I just stood, watched, and noted mentally the way their eyes and beaks and heads and everything attached, and of course noted the lovely plumpness that is "goose."

After about 5 minutes there was a low honking and over the hill came a large goose who didn't look too happy. The two geese with me, took off away from me at an angle, avoiding the new goose and rejoining their flock. The new goose charged across the road at me, hissing and stopping mid-way to stare intently at me. When I didn't move and simply stood calmly, he shook himself and started to feed, which was funny because he was on tarmac and obviously it was simply a gesture to transition back to his flock, which he did. And they all moved off the hilltop and out of view. And I walked the rest of the way home happy to have had a great group of students who made beautiful books, a fun excursion on the train to the Mall of America, and 35 minutes of great fun with the geese. Pretty much a perfect day, even though it hadn't involved any chocolate.

Note: I'll be posting photos of the books we made on my blog, Roz Wound Up, tomorrow if you want to see the actual books we made.

Old Trike, Slightly Rusty

2010-03-20T13:53:00.000-07:00

I saw this cool, retro tricycle (and 2 others just like it) on the playground at my daughter's school. I only drew one because the kids were steering them away faster than I could sketch. This was Thursday, when it was really warm.
Click to enlarge.

The MCBA Visual Journal Collective Sketch-UP

2010-03-03T16:48:00.000-08:00

Above: A group shot of our sketchbooks and journals, showing our different takes on the First Bank Building in St. Paul. From top left: Karen Engelbretson, Ken Avidor, Suzanne Hughes, Roz Stendahl, Karen Wallach (her sketch provides the base of the building while Karen Engelbretson's above, provides the sign), and Molly Anthony. Click on an image to view an enlargement.

Sunday, February 28, ten artists and one photographer met at the Crowne Plaza in Downtown St. Paul to sketch on the 22nd floor. I wrote about this event on Roz Wound Up, and posted some photographs of the participants. You will also see a grouping of journals there. This post is to show the some of our favorite drawings made during the event. We worked for three and a half hours on a brilliantly sunny day, looking down on the snow-covered city. (Snow which was melting.) (Note that this location is not open to the public and we had special permission to work there.)

You can also view photographer Tom Nelson's Gigapans of downtown St. Paul at his Gigapan site. (They are at the top of his recent list: Mississippi River and West St. Paul; Downtown St. Paul, Minnesota #1; and Downtown St. Paul # 2.)

Above: View looking west from the 22nd floor of the Crowne Plaza, in Downtown St. Paul to Minneapolis (in the distance). Roz Stendahl—Staedtler Pigment Liner in a handmade journal made with Magnani Annigoni Designo (a tan paper). Spread approximately 13.75 x 9.75 inches. I was sitting on the sunny side of the building and finally had to give up on many details. I settled for getting the Cathedral and Minneapolis Skyline in place before moving to the shady side of the building. Click on an image to view an enlargement.

Above: View looking down to Raspberry Island Regional Park in the middle of the Mississippi River. Karen Engelbretsen—pen and watercolor in a handmade journal with Velin Arches paper; spread approximately 14 x 5.5 inches. Click on an image to view an enlargement.

Above: View looking east to the First Bank Building. Karen Wallach—colored pencil and watercolor in a Hand•Book journal (approximately 5 x 7 inches). Click on an image to view an enlargement.

Above: View looking east but directly DOWN. Molly Anthony in a sketchbook with tan pages. (The lighting in the photograph wouldn't adjust.) Approximately 6 x 8 inches. Click on an image to view an enlargement.

Above: View looking east to the First Bank Building. Nanette Lee—Pen and watercolor in a handmade journal on Strathmore Museum board, approximately 7.5 x 10 inches. Click on an image to view an enlargement.

Above: Various views—a fellow sketcher, a portion of the one of the bridges. Suzanne Hughes—pen and watercolor, in a wirebound sketchbook with white pages, approx. 6 x 8 inches. Click on an image to view an enlargement.

Journal keeper Janice Paranto was also in attendance but had to leave before the photographing of the journal pages. Andy Singer, and Ken and Roberta Avidor were also in attendance. Ken will be adding their sketches.

Working from an elevated vantage point has many advantages. I found it very easy on the neck! I hope this is one of many Sketch-UPs!

UPDATE Here's Roberta's High Bridge sketch:

Andy Singer's Robert Street Bridge sketch:

Ken Avidor's First Bank Building sketch:

Ken Avidor's sketch of the Sketch-Up:

More Bell Museum Sketches.

2010-02-22T13:38:00.000-08:00

Went sketching at the Bell Museum with Andy Singer a couple of times.

My sketches are on the brown paper. Andy's are on white paper.

(Click on the sketches to make them bigger)

Andy Singer's sketches:

Big, Dirty Snow Pile

2010-02-21T21:32:00.000-08:00

In a parking lot East of the Metrodome.

Click on the sketch to make it bigger.

Bikes Stuck in the Snow Piles

2010-02-19T19:36:00.001-08:00

It's sad to see bikes stuck in snow - can't be good for the bikes.

Sketching "in tractus" - a winter fun

2010-02-17T20:38:00.000-08:00

President's Day- No school- Museums closed.
Thea and I decide to go "sketching in tractus" (winter sketching - through the windows of the car) after we pick up Nina at her friend's on Nicollet and 46th. Besides our sketch books and art supplies, we have a picnic, a thermos of tea and chocolate covered butter cookies from Trader Joe's.

Nina is not that happy but goes along and loves the challenge. We think of Liberty Frozen Custard close by and start there, right when I park a flower van pulls next to me blocking part of the view, but we manage to get a glimpse and do our first sketch. We head towards Minnehaha Parkway chasing some nice houses, never agreeing on the right one... finally end up on Fremont Ave S where WE KNOW there are nice houses between 43rd and 50th St, "double lots" as we call them.

Here is the one we ended up sketching on 5054 Fremont Ave.

We decide to go towards North East to draw some industrial buildings but end up getting lost past the river and discover the Historic Marcy Neighborhood where I took one side of the street with 424 5th Ave SE and the girls the other corner- 426 5th Ave SE.

424 5th Ave SE

426 5th Ave SE, Thea and detail by Nina

We get a little lost and end up at the entrance of the Heritage Trail with a beautiful view of downtown and everything else on the other side of the river.

Heritage Trail, by Talin and Nina

The Biggest Snow Pile in Minneapolis

2010-02-14T16:43:00.000-08:00

The snow keeps falling, the snow piles keep growing and we keep sketching them.

WCCO's Jason DeRusha had a Good Question report about a top-secret snow dump in MInneapolis:

At our homes and on our streets, the snow is piled up big time. However, in some spots, the snow has already disappeared. In the dark of night, dump trucks of snow are being carted away to mysterious locations, so where is the snow going?

"We've got a site that we'll take our snow to," cryptically answered Mike Kennedy, director of public works for the city of Minneapolis.

"A snow dump is worth a lot of money. It's worth gold. It's white gold," he laughed.

Minneapolis has a large lot that has snow piled three stories high. It's in an industrial area of town, surrounded by a locked fence.

Watch the report at WCCO.com.

I got a tip about the location of the humongous snow pile and I think I found it.

Jason DeRusha wouldn't reveal the secret location of the enormous snow pile and I won't say where it is either... just post the sketch I made this morning (it was cold, but worth it).

Click on the sketch to make it bigger.

A Snow Pile in Seward

2010-02-14T06:11:00.000-08:00

I don't recall exactly where this snow pile was in Seward except that it was at the entrance to an alley. The snow pile was high enough that it obstructed the view of anyone driving out of the alley. It was a very, very grey day.

Click on the sketch to make it bigger.

The View from the Federal Courthouse

2010-02-08T20:48:00.000-08:00

I sketched the view of two buildings from the 13th floor of the Federal building in MInneapolis. The two buildings are the MInneapolis City Hall and the Qwest Building ( I guessed wrong in the journal).

Click on the sketch to make it bigger.

Snow & Cars on Grand Avenue

2010-02-03T10:50:00.001-08:00

Snow, ice and slush on sidewalks, the street, on cars... here's a sketch from the second floor of our house.

(Click to make sketch bigger)

Dirty Snow Pile at Lake and Blaisdell

2010-02-02T15:42:00.000-08:00

Now that the temperature is above frostbite degrees, I can sketch outdoors.

There are big snow piles everywhere. I'm going to do a series of sketches of them before they melt.

This is the first sketch - a snow pile in the parking lot at Lake and Blaisdell.

(Click on sketch to make it bigger)

Sketching at the Bell Museum

2010-01-31T16:00:00.000-08:00

Roz Stendahl invited a bunch of us for a sketch-out at the Bell Museum.

It was nice to sketch nature without fear of frostbite.

I"m a huge fan of Francis Lee Jaques who painted many of the diorama backgrounds.

(Click on the sketches to make them bigger)

Ten Years Ago... The Minnesota 2000 Journal Project

2010-01-02T06:27:00.000-08:00

The description of the project at the Minnesota Historical Society website:

The journals use various forms of media, from photographs to watercolors to fabric and plastic. They cover a number of topics from gardening, bird watching, and vacations to surgery, jobs, and the 2000 presidential election. Also included is a commerative book that documents the project.

The Minnesota 2000 Journal Project was conceived in 1998 by Linda S. Koutsky. With the help of Mark Odegard, Roslyn Stendahl, and Eloise Klein the project was organized in December of 1999. Journal keepers were tasked with reflecting on "the obstacles and opportunities, celebrations and concerns, and paths explored, on their journey through the year 2000." The project's goal was to record daily life in Minnesota for the year 2000.

Before the Journal Project, I kept separate sketchbooks and written journals. Linda Koutsky and Roz Stendahl encouraged me to combine the two for the project and I've been doing it every year since. I take my journal everywhere and record and document as much as I can.

Journals are a handy thing to have when you can't remember stuff... and that happens to me a lot more now!

Car Stuck in Snow

2009-12-30T15:53:00.000-08:00

I sketched this car on Xmas Eve in my journal from my studio window. After I finished the sketch, I went outside and helped get dig car out.

Click on the sketch to make it larger.

No Verdict Today - Television News Truck

2009-11-30T16:05:00.000-08:00

The media waited and waited... I sketched.

Click on the sketches to make them bigger.

A splendid afternoon along the River.

2009-11-25T06:14:00.000-08:00

This picture was drawn below Main Street along the river, by Pracna. I'm sure that some of you have been down there. What a splendid day it was. Among other sweet distractions, there was a guy up the path playing bag pipes for a while.

Thanks for the invitation.

Como Town, St. Paul

2009-11-22T10:51:00.000-08:00

Left: quick sketch of Como Town entrance, using a Faber-Castell Pitt Artist's Brush Pen and some light washes of gouache. The text background was adhered before my trip out. The journal is an odd one, being 3.5 x 8 inches. The sun was setting fast. Click on the image to view an enlargement.

Tuesday my friend Tom and I went over to the Como Conservatory to check out some prospects for his Gigapans (large, detailed panoramic photographs). After he set up and shot a couple inside the Conservatory we went walking around the zoo area, including the outside perimeter. While Tom took a Gigapan panorama of Como Town, I did the above sketch, standing to the left of the camera. (See Tom's Gigapan of Como Town here.)

Sketching at the Federal Courthouse in Saint Paul

2009-11-21T11:16:00.000-08:00

I'm still sketching at the trial of Tom Petters. It was a nice day on Friday and Judge Kyle let us out early. I sketched a few of the sights in the park at Kellogg and Roberts. Click on the sketches to make them bigger.

View of Construction from Federal Courthouse in Saint Paul

2009-11-04T20:02:00.000-08:00

I took a break from sketching the trial of Tom Petters to sketch the construction outside (click to enlarge).

Views of the Como Conservatory

2009-10-20T16:53:00.001-07:00

Above: Liz Carlson's sketch of the Como Conservatory. Mixed media (Nexus, Faber-Castel Pitt Artist Brush Pens, watercolor washes), in a Canson ringbound, landscape watercolor journal (7 x 9-3/4 inch page).

Today I went out to Como Conservatory and Zoo with BFF Liz (I have to refer to her that way, we have a contractual obligation). We sat on a bench near the entrance and sketched the Conservatory Dome before entering the zoo (it's what Liz selected—later I would select several birds of course). One of the great things about going out to sketch with friends is that you get to see their perception of the same item you are looking at and sketching. We were both on the same bench, the same distance away from the Conservatory. It was a cool and overcast day (52 degrees Fahrenheit) but it didn't rain until we were leaving the zoo at 4 o'clock.

Below: My sketch of the the Como Conservatory Dome. (I was actually focusing on the tree at the right!) I borrowed Liz's Pentel Pocket Brush Pen (mine was inadvertently left on my desk) and I used a Niji waterbrush and gouache. (I have to stop sharing my journal with people—I felt compelled to write down the circumstances under which I wrote my rambling note so students who might read my journal wouldn't really think this mattered to me. Let's just say I was finished sketching—and had plenty of time to sit and heckle Liz. I'm lippy.) My page spread is approx. 11-1/4 x 9 inches and there is a piece of thin Japanese paper glued down the center of the spread, extending about 2 inches on to each page. (I like to collage things on my journal pages.) I did get to use a bit of my Schmincke Gold Calligrapher's Gouache on the round ball at the top of the dome.

Sketching While Waiting for the Library to Open

2009-09-18T12:40:00.000-07:00

Sketches of people waiting to get into the Minneapolis Downtown Central Library:

Donating Blood at the Memorial Blood Center Dwntn Mpls

2009-09-18T12:16:00.000-07:00

I donated blood yesterday at Memorial Blood Center's downtown Mpls office in the Roanoke Building, 109 7th Street South.

I sketched in my journal while a pint of my blood drained into the bag. Earlier this year, I sketched my arm with the the bag in the background. The two sketches give an idea of how its done. I encourage everyone to donate blood.

As always, click on the sketch to make it bigger

John Hardy's, Rochester

2009-09-13T11:14:00.000-07:00

Friday, Sept. 11, 09

Protesters at Target Center, Minneapolis

2009-09-12T16:41:00.000-07:00

President Obama had a rally for healthcare reform at the Target Center in downtown Minneapolis today.

Roberta and I biked downtown, but we didn't go to the rally. Instead, we sketched the protesters on the other side of the street.

Roberta and I both sketched a very loud guy in a wheelchair who told me he was the "boy from Minnesota" in the movie "Milk". Apparently, he's told lots of folks the same story.... anyways, he was fun to draw:

Roberta's sketches. As always, click on the sketches to make them bigger.

MInnesota State Fair Video and Sketches

2009-09-02T18:03:00.000-07:00

Here's video of our sketch-out at the Minnesota State Fair:

Roz Stendahl tells the tale at her blog of our first MN State Fair Sketch-Out:

It was a great day: sunny, a cool 70 degrees Fahrenheit, a light breeze but no windiness to toss up the dust. Ten sketchers showed up at our first meeting (12:30) with sketches in hand (everyone arrived on their own schedule). After about 40 minutes of chatting and sharing sketches we adjourned to the Poultry and Cattle Barns where we continued to sketch, and where Ken caught some sketchers on video. At 5 p.m. we reconvened for "debriefing" about how the day had gone. Everyone had great work to share and fun encounters to recount.

Here's some sketches... I'll be adding more. As always, click on the sketches to make them bigger.

Delores Steinlicht's sketch of chickens (and people looking at chickens):

Here's Roberta Avidor sketching the grooming of a sheep:

Here's Roberta's finished sketch:

Roberta sketched one of the State Fair's eateries ( that's me on the other page):

Roberta's sketch of a cow:

Ken Avidor (that's me) sketched the horticultural building (and skyride):

...piglets feeding:

...one piglet in my journal:

David Zimmerman's sketch of a chicken:

David Zimmerman's sketch of sheep:

Laura Schmieg's sketch of tired fairgoers:

Laura Schmieg's sketch of a band:

Roz Stendahl did a great job organizing the sketch-out at the fair (see more of Roz's sketches at her blog). Here's Roz's sketch of a goose:

...and a cow:

... and a chicken:

Laurice Wade's sketch of cows:

Laurice Wade sketched more cows (and someone cleaning up):

Carol Malkinson's sketch of Cow:

Carol's sketch of a goose:

We're missing some sketches from one or two particiapants, so I'll update the post if I get them soon.

UPDATE: Marty Harris couldn't join us for the MN State Fair sketch-out , but he sent these wonderful sketches he did on Friday. Marty has more at Flickr:

Sketches of Downtown Minneapolis & Lyn-Lake

2009-08-29T07:56:00.000-07:00

Roberta and I did some sketching Downtown Mpls on Thursday. Here's Bert's sketch of a Farmers Market stand:

Here's my sketch of the Egyptian facade of an old building, now a parking ramp with a skyway stuck in it ... historic preservation Mpls-style!

The improvised hieroglyphics around the doorway:

Earlier in the week, my sketch of the interior of Bryant Lake Bowl ( See Earlier sketches of the exterior of Bryant Lake Bowl.:

Click on the sketches to make them bigger.

We'll Be Sketching at the State Fair

2009-08-22T19:35:00.000-07:00

It's not really urban... but the MN State Fairgrounds is a big part of the Twin Cities scene.

This year, we will be having a sketch crawl (or sketch-out) at the Fair. Roz Stendahl has the plan:

The basic plan is that it's Sept. 1 (Tuesday; a discount day!) and people show up whenever they way in the a.m. and sketch and then we are meeting at 12:30 at the little cinnamon bun shop on the CORNER across from the Coliseum and Cow Barn

We are also expecting that people will eat before then because after we meet at 12:30 we are all going into the Cow Barn or the Poultry Barn to sketch. Ken is going to do some video. All of that should only be about an hour or so. Then everyone is off again singly or in small groups, whatever. And we are all meeting again at 5 p.m. in the Food Court sort of area that is between the SkyRide and the Taffy Stand that is on the outside of the Fair building.

That's the plan... Roz has tips on sketching at the Fair on her blog.

UPDATE Roz has even more tips on her blog, and if you are going to join us for the sketch-out, Roz has a post with a detailed plan with a map.

Begin

Show up at the Fair at anytime you want and get sketching! (Come with a sketching friend, bump into sketching friends at the Fair—whatever. The main thing is to get to the Fair and start sketching.)

Meeting One

Eat lunch before 12:30 and show up at meeting point "A" shown in the top map of today's diagram. This is the corner of Judson Ave. and Liggett Street (I just saw the typo in Liggett and the two commas in part B—I'm not going to redo the map! You'll work it out.) If you get the official Fair map it will be at J30.

There's a stand on the corner that sells cinnamon buns. If you can't find the stand, then look for me (yes I really look like this) and the Avidors (Ken and Roberta).

We're going to have a brief meeting to touch base, look at what people are doing, and tell Ken where you'll be heading off to: Cow Barn or Poultry Barn. Then we'll break for more sketching, in groups or singly as people decide. Meanwhile, Ken is going to visit you in the barns and take a photo over your shoulder while you sketch!

Read the rest of the plan... see you there!

Here's some 2008 State Fair sketches from Bert's journal (click on setches to make them bigger).

Sketches of Tornado Damage in South Minneapolis

2009-08-19T19:56:00.000-07:00

There was a tornado in South Minneapolis not far from our studio today. After the rain stopped, Roberta and I biked over to document the damage in our journals.

These are my sketches (Click on sketches to make them bigger):

This is Roberta's sketch:

Road Construction in Downtown Minneapolis

2009-08-13T22:08:00.000-07:00

I sketched this back-hoe on South 3rd and 11th Street yesterday.

In the bacckground is a skyway and the 225 South Sixth building also known as the "halo building".

(Click sketch to make it bigger)

Anita White Sketches Minnehaha Creek

2009-08-12T18:58:00.000-07:00

... and the people standing next to Minnehaha Falls.

(Click to make the sketches bigger)

Shade-Dappled Street

2009-08-05T06:18:00.001-07:00

Above: moving van in the shade on a James Ave. Faber Castel Pitt Artists Brush Pen and watercolor, on the OLD Folio paper. (I still have a couple books left made with this paper. Even in this quick sketch touching the brush to paper brought all the joy of using this paper back to me. I wish I had an unlimited supply.)

I arrived early to pick up a friend (we were going to see the William Holman Hunt Exhibition at the MIA—excellent). I didn't know how fast he would be so I thought what the heck, I'll sketch the moving truck (it was stationary, waiting to be loaded with people's belongings!) on his street.

What really caught my attention was the shadow on the street made from the trees in full-summer leafiness. Minneapolis lost many (most?) of the great elms lining our streets to Dutch Elm Disease, but the new, diverse, replacement trees have started to reach a useful maturity. It's fun to see the shade coming back on our streets.

Minneapolis Pops at Lake Harriet

2009-07-27T19:40:00.000-07:00

Ken & I returned to the Lake Harriet bandshell for the last Minneapolis Pops concert of the season. It was a beautiful evening weather-wise and the air was filled with wonderful music. Previous sketches of the Pops Orchestra are posted here and here.

Click on the sketch to see it larger.

Ghost Bike at Park Avenue and East 14th Street

2009-07-27T13:34:00.000-07:00

I biked downtown on Park Avenue on Sunday, and I stopped to sketch a Ghost Bike locked to a pole... a sad reminder that a young life was cut short on the corner of Park and 14th.

ghostbikes.org:

Ghost Bikes are small and somber memorials for bicyclists who are killed or hit on the street. A bicycle is painted all white and locked to a street sign near the crash site, accompanied by a small plaque. They serve as reminders of the tragedy that took place on an otherwise anonymous street corner, and as quiet statements in support of cyclists' right to safe travel.

This ghost bike memorializes Dennis Dumm who was killed by a truck. Dennis Dumm was a photographer.

Drivers need to be more careful.

(Click on the sketch to make it bigger)

MCBA Visual Journal Collective

2009-07-21T17:43:00.000-07:00

Roz Stendahl facilitates the Minnesota Center for Book Arts Journal Collective which meets the third Monday of the month (except May and December) 7 to 9 p.m.

The Journal Collective meetings are a fun place to meet other sketchers and journal-keepers. Lots of tips on techniques and art materials. It's always inspiring to peek into other artists sketchbooks and journals.

Next month, we're going to make plans to do a special sketch crawl at the Minnesota State Fair.

Last night, Anita White who drew this wonderful sketch... that's me in the middle telling a story. I'm going to try to get Anita to post some of her excellent sketches right here.. stay tuned.

Before the Rain

2009-07-15T13:32:00.000-07:00

Above: sketch of the Twin Cities Metrodome (Minneapolis, MN) as viewed from the alley behind Minnesota Center for Book Arts. (Pentel Pocket Brush Pen and Daniel Smith watercolors in a journal I made with Lana 140 lb. Hot Press paper; page spread 11 x 6 inches.) Click on the image to view an enlargement.

Last night after a meeting at MCBA I walked out to my car and couldn't resist sketching the huge, white, marshmallow top of the Metrodome as it peeked out between the buildings, glowing against the stormy sky. It was so windy I had difficulty holding my book. Rain did eventually come, but I was back in my car by that point.

HMS Pinafore in the Park

2009-07-12T18:52:00.000-07:00

I sketched the The Minneapolis Pops Orchestra and the Gilbert & Sullivan Very Light Opera Company performing a concert version of G&S operetta H.M.S. Pinafore at the Lake Harriet Bandshell.

(Click on the sketch to make it bigger)

Roe Family Singers at the Kingfield Farmers Market

2009-07-12T13:07:00.000-07:00

I sketched the Roe Family Singers at the Kingfield Farmers Market at Nicollet Avenue and 43rd Street.

The Roe Family Singers are scheduled to be playing August 7, 2009 at the opening reception at Altered Esthetics for Big Funny (I have a comic in Big Funny).

(Click on sketch to make bigger)

Lake Harriet Six Floors Up

2009-07-07T19:29:00.001-07:00

I sketched this from a deck on the roof of a building on the West Lake Harriet Parkway. Click on the sketch to make it bigger.