The MCBA Visual Journal Collective Sketch-UP

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:

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