Americans for the Arts - June in Nashville

In June I drove over to Nashville to attend the Americans for the Arts conference as an Urban Sketchers board member. I have attended it five previous times (five!) while working at Urban Art Commission. But this is a different kind of Urban.

It took me a while to get comfortable, partly because of the previous association with my career in public art, and partly because Urban Sketchers as an organization doesn't fit into any kind of mold for US non-profits. We're an all-volunteer, US-based global organization that aims to include everyone, regardless of age or skill-level, in a hands-on, on-location practice. 

But I met a lot of nice people who were really interested in what we are doing, and they all patiently listened to me talk through my thoughts about what we were doing at the conference in the first place.

That's Ben Folds on the left there - he's one of the nice people I met. Just kidding, I didn't meet him, but I did sing with him! As did the other few hundred people there.

Ah, the Eye of Sauron building in downtown Nashville, a.k.a., the Batman Building.

On this morning it was like I woke up knowing that using my Pentel Aquash ink-filled brush pen would be a great way to sketch people, and I've been hooked ever since. Hooked!

You can't throw a rock without hitting some sweet tea around here.

I love the Ryman Auditorium. I took some alone time and ran over to sketch it. 

Overall it was a great experience. I love being a part of Urban Sketchers and I love learning, and deep down I really do love Nashville. (Don't tell anyone in Memphis that I said that.)