Friday Favorite: City East Bagel and Grille

City East Bagel and Grille, aka the Bagel Diner (that's what I call it), is one of my favorite places to eat lunch. I highly recommend the turkey reuben and a side of potato salad.

Look! More people!

Now I'm the creepy person at the coffee shop staring at everyone. I'm cool with that.

Me and My House

I made this self-portrait sketch a couple of weeks ago. It looks more like my sister, but I promise that my nose looks like that, too. It's just usually covered up with glasses.

I love my patio!!!

Cars and Trees and Cars and Trees

... and desk stuff and notes.

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Memphis Monday: East Memphis Icons

A couple of other iconic East Memphis buildings (i.e. not the Clark Tower).

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Eleven More People

Yesterday I posted about #oneweek100people, and here's proof that I kept it up! This is Melissa Dunn's gallery talk for her amazing show at L Ross Gallery.

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One Week One Hundred People

A couple of weeks ago I participated in #oneweek100people2017, a sketching challenge started by Liz Steel and Marc Taro Holmes, where the goal was to sketch 100 people in a week.

I don't normally participate in these types of challenges because once I give myself an assignment I don't want to do the thing anymore, but this seemed like fun and I knew that if I didn't get to 100 nothing bad would happen :)

Which is good, because I only got to about 60. But then again, it wasn't a week, it was only five days (March 6-10).

I had big plans for getting to 100. I literally had plans for most days, such as a group photo of women artists in Memphis, during which I completely forgot to sketch, and lunch with girlfriends, during which I was too busy visiting to sketch, etc.

On Friday there was a Spark/Spillit event - Women and Their Art - where I got 20 more people! By then I was feeling so confident that the very last sketch I did I showed to the woman because I was so happy with it.

Some things I learned:
• Sketching with a fat pen makes everything easier! It's freeing somehow, and makes me less timid.
• If I see a person I want to sketch I just have to sketch them! I can't eat lunch first or they will leave before I'm done, and I can't think about it too long or the moment will have passed.

• The way my life it set up, I really don't see a lot of people during the day! Except at work, but I'm weird enough there without going around sketching everyone.
• I like sketching people! I usually sketch around them, but now I have a whole new subject everywhere I go.
• I can take on a challenge without "winning" it and everything will be okay :)

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Bookclub!

We had bookclub last week - read Children of the New World by Alexander Weinstein, a collection of short stories set in a distopian future in which people are overdependent on technology. I liked it - I give it a qualified 3 (would recommend to a friend, if that friend is okay with distopian stories).

Bookclub dog, Pond. Her brother Wash won't be still long enough to be sketched.

Recent Memphis Urban Sketchers Outings

In February we went to the Barret Library at Rhodes - it's a really beautiful building, and it was a good day to be inside!

I sketched Martha Kelly and Carl Fox sketching, with a backdrop of stained glass windows.

In March we went to the Big River Crossing, which was amazing! I wanted to sketch everything and I can't wait to go back.

I sketched the skyline with a fat pen, because I find they make me less fussy.

That bridge, the "New Bridge," proves to be as elusive to capture a likeness of as another Memphis icon, Elvis.

Sketchbook Class at Flicker Street Studio

I'm teaching the a class at Flicker Street Studio later this month called Getting Comfortable with your Sketchbook - it's a fun class! If you want to start using a sketchbook regularly, or kick-start your sketchbook habit, join us to learn about different materials and techniques.

Click here to sign up at Flicker Street Studio.
Tuesday Evenings
6:00 pm - 9:00 pm
March 21st - April 4th | 3 Sessions
$175 | Materials Included | Beginner and up

One Intersection, Three Lights, and a Trip to the Gas Station

I had to sit through three lights at this intersection before I got to go.

Sketched the Clark Tower while getting gas.