Studio Night Last Night: Middle School Band Concert

Studio Night was preempted by my nephew's band concert. That's him in the middle. I picked him out of the crowded stage through the window all the way in the very back of the auditorium - I could pick out that beautiful dark brown hair anywhere. Next time I go to the hair salon I'm taking him with me so that I can get the same color.

Memphis Monday: Dixon Gallery and Gardens

An entire month ago the Memphis Urban Sketchers went to the Dixon Gallery and Gardens to sketch. What a glorious day it was! We ran into the Colored Pencil Society there and had a rumble. We talked, we compared art supplies, we sketched.

This first one was my warm up, which I sketched while a young couple with a baby was having their family portrait made nearby. The baby wouldn't cooperate, so this is what I heard the whole time I was making this sketch: "Kenny! Kenny! Look over here! Over here! Kenny! KennyKennyKennyKenny!" So... it's not a very detailed sketch.

I had more quiet time for the other one.

Supply Sunday: Peter Bowman's Sketching Supplies

As I've said before, local artist Peter Bowman's sketches look like fully-realized paintings. I've seen him sketch, and thought he was using markers. He is, but he's also using highlighters. His supply bag is below - highlighters he found around his house in a ziploc bag.

Booooring. Plus Bison.

The other day I wanted to sketch in the few minutes I had, and was lamenting that what usually surrounds me in daylight hours (during the week, at least), is boring East Memphis architecture. Sorry, East Memphis, but: boooooooring. But then I realized that sketching isn't always about sketching something pretty or even interesting, but just sketching where you are. And that's where I was!

Later I went to one of East Memphis's best places, Shelby Farms Park, and took a couple of minutes to sketch the American Bison. I couldn't get very close, so this is all I got.

This is my new sketchbook made by local artist Colleen Couch-Smith, half of the art-making duo Rock Paper Scissors. I love it!

Follow Friday: Hamlett Dobbins

Local artist Hamlett Dobbins is pretty cool. He is a 2013-14 Rome Prize winner. Here he is at the Dixon Gallery and Gardens talking about his paintings and his studio practice. We'll miss him for that year, but we're all proud of him here.

Wolf River Sketch

Last week at lunch I drove over to one of the Wolf River trail entrances, where I can park and look at the river, and I called my aunt and my grandmother and talked to them while I sketched this. What a lovely way to spend an hour!

Studio Night Last Night: New Tiny Painting on Etsy

This is my most recent tiny painting that isn't of London. It's about shoes and girlfriends and commemorating special events by dressing up.

Last night I put it up on Etsy. I also painted another tiny painting - it was Studio Night!