Pocket Sketching

Good to be home again, I missed my dogs. It was a great trip, a three day workshop in Sedona then three days of filming my third DVD shown here. Then a quick side trip to Las Vegas for a family reunion.

I had the pleasure of driving down to Lee Mountain across from Yavapai Point to sketch and run.  It was drizzling lightly when I left.  Didn’t get very far and it was pouring so I tried sketching from the inside of the SUV.  Then it hailed.  When that stopped I got out and tried sketching under an umbrella.  The lighting was brilliant.  But the umbrella somehow dumped on the sketch.  Two of ‘em are here.

Today we are shooting my third DVD that will be available soon.DVD 1 is now available at www.pocketsketching.com and DVD 2 will be soon. We had an unexpected visitor while shooting, a naked man appeared on the other side of the creek and went for a skinny dip. Good thing the camera was on my work at the time. Only in Sedona.

Hard at Work

a.

That’s what I’m waiting for!   Only miracles don’t happen in art if you don’t do the work of practice.  I’m staying in a modern cabin on Oak Creek and the location is perfect…my rendition proves only the need for more practice.  But at least it’s done!  One step closer to getting good ones.  This is Wednesday  after teaching all day.  The sketches have to be working tomorrow when we start filming after class.  Nail biting doesn’t seem to be helping, but I have trim nails.

So here’s my bad sketch for today and two very good ones from students at the Botanical Garden, last workshop.  On my Bad Sycamore, notice the effect the red has on making you see the tree.

In Sedona now for another workshop and more.  This is a small intimate workshop, leaving time for a project.    Sedona  is a major travel destination and I arrived yesterday to meet with my videographer and pick locations for the next Pocket Sketching video.  It’s to be shot on location.  Now, the sites are gorgeous.  My contribution of sketches is far worse than ‘sketchy’.  In fact, downright sub-acceptable!   As I tell students, “You have to go through the bad ones to get to the good ones.”  But your whole career????   I think this is like ‘writer’s block’.  Or stage fright if you’re an actor.  (Would Prozac help?)

So you get a few pictures of Sedona

(attach your photos of Sedona).

Capture a Tourist

From the very recent workshop at the otanical Garden, the goal was to catch the tourist relaxing with a glass of wine and in a big hat.   Of course everyone’s scared to even try to sketch a person, but they’ve already been doing still life and sketching a person is just an extension (with a little exercise in making it easy and humorous).    I’m no longer amazed at the results.  It’s so consistent.  Getting started is the really hard part.  The attached sketches are from people with no experience.  After a few of these in a ‘protected’ environment (where no one critical can observe), its outdoors to try the same thing in the real world.  Of course, every sketch isn’t perfect…but leave perfection behind and just get started.

It’s always amazing what you can do with a little bit of help.  Yesterday was just the second day of a workshop.  I’m attaching 2 examples of Char’s work.  Her background?  Some city recreation classes at sometime in the past.  In just two days she’s sketching people and, amazingly, one of my dogs.  These guys are hard because of flop-down ears.  (Prick ears like Dobermans and Collies are much easier to place on the head).  It’s just so rewarding to get these results from people who come with no confidence just a day earlier!

Kath

The first video (covers the first day of my workshop) is out. Go to www.pocketsketching.com to order. Here’s the first comment: WOW!

Dear Kath – Just want to let you know how much I am enjoying working with the first video. Very clear and encouraging directions. You are a natural and did such a great job of showing all aspects of this beginning part and this process. My husband and I leave Tucson every summer and travel with our horses to Wyoming where we spend our time riding in wilderness areas. I am certain I will be able to use this process easily when we are out. I am looking forward to the second video now. I will still try to catch one of your workshops later in the year because I am really missing the feedback and input.

Laurie

By the way, the attached sketch is one of my favorites. It was a $1500.00 glass bowl with 5 Chinese swimming over the rim. Not to be taken home to puppies, cats and teenagers so I captured it for all time. You can do that too!

Kath