Sketching With SketchersLast week I went sketching at our Tucson Botanical Garden with Carolyn Davis. I love Carolyn’s sketch! Then Suzanne Pronovost sent me a watercolor sketch of me. How can I stop teaching! You guys get fantastic results.
WorkshopsAfter my long sabbatical, I’m back in the saddle again! We have two Basic Workshops scheduled and one event. The first workshop will be in Showlow, Arizona June 9, 10, 11. Why Showlow? For the first time ever we’ve rented a house for a month to escape the June heat in Tucson. Showlow is at 6400 ft and cool in the summer. How better to meet wonderful local people than an art workshop? Delightful people take art workshops! I’m very rusty, so it’s priced accordingly. If you're interested CLICK the button below then SCROLL DOWN to POCKET SKETCHING WITH KATH MACAULAY or call 928.532.2296 The second workshop is in Coupeville, Washington where I’ve had the fun of teaching several times. Why Coupeville? We are going to Sketcher Fest in Edmonds, WA July 19 and 20. It’s a major event for Urban Sketchers (and other sketchers), and I’ve never been. That puts us across from Whidbey Island and Coupeville. We love Coupeville and Pacific Northwest Art School! CLICK the button below. When on their website SCROLL DOWN TO POCKET SKETCHING or call 360.678.3396 We plan to do another Basic Workshop and a Teachers’ Workshop probably in October (no dates yet), here in Tucson. I found total retirement a tad too boring and really miss you wonderful, excited, learning people. Road Scholar won’t respond, so guess I’ll have to put on my own workshops! Call or email me if you're interested: https://www.pocketsketching.com/contact.html Email: [email protected] Phone: 520-318-9291 Great News!I said I would film Season Five for PBS if we can film it on location (plein air), as it’s perfect for anywhere you go. WGVU has agreed. Now, I have a question for you: WGVU is located in Grand Rapids, Michigan, a location like where many of you live. I’m in Tucson, which is desert. Would you rather have it filmed in Tucson or in Grand Rapids? Which would help you learn more? We can find gorgeous places in either locale. Any preference? Yes, you can influence where we film: let me know if you have a preference. Email: [email protected] TipIf you paint, have you tried painting from your pocket sketch? I’m re-learning oil painting as I have tons of equipment I need to either use or give away. This week I have done 6 oils from one pocket sketch. The oils are getting good. You can get tons from one pocket sketch! Especially if you did the sketch recently while it jogs your memory. This sketch is at least 5 years old. I have few memories and look what can be done! Give it a go!  Deer Park, Parck City, Utah Original Sketch
Happy Sketching! TRAVEL SKETCHING...A WONDERFUL WAY TO REMEMBERRetreatsA year ago I held my first Pocket Sketching Retreat. I’d never been to a retreat, much less hosted one. I’d read about them. That was as close as I’d been. A friend is a travel agent and she did the work of making reservations…for everything. The Arizona Inn here in Tucson was our base. It was marvelously fun! So several of the group decided to do a repeat, this time at Tubac, a cute, artsy village south of Tucson. Last week we stayed at the Tubac Golf Resort and visited Tubac, the village, with a good dose of sketching, lots of joyous chatting and some shopping. The easiest way to show it, is to include sketches. There were nine of us and the conclusion is that they all want to do it again, next time near San Luis Obispo in California. I am amazed: this is fun!!! Will this be the new form of Pocket Sketching?
Oil PaintingI’ve been trying to re-learn oil painting. It is possible to forget a lot! Bit by bit some technique is coming back. I understand you when you say you’ve put down art for years and are re-learning. I think we have an advantage by having known before. At least we know we could do it in the past. With oil painting I am amazed at how much equipment is involved compared to the ‘grab it and go’ of Pocket Sketching. Like many of you, I have tons of equipment and have said for years all I want is to be free to use all this stuff. ‘Someday’ is now. I have no workshops booked. Maybe it’s time to make a huge donation of oil, watercolor, and acrylic supplies, then just go sketching. Here are two oils I rather like.
TeachingCourt is still out as to the future of teaching Pocket Sketching. I really miss your enthusiasm and joy in learning. Dale and I are getting ancient and there are so many possibilities! Stay tuned for my “trout story” in the next blog. It set up my life. PBSIf you are not receiving Season Four of Pocket Sketching on PBS in your area, contact your local station and request it. The Season is running nationally. We are actually discussing a Season Five…if it can be filmed on location and not in a studio. This whole technique is meant to go anywhere you can go. Click the button below for PBS. Then Click (Change your local station) then click (See more stations) and enter your Zip Code to access your local station. Online GalleryYou can still order 4 x 6 reproductions of my sketches for $3.00 each (larger cost more). We will raise the price on May 1, 2025 but I wanted to keep it low a little longer so our supporters could order good model sketches inexpensively. Happy Sketching! WE DID IT! THANKSYou have no idea how much I hate soliciting gifts from companies. After all your donations and purchases of ‘Fix’Em’ came in, I thought I still owed between $8000 and $10,000 to get Season Four of Pocket Sketching at PBS out. I had paid for a local studio to film two Episodes here so there would be some plein air included. Then there was money left over from a previous season. When Phil at WGVU checked with the station's accountant, it was done. Then NETA approved. IT HAS BEEN SENT to every station in the US!!! SEASON 4 IS OUT and AVAILABLE IN YOUR TOWN. Bug your local station to see it and keep sketching. Thanks for Making this Happen!!!Your names aren’t on the credits, unfortunately. I had no idea the funding was complete and they did the usual “Brought to you by viewers like you” or however that goes. Please know it wouldn’t have happened without your support. WorkshopsIn Tucson we have just finished a live workshop with a small enrollment. Much less stress and really fun. We are currently teaching two Basic Workshops online. We’ve forgotten a lot about the technical end so we get to re-learn. The students are delightedly learning and happy. Here are your chances to join the fun! February 13, 16, 19, 22, 25 I have scheduled a morning and an afternoon Refresher Workshop online. This may well be the last of our online workshops. It’s amazing to me how well people learn in an online. When people do the homework, it’s obvious they caught the lesson. It also helps that the recording is available for two weeks. Come join us for a review. February 28, March 1 and 2 is a live Refresher Workshop in our home here in Tucson. The weather should be excellent. The nearby Sheraton gives us a special rate. There’s room to enroll. This workshop has a day of review and two days of all new stuff. It’s a great opportunity to get back sketching in case you haven’t had time, plus have fun in a group. RegistrationTo register for any of these workshops, please contact me, [email protected] or 520-318-9291. Might I say, “time is running out”? Business OpportunityWe are using these workshops to decide if we will keep teaching or not. We’ve had a wonderful ‘run’, met fabulous people, been to some great places, but we’re aging out. If you know someone who would like an exciting business with a huge upside, recommend them to us. This would be a business person, not necessarily an artist. This person would not teach, but hire staff teachers, who I could train. Those teachers teach teachers who do workshops in their local towns. This is the Bob Ross model. Bob made $11.4 million in his short time as a business, according to Wikipedia. That’s not chump change. We’ve come a long way. I do not want Pocket Sketching® to disappear! Online GalleryYou can order 4 x 6 reproductions of my sketches for $3.00 each. We will raise the price in the future, but I wanted it to be low so our supporters could order good model sketches inexpensively. I planned to recommend this system to other artists. It has been a tremendous amount of work for Susan, our webmaster and so far, an expense. When the annual contract runs out this coming summer, we will decide whether to keep it going and whether to recommend it or not. Meanwhile, you might want to check out the reproductions to have as an example. PS: Be sure to visit the 'Fine Art' section while you're there!
Happy Sketching!
SabbaticalWhere has the sabbatical gone? Before I became 100% involved with Pocket Sketching, I painted in oil and watercolor, had several big shows and competed nationally. The inventory grew. In about 2010 I switched into Pocket Sketching and teaching. The inventory and supplies have been waiting. Some of you understand, as you also have a huge supply of art stuff. So, I have been relearning oil painting and hope to give painting in oil and watercolor another ‘go’ as the Brits say. As my late brother would say, “We’ll see.” AnnouncementMy question became “Is it possible to achieve a steady income from selling original sketches and original paintings plus reproductions online?” Susan, our very dedicated assistant, has done a huge amount of work to set up a website/gallery at Art Storefronts. Please go look, see if the site is interesting, navigable, worthy and let me know your reaction, good or bad. The new website is: art.pocketsketching.com where you can view both my Fine Art and my Pocket Sketches. Please share your experience with me - your input in the past was extremely helpful: [email protected]. Monthly TipHere’s a very important tip. When you have a sketch you absolutely love, consider keeping the original where it is not exposed to light. Scan it into your computer or take a photo for reproduction. The ink line is fugitive. That means if it is exposed to light on the wall it will fade…over time a lot! There is no black water-soluble pen yet that is archival. India ink is archival but very hard to work with. You’ll see my reaction in Season Four of Pocket Sketching Fundraising for Season 4And where are we on fundraising for Season Four? We are now at $14,700, all thanks to you! That leaves $11,300 for me to figure out. If you still want to send a donation for 2024 (or 2025) click the button below OR phone 866-948-8727. And a giant thank you for all your support!
Happy Sketching and a Very Happy New Year! MERRY CHRISTMAS, HAPPY HANNUKAH, WHATEVER: TAKE A STEP BACK AND ENJOY FRIENDS, MUSIC, CHILDREN, COOKIES, NONSENSE
Tucson is short on Christmas decorations. So I joined Michelle, a dear friend, who has decorated for a party. The deer was on her mantle. Sketch material may come from very small places. Watch for little inspirations. (And that’s my tip this time. It works for me.) Our current travels are sparse. We went to Savannah, Georgia for Thanksgiving as my son flies from there (a pilot). The granddaughters and a delightful friend were all visiting. A wonderful family time.! Old Savannah is gorgeous with architecture, moss-covered huge live oaks, small parks with statues or fountains everywhere. It’s a major commercial ocean port so huge ships pass by on the waterfront of the Savannah River. The J.W. Marriott has a Smithsonian-quality mineral and fossil display including a full-sized brontosaurus hung below the ceiling for most of the distance of the immense lobby. I was too awestruck to even take pictures! Don’t miss it if you go there.
I’ve been on sabbatical with the intent of oil painting as I have a huge stash of unused supplies and the weather has been good to work outdoors (no studio). A whopping two paintings are finished. And I miss students. Here’s the plan:
Dale has insisted on offering Pocket Sketching® Mugs for sale on our website. I told him they's never sell. The went on the website yesterday. One sold this morning. Dale is gloating!!!! Order yours here.
Finally, THE FUNDRAISER TO BRING YOU PBS POCKET SKETCHING SEASON 4. You have corrected my sketches to a total of $13,300 earned. We have $13,900 to go. It is almost year’s end. It’s a great time for a tax-deferred donation to WGVU (a 501-c-3) and to get your name on the permanent credits for the show, as in “This show is brought to you by Jean and Thomas Doe”. Any donation of $500.00 or more will be on the main credits and smaller donations will be listed. Sort of fun to be seen as donating giants of PBS! The people who already sent gifts of $500 or more to alter my sketches will be on the main list. And Thank You All for supporting the release of Season Four. It is loaded with gems you’ll enjoy. Happy sketching! 
Another resource for ‘sketching buddies’ in your area is Urban Sketchers. Go to their map of Chapters. If your town doesn’t have a Chapter, you can start one. “If you build it, they will come”. Urban Sketchers is an international group started by one man. If you want to sketch with someone in London or Paris, contact that Chapter and find a new sketching friend who can show you where he/she likes to sketch. Last blog I said I’d tell you how I get something finished that I didn’t much want to do. Use your timer, just as you use it for sketching. I can do anything for 30 minutes. A kitchen timer is great because you can see it, and probably hear it grinding down. If the time period is short, it’s amazing how much you can get done and out of the way. Big project? Use several short time periods. Put them in your least productive time of day. Save your best energy for something fun, like sketching Every month, because of the PBS show, we have many new people subscribe to the Newsletter who don’t know what an excellent lesson ‘Fix ‘Em’ is for you to benefit from for as long as you sketch. With just minutes of ‘fixing’ mishaps in color, contrast or focal point you usually get much improvement. The exercise is excellent for having you analyze your sketches and figure out what’s wrong, then correct it. If you donate $100 to WGVU, (a 501-c-3 not for profit), you receive 5 of my ‘Fix ‘Em’ sketches, a link to my very good video explaining how to do it, and a receipt from WGVU. If you donate $200.00 or more, you get an additional 5 sketches. (This could be a gift to a sketcher, and you get a write-off.) All donations help pay for Season Four of Pocket Sketching, which is filmed, edited and ready for release. Here are two of my sketches ‘before’ and ‘after’. One was simply hiding a mistake, and keeping the repair not obvious. (Yes, you can correct mistakes in watercolor!)
You have done well with the Fundraiser for Season Four on PBS. Believe it or not, we have raised $14,300!!! (We still have $11,700 to go.) Incidentally, you are more than welcome to simply donate to WGVU to fund Season Four, and not receive any ‘Fix Ems’. In either case, your form for tax-deductible contributions will arrive from WGVU in January. I can’t contribute, because if I do, NETA will not distribute the program to PBS stations, which is a bummer. ANNOUNCEMENTWithin a week I should have some very interesting news after months of working on a project. STAY TUNED!!! Happy Sketching and a Very Happy Thanksgiving!  The Teachers’ Workshop is over. It is 5 ½ days including lunch (so no one is off schedule). Two people had allergies, making it far more challenging. However, we got to everything except my posing, (so they could teach how to do people easily.) Guess what! Me posing in ghastly outfits is actually in PBS Season Four! I have never been willing to do that hideous outfit for a PBS series, but it’s so good for learning, I had to include it. It’s totally embarrassing, but it works. Here’s how the fundraising for Season Four of Pocket Sketching on PBS is going. We are at $12,000 of $30,000 with $18,000 to go. Thanks for your help! I think you’ll love Season Four! Each person who contributes $100.00 to WGVU (a 501©3 not-for-profit) receives 5 of my sketches to correct (my Fix ‘Ems), a link to my new video on how to fix them and a tax credit at the end of the year. If you send $200.00 or more, you receive 10 sketches. (There’s no upper limit, but 10 sketches to fix is a lot!) Here’s a suggestion from “The Teachers.” You get together 5 friends at $20.00 each and one person sends it in, gets the tax credit, the 5 sketches and the link. Then you get together to correct them as a group. I could not get to sending out my 'Fix Em's' to you during the Teachers' Workshop: simply exhausted every evening after we had dinner together (fun socializing)! I'll be mailing out your sketches and the link today. Coming up with great tips is not always easy, basically because I don’t get to talk with you to see what you want. Please send a suggestion: something that’s a problem for which I might have a solution. You’re welcome to send me a scan of the results. Margie Beckett is the first person to send me her corrected sketch. Look at the difference! (And send me yours!) This is a terrific exercise! The problem is almost always contrast of value, color or focal point (or any combination). By doing the correcting, you will see how important contrast, color and focal point are - and how to fix ‘em!
The Teachers group gave me this tip. When you sketch clumps of flowers, the flowers are clumps - not individual flowers. (Remember, you are capable of focusing on any pinpoint). The object here is the clump. The minute you switch to an individual flower, you take the focal point to that one flower, not the total effect. Here are three sketches: One has individual flowers (took forever to do). And two sketches with flowers in clumps as you see them (far faster and effective). 
As long as I am hounding you to help fund PBS Season Four, I'll be sending you tips. Next time my tip will be on how to get things done if you are a proscrastinator or have ADHD like me. Speaking of what works, I like to be incognito. I love teaching Pocket Sketching because it's such a breakthrough for so many people. It's meditative. It's artistic. It's creative. So many things. And I like to stay totally under the radar. This morning I was finally able to go for a hike in my favorite place for 28 years. No roads. No cars. No houses. No cactus. It has been possible to discreetly 'take a whiz' in heavy cover. Today, for the first time ever, a person recognized me from the PBS series and simply hung out. I couldn't get away! Is this what happens to Carol Burnett? New experience. Happy Sketching! Happy Escape!!!  Normally I don’t bomb you with blogs. As we’re working together on funding the final PBS Season, you need to know how it’s going. I’m finding it just as hard to write frequently as you are finding it hard to read often! I hope the included tips make it more interesting. Here’s the update. We are at $10,750 (Thank you enormously!!!!), out of $30K so that leaves only $19,250 to go. Wow! And I have sent out 170 sketches to be fixed. Where else will you get your instructor’s work to fix? One person sent back a ‘before and after’. I’d love to see more of your results. And where is Season Four in progression? I just spent three days reviewing all 13 Episodes over and over, looking for technical accidents. This Season has lessons I never planned to film. Many of you liked the striped outfits I use to pose for live workshops. They are included! Man, that outfit looks horrible on me! I can see why you laugh your way through that exercise. Zach, the engineer at WGVU, is amazingly good. Only one tiny flub and he’ll fix it. Pretty good for merging 4 cameras and one dialog, plus editing the two Episodes filmed outdoors in an uncontrolled setting in Tucson. Here’s the ‘ask’: You DONATE to WGVU $100 and I mail you five of my ‘Fix ‘Em’ sketches to correct plus email the link to the excellent video showing you how to fix color, contrast and focal point. If you send $200 or more, you receive an additional five of my sketches. I planned to fix these myself and some are really quite good. Click the link below to donate or call if you don’t want to donate via computer: 661-331-6680. WGVU is a 501-c-3 and you will receive a receipt for tax purposes. Here’s your tip for this blog. When your sketches have been working well and then they become consistently worse, invest in a new brush. It’s not you! The brushes wear down and you don’t notice until you ‘can’t sketch’. If you are planning to sketch a lot, you might keep a new brush zipped in with your credit cards. It’s quite rewarding to suddenly sketch much better! The example with the sky has no control on the buildings and truck. The stream has great control and I’m happy with it. (I did correct the color in the background rocks, adding blue to drop them back. See it work?)
Happy Sketching!  PBS SEASON 4 IS ALMOST HERESeason 4 of Pocket Sketching is fully filmed, awaiting payment, editing and release to you. It contains a bit of review and stuff I have never been willing to make public! Normally this would be paid for by my soliciting sponsors. I totally hate soliciting sponsors. Would you like to do that? You're like me: NO!!! However, I have a favorite exercise I love, you'll love, AND it will pay for Season Four. You've heard me say that I love taking out 5 bad sketches from my 'Fix Em' file to figure out what's wrong, and attempt to fix it. It's almost always contrast, color or focal point. Out of 5, two usually get worse, one stays just as bad, and two really improve and go to the 'Really Good' file.
Here's the deal: You donate $100.00 (or more) to WGVU/pocketsketching. The Station is a 501(c)(3) and they will send you a receipt for your taxes & send me your address and email. I mail you five (5) of my own sketches from my 'Fix Em' file and email you the link to my brand new 'How To Fix Em' video. You identify the problem with each sketch and have a blast fixing it. The lesson is terrific! If the sketches get better, you have a good sketch that we did together. If they get worse, at least it wasn't your own sketch. (They're pretty good or I wouldn't have kept them in the first place.) If you choose to donate $200 or more, you will receive ten (10) sketches to play with (more than that is overkill!). The amount we need is $30,000. That seems like a lot, but divide by $100 and it will take donations from 300 people: totally doable. Meanwhile, I need potentially 1500 not-perfect sketches that I can't find time to get around to. Basically, it's $100.00 for an invaluable lesson and you may end up with originals for your wall done by you and me! WGVU gets paid for Season Four, which you will be able to see on PBS, and eventually buy as downloads. You get the tax write-off donation. Come play! Click the button below to donate or phone: 520.318.9291 to send a check. I'll let you know how we're doing toward our goal with short blogs. The blogs will also contain recent sketches, news and tips. NEWSThere's still room in the Teachers' Workshop, October 20-25. Read about it on the website: pocketsketching.com/teachers. Register or get more information by contacting me: [email protected]. Because of your comments, I will teach a few more live workshops. Don't know where or when now. Watch for the coming Blogs. Happy Sketching!  I am so very honored by comments many of you have sent since I mentioned in my last blog that we may be moving into retirement. We are somehow getting older, which sort of leads to ‘The Shipping Department.’ Sorry about delivery problems while we were on our big trip. Dale, (Vice President of Shipping) shipped daily from wherever. (Did you notice the post office on the package?) He received supplies at each place we knew we’d be for two days or more. There were mistakes. If you are still missing something, let us know. If you received more than you paid for, happily keep it. [email protected] From the trip here are three sketches and a journal page, all from Victoria, BC. Journal pages have writing, usually telling more about the location of the sketch. I love food and often guess at contents so I can copy the dish at home. The fountain in ink is typical. The color sketch of the same fountain is pretty poor. However, both trigger the memory, and I can make a good sketch or even a painting from them. Once you take the time to sketch, you become immersed and you lock the memory in the computer of your mind. Your camera pictures don’t make this connection. There are more trip sketches coming: I got some good sketches and some great lessons.
At last we are showing on PBS, KAET in Phoenix and Prescott, Arizona! Could you believe it has taken over five years to get Pocket Sketching PBS shows into my hometown and state, though we show in 730 stations nationwide?! Thanks for asking them: It finally worked. In Phoenix we are showing on PBS Life which is: Cox channel 80, Century Link channel 9, Northern Arizona channel 142, Maricopa channel 211. The near times are Monday, Aug. 19, 12:00 PM, Tuesday, Aug. 20, 3:00 PM, Monday, Aug 26, 12:00 PM, Tuesday Aug. 27, 3:00 PM. Go to their schedule to find more times: obviously this is an experiment. If you like it and want to see more, please contact Lisa Sepulveda, 855-818-6613 or [email protected], and ask for more showings. We have a foot in the door! If you are in Tucson, AZPM Plus will show Pocket Sketching® at 9:30 AM each Monday on Channel 82 (Cox) and Channel 396 (Comcast). View AZPM schedule here: https://tv.azpm.org/schedules/episode/266772 Happy Sketching! 
But There Was MoreWhile we were sketching at the Empress Hotel Bar, a family was sitting next to us. They were celebrating their twelve-year-old daughter's birthday (she picked the venue). Julie began sketching the girl. The family started asking questions. Julie did a great sketch, which she gave to them. They were delighted! Then Julie, Eva and Joy did a marvelous sales pitch for Pocket Sketching.® I was the 'elder-sketcher-sitting-at-the-side-saying-nothing.' Totally amazing!!!! I couldn't have pitched Pocket Sketching batter!!! It felt strange...like it's time to bow out and find a new, younger person to take over Pocket Sketching. I am left complimented and contemplating. Below are two of my sketches from Victoria.
If you are in Tucson, AZPM Plus will show Pocketsketching® at 9:30 AM on Mondays, Channel 82 (Cox) and Channel 396 (Comcast). View AZPM schedule here: https://tv.azpm.org/schedules/episode/266772/ Happy Sketching! 
As you know, we are on our first vacation in 12 years. Dale is doing the shipping, packaging and finding Post Offices every day wherever we are. If you get a mistake in your order, let us know by emailing [email protected] OR call/message Dale @ 520.270.1452. People are still human and we do make mistakes, plus we're slower than Amazon. Dale will fix it!
Happy Sketching!  Pocket Sketching Becomes DependableIn trying to graduate to bigger paper and not use the pen (to go to large traditional watercolors), I have been forced to accept again how valuable the pen is. Here’s a dreadful attempt of a beautiful resort. The right stuff was there: I certainly wasn’t! You are not alone: I get bad sketches too, and lots of also-rans. (There’s a super use for them. See the next blog!)
Next was Chama for the Chama/Antonito Railroad. If you go, sit on the right (starboard) side of the train: it gets all the views. Beautiful ride and will be spectacular with aspens in September. I drove back up the highway and did several sketches.
Next was Ouray, then Telluride, CO, where we 86 year-olds didn’t adapt to the elevation, but the scenery was phenomenal. The car did well. I got a great sketch of Red Mountain during a roadblock. Next we stayed with friends Rex and Denice in Montrose at 5000’, an elevation where we could walk again. A local man grows peonies for people to pick at no charge. The sketch was done in the car while Dale drove to Orem, Utah, where we are now. It’s the best peony sketch I’ve ever done.  The mountains here are one of my major destinations for sketching. It’s just light...time to explore!!! Happy Sketching!  Who scheduled April? They were nuts!The 9th and 10th were supposed to be a fun oil pointing workshop I enrolled in. The hours were 6:30 AM to dark. Those are great hours to 'cath the light' ... when you are 30 years old. I cancelled. The 11th began my first Pocket Sketching® Retreat. There's a ton of planning and organizing involved. Held at the historic Arizona Inn here in Tucson, it was a marvelous success and ended April 15th. We spent a day at the Arizona Inn sketching, then a day at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum sketching and a day in Downtown Tucson...with oh-so-much-to-do! Dale and I drove to Las Vegas on the 16th for Dale's Super Sabre Convention which ended on the 19th. The highlight for me was attending a performance of KA by Cirque du Soliel. In the dark, I tried to sketch the performers. (Didn't work well!) but I did get a fun sketch of a gambler. And then we began a Teacher’s Workshop April 25th for 5 ½ days. It includes everything I know about Pocket Sketching and the business of running workshops in many different ways. It is intense. The April combination was overkill! We are now doing 2 online workshops. These are relaxing for me and work marvelously for participants. Each session is recorded and available for two weeks so you can review and even miss a session and stay caught up. You see every brush stroke. The potential is excellent for both instructor and for students. What’s next? Our first vacation in the 12 years we have known each other. I get to paint and sketch while Dale gets to do whatever he wants (plus shipping supplies from wherever we are!) We will visit places where we’ve taught, but not teach. There’s one exception. I’ll do a lecture July 6 and a one-day workshop July 7th in Coupeville, Washington at the Pacific Northwest Art School, where I’ve taught workshops for years. The lecture is hilarious. Hopefully the workshop won’t be. www.pacificnorthwestartschool.com, Phone: 360-678-3396 Watch the CALENDAR on www.pocketsketching.com for any live workshops. After the vacation we may plan some and even have new ideas for teaching. The next blog should have a very fun project I think you’ll enjoy. It involves Season Four on PBS, which is recorded. Happy Sketching!
Tucson Botanical Gardens
For 12 years Dale and I have traveled and taught Pocket Sketching workshops all over the country and even in Canada. It has been unbelievably rewarding for us. Can we move on? Is this only a sabbatical? We’ll find out. For the first time we are not scheduling, but we may not be able to stay away. We plan to continue the Teacher’s workshop and probably online workshops. We don’t have to haul everything with us by car for those, and I do want as many people as possible to have the chance to have all the excitement of finding they can sketch without rules, for pleasure, anywhere, in minutes. WHAT'S NEXTWe’re taking a non-teaching vacation for the first time in 12 years. I plan to sketch and will send some results in your newsletters. If we are in your area, maybe we can sketch together with you. I’ll send the route when we have it. We’ll continue to send tips in our newsletters. Some will be just what YOU NEED at that moment. UPCOMING EVENTSWe still have three openings in the Retreat, April 11 through 15 at the delightful Arizona Inn here in Tucson. Dale and I were there on the patio for dinner with our grandkids. All the flowers are in bloom. By April the nights will be warm for sitting out and the days will be perfect. This is my first retreat. I expect we’ll learn and play! Register by phone or email: 520-318-9291 or [email protected] The Teachers Workshop has two spaces left and the dates are April 25 through 30. This is loaded with everything I know. You leave having done all the exercises, learned how to teach them and how to run the business, plus you get one item of everything I use. You can use the Logo and be protected by the Trademark, be included on our website and continue to get support. Teaching Pocket sketching is a very fun way to get a gig income, meet new friends, have purpose, earn a full income: so many advantages. Register by phone or email: 520-318-9291 or [email protected] On May 4th we begin two online workshops. I have been amazed how well people learn online. I give exercises, demonstrate each, review your work personally, give you homework and review it the next session. Here’s what Jan of Grand Rapids said of the online: “In a nutshell, you made Zoom the best of all worlds! No travel. No hotels. Still, great lessons. Full-size sketchpad on my computer screen. I can totally see what you are doing, and we could ask questions as you went along. Excellent individual critique of sketches while sharing with great people. More time to spend on “homework” to try different things. Good time frame of five almost-two-hour lessons, plus 15 minutes for socializing before class. Having the lessons available for two weeks by recording made it easy to review and catch up when I had a conflict.” MONTHLY TIPWe have many orders for just the pens and a pad of paper. I insisted you receive the paper because if you pick a paper that absorbs, the pen won’t run. The pen allows you to have a full range of grey washes like Ansell Adams’ photography. The line is a perfect way to learn watercolor. If you go over the line quickly, it will yield a little bit of wash and remain a line. If you wiggle the brush as you go over it, it will go totally into wash. If you put what I call |
 'Arizona Inn Library' by Kath Macaulay | Retreat April 11-15 Based at the Arizona Inn-Tucson Teacher's Workshop April 25-30 Kath's home studio Online Basic Workshop May 4, 7, 10, 13, 16 Choose Morning or Afternoon |
After that we do not have plans to teach at this time. If we miss it too much (you won't believe how rewarding this has been!!!) we'll book a few workshops in the Fall. We are looking at many possibilities.
THE POCKET SKETCHING RETREAT
| The Arizona Inn is a woman-built garden inn built out in the sticks of Tucson just before the great Depression. Isabella kept it open by having her staff make furniture to be used in the rooms. It is now in the middle of town and is gorgeous and totally relaxing. I have often sketched there. We'll hang out in the piano lounge and on my patio. I'll be with you to sketch, critique, yak and relax. Our Trips The Barrio (old very typical Latino neighborhood) featured in Conde Nast as a 'must see' in 2024. The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum (features every plant, bird, rock, animal that is here, mostly in natural settings with excellent trails) are must-do in Tucson El Charro for authentic Mexican food in a perfect setting Elizabeth's Home for Philipino dinner in her garden There's nothing to miss! |  'Arizona Inn' by Kath Macaulay  'Supplies' by Kath Macaulay |
Go to 'You Tube' to see many of my videos and CLICK SUBSCRIBE. You'll enjoy it and it will be helpful to me.
Look also at PBS Pocket Sketching. We will eventually have the episodes of every season available as downloads, but not until each has been shown by PBS for three years.
WHAT'S NEXT
I have to find funding for PBS Season Four, which is totally filmed, waiting for editing and
release. I’m no fundraiser. If you are so talented and want to make some money, please contact me.
This is a short-term project and I need help!!!
ONLINE BASIC WORKSHOP
Student Review
"Now I have attended all 3 types of your workshops: traditional live workshop, Covid-19 mask and
distancing workshop, and Zoom workshop. (Toss in your great PBS program showing here, and I
guess that makes 4 types!)
In a nutshell, you made Zoom the best of all worlds! No travel. No hotels. Still, great lessons. Full-
size sketchpad on my computer screen. I can totally see what you are doing, and we could ask
questions as you went along. Excellent individual critique of sketches while sharing with great
people. More time to spend on “homework” to try different things., Good time frame of 5 almost-
two-hour lessons, plus 15 minutes for socializing before class. Having the lessons available for two
weeks made it easy to review and catch up when I had a conflict.
Thanks for bringing your workshop to Zoom and my computer."
Jan Palm
release. I’m no fundraiser. If you are so talented and want to make some money, please contact me.
This is a short-term project and I need help!!!
ONLINE BASIC WORKSHOP
Student Review
"Now I have attended all 3 types of your workshops: traditional live workshop, Covid-19 mask and
distancing workshop, and Zoom workshop. (Toss in your great PBS program showing here, and I
guess that makes 4 types!)
In a nutshell, you made Zoom the best of all worlds! No travel. No hotels. Still, great lessons. Full-
size sketchpad on my computer screen. I can totally see what you are doing, and we could ask
questions as you went along. Excellent individual critique of sketches while sharing with great
people. More time to spend on “homework” to try different things., Good time frame of 5 almost-
two-hour lessons, plus 15 minutes for socializing before class. Having the lessons available for two
weeks made it easy to review and catch up when I had a conflict.
Thanks for bringing your workshop to Zoom and my computer."
Jan Palm
| TEACHER'S WORKSHOP Have you thought to get a ‘gig’ income? If you love sketching, why not teach it? It’s fun, easy to teach, you meet wonderful people, establish a group that is fun, loyal and more than willing to meet weekly to enjoy each other’s company, learn and pay you for the privilege. Look into my Teacher’s Workshop April 25 through 30. It’s a big commitment, but check out the potential income (and the itinerary) to you at https://www.pocketsketching.com/teachers.html. May I suggest you do this now, as there are very few credentialed Pocket Sketching Teachers in the U.S. and the market is enormous. People love to immerse in vacations, learn, be totally portable, have minimal equipment, meet great people, come back with sketch-memories…just like you!!! I teach everything you need! [email protected], 520-318-9291 |  'Immersed' by Kath Macaulay |
HAPPY SKETCHING!
 Red Dragon |  Green-Eyed Dragon |
The Chinese Lunar New Year begins today and the symbol is the dragon, a wonderful mythological beast. I have always loved them and included are two of my old watercolors which were inspired by my Master, Bong Wei Chen. Totally frustrated with his class, he announced “Paint dragon: nobody knows what they look like!” He could not believe we did not know where birds carry their feet in every pose. His comment: “Chinese children know where bird feet are by time 6 to 7 year old! American know nothing!!!” Total incredulity. (And it really is fun to paint dragons!)
Talk about incredulity, I spent five days preparing to give a talk to the Santa Rita Art League in Green Valley, then woke up at 5:00 AM realizing they didn’t want a business lecture, but to be entertained. After re-writing and adding a new group of sketches, eighty people were entertained. Some of us take life too seriously sometimes!
Talk about incredulity, I spent five days preparing to give a talk to the Santa Rita Art League in Green Valley, then woke up at 5:00 AM realizing they didn’t want a business lecture, but to be entertained. After re-writing and adding a new group of sketches, eighty people were entertained. Some of us take life too seriously sometimes!
Pocket Sketching Retreat
April 11 - 15
Tucson's Gorgeous Arizona Inn
Coming up is the exciting Pocket Sketching Retreat April 11 -15 at Tucson’s gorgeous Arizona Inn. It will be sunny and perfect to sketch, flowers everywhere and so much to enjoy! Did you see the article on the Barrio in Conde Nast? That’s one of our destinations. We expect to pick up the birds-of-prey flight at the Desert Museum. They fly immediately overhead. You are told to not hold your I-pad or your kids above your head because of potential collisions! The Desert Museum is a total must-see! Call or email me for a reservation and join us for laughter, sunshine and sketches!
Pocket Sketching Workshops |
 | For Basic live workshops, I still have room February 21, 22, 23 here in my home studio. Seven is the maximum so everyone gets plenty of attention. If the weather’s cruddy, don’t worry. Day One and Day Two are indoors learning all about the technique, landscape, still life and people. If we can’t go out Day Three, I have tons of very fun, advanced material from my Refresher course. You’ll be ready for it! Email or Phone reservations: [email protected], 520-318-9291. |
Dale, who’s more computer savvy than I, wants you to go to You Tube (youtube.com) and put in the search field ‘pocket sketching’. There are many educational videos we’ve done. Then click on (Subcribe). Something happens when we have 1000 followers. (See? Not savvy!)
Happy Sketching!
Happy Sketching!
Should we call it a vacation? How about a necessary break and reset? Dale and I have taken December and January to catch up on business and life without the interruptions of setting up teaching, hauling stuff to teach, teaching. In fact, I've just finished the third of three workshops where I got to be a student.
 |  |
First one I'll do again: Bob Burridge. Very splashy and loose: much fun! Subject was a moving nude (Pocket Sketching nude, red nude). He asked the model to have an "anguished face."
 |  |
The third workshop was with Stan Kurth. I wanted to learn how to use gouache (watercolor mixed with white which results in opaque and pastel paint colors). I got what I wanted (abstract and wine above). All really good experiences!
You often ask where to go to get more watercolor training. Tom Lynch does both online and live workshops. He's traditional and teaches well. www.tomlynch.com
Pocket Sketching Workshops
We plan to limit the number of workshops and they will be in Tucson, or nearby. New workshops are now here on the website. As I age-out, I hope many of you will become Pocket Sketching Teachers to have fun, purpose and enjoy the delight of bringing this easy technique to others. Click on Workshops/Teachers on the header bar above.
Pocket Sketching Retreat
Three Full Days of Sketching with Kath!
The dates are April 11 through 15, when Tucson weather is perfect. We are staying at the Arizona Inn, a gorgeous historic inn with beautiful gardens, a lovely pool and good food.
Day 1 Arrive April 11
Day 2 Sketch inside and outside of the Arizona Inn. The neighborhood is typical old Tucson and charming for sketching. Wine, cheese and crackers with a critique on Kath's patio in the evening.
Day 3 Excursion to the world-famous Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum Critique in the evening. Gourmet Indonesian dinner in an amazing woman-designed home.
Day 4 Tucson street car to the downtown Barrio Viejo: a charming historic neighborhood with colorful homes built in the late 1800's. Tucson Art Museum, Cafe' a La C'Art for brunch and dinner at El Charro, Tucson's legendary Mexican restaurant.
Day 5 Departure
Space is limited. Only 12 spaces available. Cost $2075 per sketcher in single room. Two beds available: ask for quote.
Day 1 Arrive April 11
Day 2 Sketch inside and outside of the Arizona Inn. The neighborhood is typical old Tucson and charming for sketching. Wine, cheese and crackers with a critique on Kath's patio in the evening.
Day 3 Excursion to the world-famous Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum Critique in the evening. Gourmet Indonesian dinner in an amazing woman-designed home.
Day 4 Tucson street car to the downtown Barrio Viejo: a charming historic neighborhood with colorful homes built in the late 1800's. Tucson Art Museum, Cafe' a La C'Art for brunch and dinner at El Charro, Tucson's legendary Mexican restaurant.
Day 5 Departure
Space is limited. Only 12 spaces available. Cost $2075 per sketcher in single room. Two beds available: ask for quote.
Tip of the Day
To have the Pilot Razor Point Pen 'run' into washes, you must have a paper that works. We get gobs or orders for 5 pens (a really good deal) but if your paper absorbs you won't see the line 'run,' which is the reason for buying that pen. That is why we now stress getting a pad of our paper when you order pens to see how it works. I have a little test I use in art supply stores to see if a new paper works. I have to buy the paper I wreck, but if it doesn't work, I don't buy a bunch or recommend it.
Changes
Our biggest change is...we plan to sell the business. Someone with a business background can take this much farther than we can at our somewhat advanced ages. According to Wikipedia, Bob Ross made $11.4 million in his short life. Far more than that is possible with international focus and the internet. I simply don’t want to step into the bigger picture with employees, regulations, brick and mortar, etc. We will teach teachers as this is how the technique can become available to many more people than we can reach. If you are curious, click on WORKSHOPS/TEACHERS on the header bar above. That description is totally real, including what you can expect to make as an extra income. Best of all, it’s tremendously fun, you meet wonderful people and you add purpose to your life! It has been incredibly rewarding.
JANUARY 2024
As I mentioned in the last blog, here are the delightful, hand-made cards we received this Christmas!
 Tiffany |  Joy |  Juddith Pelham |
 Milay |  Sheryal |  Marge Beckett |
DECEMBER 2023
Most of you know that I sketch a new card for each Christmas/holiday season. Tucson is not an easy place to find subject matter! And especially when I have to find it, sketch it, get it reproduced as cards and get it out on time! This year there's a change.
In November I decided I've been working too hard for 15 years and I gave myself two months to go 'black,' a theater term meaning "we are closed: no shows." I have three major projects which need finishing. Scheduling and teaching workshops simply made chaos. And that included the 'hunt-for-something-to-sketch-for-the-card.' The way out? I've always loved my sketch of the El Charro restaurant. It is legendary Tucson. Simply added the tree and wreath and here it is!
In November I decided I've been working too hard for 15 years and I gave myself two months to go 'black,' a theater term meaning "we are closed: no shows." I have three major projects which need finishing. Scheduling and teaching workshops simply made chaos. And that included the 'hunt-for-something-to-sketch-for-the-card.' The way out? I've always loved my sketch of the El Charro restaurant. It is legendary Tucson. Simply added the tree and wreath and here it is!
In a much, much more relaxed mode, I'll find something to sketch for next December, without pressure.
WHAT'S NEXT?
In January I'm taking two workshops, both in watercolor (WHEE!) In February and March you can expect online workshops. And I am planning the LIVE Pocket Sketching Retreat in March. Out weather is lovely then.
Just because I miss my 'hard-to-get-done-on-time' Christmas cards, here are two of my favorites. And I'm going to send another little note this month just to show you a few of the hand-illustrated cards I received. You are sooo clever!
 |  |
Have a Joyous, Peaceful, Cozy, Friends & Family rest of December!!!
Happy Sketching!
KATH MACAULAY
Artist/Creator/Owner
PBS Seasons (4)
Archives
April 2025
March 2025
December 2024
November 2024
October 2024
September 2024
August 2024
July 2024
June 2024
May 2024
March 2024
February 2024
January 2024
July 2023
March 2023
January 2023
December 2022
November 2022
August 2022
July 2022
June 2022
April 2022
March 2022
February 2022
November 2021
RSS Feed