Big Trip 2010: Urban Sketchers Symposium in Portland - Day 1

October 21, 2010 | Leave your thoughts

And so it begins…

Gabi opening the symposium – so exciting!


Morning Workshop: Urban People with Veronica Lawlor – Powell’s bookstore

First morning of the Urban Sketchers Symposium I was doing Urban People with Veronica. We sketched people in Powells books for a few hours.

I was certainly not in the groove – many of you know that I don’t really like drawing people so to do that session first up was a little brave – plus we had just been given the USK moleskine so I was having a bit of a sketchbook crisis.

 
I ended up exploring Powell’s – going into each room and do a quick sketch with my Pocket Brush Pen.

 

Not the best start to the symposium… but I think it was just warmup for lunch!


Lunch

After the workshop, Robbie (a local) suggested we go around the corner to a yoga studio which had a great organic café. While I was sketching my food (as you would expect) he suddenly commented that the Mayor was ordering a coffee.

I didn’t even think – just picked up my brush pen and scribbled this in seconds – something I would not have attempted if it had not been for the fact that I had just been sketching people all mornning. Sam then came over, signed the sketch and posed with Borromini!


So yes,  I managed to sketch and meet the Mayor of Portland in the first morning of the symposium!


Afternoon Lecture

After lunch there was a session for lectures…


Afternoon Workshop Urban Composition with Gabi Campanario – Steel Bridge


Portland is famous for it’s bridges, and the Steel Bridge is perhaps the most sketchable – good name too!


Gabi stopped the group on the way to the location for a quick sketch.

I was still trying to make it work in the Moleskine book, but after this sketch decided to give up and return to my normal sketchbook.


So lovely to meet and hang out with Suzanne Cabrera…

… and look through her amazing book!


Evening lecture


We returned to the PNCA for another lecture. And on the way I did a quick building sketch!


Dinner

Lovely dinner with Suzanne – we have been online friends for a number of years and it was SO special to spend time with her!

What a great first day!


 

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