What is Urban Sketching?

I don't always have time or materials to complete paintings when I am inspired by a location. Fortunately, I always carry a mini sketchbook and pen. 

Urban sketchers are a formal group that may meet or work independently to capture a location, usually with drawing materials. Sometimes these are long works, others are quick sketches and often contain notes on their location, or other comments the artist makes. 

I'm not sure if I am an actual Urban Sketcher Artist, but these are a few recent urban sketches from my mini notebook. It is a great way to experience a place and create memories. And it is amazing how many mini notebooks I have filled with drawings.

Waiting for dinner in Amsterdam, April 2024

From the harbor in Antwerp October 2023

Another Antwerp view

Hoorn Harbor, Netherlands October 2023

Shanty Choir in Kvasir

Lockport NY Train station ruins 2023

Botanical Gardens, February 2023

Always Carry a Sketchbook

It looks precarious, but the hill isn't as steep as it seems, and it is raining lightly. Between my sun umbrella and the willow tree above I stayed fairly dry. This is on Lake Ontario, a lovely day spent with Laurene.

 This is my final Urban Sketch, but out in Niagara County, about 6x8" in my trusty sketchbook. It is a watercolored ink drawing. Some of these campers will live here until the weather turns and they leave to southern homes for the winter.

Filling sketchbooks, one story at a time.

I like to use art supplies and my brain. I don't need to make oil paintings or pastels, I just need to draw to satisfy myself. As a member of Buffalo Urban Sketchers we find ourselves limited by Covid to not being in a lobby or cafeteria to draw. Like the rest of the world, we have started Zooming together and our first Virtual Field Trip was to Acadia National Park in Maine. This is Jordan Park Trail which is familiar to Acadia visitors. I used Google maps to explore the park and choose this site.

A little bit of Christmas in my studio inspired this. My big artist nutcracker and a fake tree were joined by a poinsettia and some garland to make me feel festive in a time when no visitors or parties were on my horizon. This is a good candidate for a future Christmas card. 

I have a painting of the poinsettia that I keep fiddling with, changing the direction of light, the background and also the color of the plant and its leaves. There is a pile of paint building up but experimenting is allowed at all times. I don't paint for business, I paint for myself and my soul. The plant continues to thrives on my good studio juju.

Unity Island

Drive down bumpy Niagara Street towards downtown Buffalo, find the elusive Unity Island entrance, wait your turn for the one way railroad bridge (5mph, please) and there it is. Before I entered the quiet park I knew this would be my view. I was attracted to the water seen under the bridge, and the shore of Canada across the river. These little ink drawings colored in with my travel watercolor set are fun and good for the spirit. I took photos of everyone else to post on the NFPAP blog, Diane took a photo of me.

This photograph is close to where I stood for the next picture, my 'downtown painting day'.

With so much to see and interpret, I am amazed how much I did include. This was drawn and painted from the back of my car, I use the open trunk to provide myself some shade.

 Under the Skyway 6x8" pen and watercolor ©2020

Where Tonawanda and North Tonawanda meet-The Erie Canal

Niagara Frontier Plein Air Painters met at Gateway Park on a fairly chilly and slightly windy day. Most of the painters worked small and in sketchbooks just in case the rain started up again. The walking bridge was in plain sight when I chose a rock to sit upon. The crisscross railings on both sides, the angles of the Erie Canal meeting Tonawanda Creek and the assorted stonework were an appropriate challenge. Keeping the Urban Sketchers materials in my car, I chose pen and ink instead of pastel today.

A familiar Tonawanda-North Tonawanda walking bridge

A bit of color was added to the ink drawing afterwards.

This is an Urban Sketch from last week on Main Street in Buffalo. The massive TriMain building was behind me with its familiar water tower. I'll draw that building another day. It was a pleasure to use the hidden People's Park on a sunny Saturday. this ornate church on the corner of Jewett Parkway is now a charter school.

Tea Time and Urban Sketches in Ireland.

I always carry my little moleskin drawing book, but added a 5x7 sketchbook to my purse for a trip to Ireland. We stayed in Dublin, walked the city to see museums and sights for 5 days and then rented a car to take day trips. We went to Galway and drove along the Wild Atlantic Way, spent a day each in Howth and DunLaoghaire, Wicklow and Glendalough. 

A cold brewed coffee setup attracted my attention in a lovely little coffee shop in Dublin. I should have left my card, the girl in the drawing took a photo of my painting and she probably has a million followers asking 'Who did that?'

One of the first dinners out with Charles was in this lovely wine bar/pub. The chairs were each printed with notable wine labels and they were probably the most comfortable seats of all the places we ate. We feasted on a cheese platter and a bottle of wine while it rained for a short time. Afterwards, I took a few photos of the lights reflecting on the rain-wet streets. Making memories.

Urban Sketching

 On River Road, across from Smith Boys Marina.

 Urban sketching is actually internationally recognized as a form of art. Working in a small sketchbook, with the time that I have, I capture whatever is in front of me. These are permanent and archival pen drawings, embellished with a bit of watercolor. Neat, clean, easy to store.

A friend's hollyhocks against the house.

Across from Bidwell Market.