DRAWING
Attention
The official zine of Urban Sketchers NOVEMBER 2020
Drawing Attention Mandate Drawing Attention, the official monthly zine of the Urban Sketchers organization, communicates and promotes official USk workshops, symposiums, sketchcrawls, news and events; shares news about USk chapters; and educates readers about the practice of on-location sketching. Thanks to this month’s Drawing Attention contributors: Managing Editor: Patricia Chow Mailchimp layout: Jane Wingfield Issuu layout: Anne Taylor Social Media Designer: Suzala, Frieda Christofides Writers: Cathy Gutterman, Rosario Muñoz Gajardo, Jane Wingfield French copy editor: Sophie Navas Spanish copy editor: Rosario Muñoz Gajardo Proofreader: Leslie Akchurin Contributors: Parka, Richard Alomar, Javier Mas Pinturas, Dora Pindur, Helen Siksek, Heidi Zurbuchen cover image: Phil Dean Subscribe to Drawing Attention. Read the October edition of Drawing Attention. Circulation: 13k+ Readership: 16k+ Web: urbansketchers.org Urban Sketchers is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering the art of on-location drawing. Click here to make your tax-deductible contribution via Paypal. © 2020 Urban Sketchers. Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this publication, including accompanying artwork, are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Urban Sketchers organization.
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Dear USk Community, We are winding down the year; the most challenging and difficult that our USk community has faced. As we move towards 2021, we hope you all continue to stay safe and sketch together. In the coming months, USk Talks will start Season 2, chapter administrators will have another global meeting, and the Events Committee will finalize their schedule of activities for 2021. All to say that despite
the current condition of things, we are still working to keep the global community engaged and enthusiastic about on-location drawing. If you have any questions or suggestions, please let us know. Please stay safe, engaged and sketching! Sketching together (one way or another), Richard Alomar, USk President
MANAGING EDITOR’S MESSAGE Greetings, Sketchers! I hope you are all managing to stay safe and well. This month we focus on USk chapters worldwide, sharing the sketches and stories of USk groups from across Europe, North America and Latin America. I’d also like to extend a warm welcome to our newest USk chapters in Bergamo, Italy, and Jacksonville, Florida! Holiday season is fast approaching, so don’t miss our 2020 Holiday Book List, highlighting urban sketching books published this year. We have added French and Spanish language books this year as well. If you have a 2020 favorite that isn’t included, let us know at drawingattention@ urbansketchers.org and we’ll in-clude it next month!
I would like to express my sincere appreciation for the work of our incredible Drawing Attention team who have come together for another fantastic issue. I hope you enjoy it! If you’d like to join our team as a writer, translator, or editor, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at: drawingattention@ urbansketchers.org! Best wishes Patricia Chow Managing Editor, Drawing Attention
CONTENTS 4 6
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
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USK BERGAMO
USK JACKSONVILLE
USK POLAND
USK SWITZERLAND SYMPOSIUM
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USK TERRES DE L’EBRE
THERAPEUTIC POWER OF ART (ESPAÑOL)
MARIE ROBERTS
HOLIDAY BOOK LIST
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ENDNOTES | REVIEW
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Letter to the Editor
SKETCHING ‘AN ESSENTIAL SERVICE’ DURING COVID Thank you for bringing attention to the physical act of drawing and stress. I belong to Urban Sketchers DFW and so do most of my friends. We also started our own group called Artists Out & About DFW. We used to meet several times a week to sketch prior to the isolation. (Urban Sketchers meets on a Saturday once a month but our other group, smaller in size, met several times every week) The social aspect of the get togethers was what kept us together, we all really get along as friends and sketchers. Drawing felt like a pass time, an activity do do for fun, not necessity. When the pandemic hit in March 2020, we cancelled the weekly get-togethers and waited for the lockdown to end. Until now it has not ended. Many of our members are over 50 years old and most of us are staying put at home, all under stressful conditions, each with their own stories of challenges. The pandemic forced us to stay indoors and destroyed our group meetings. We really missed each other. 4 DRAWING ATTENTION
Our group immediately switched to an online virtual schedule and this is how we continue today. We jumped on the Zoom bandwagon and started communicating through weekly emails and video chats. We have a group Facebook page where we post our digital weekly throwdown. This connection to the group has kept us all healthier than we would have been without it. We are producing incredible work now under these stressful conditions, the artists are really putting a lot of energy into their weekly sketches now under these stressful times. The need to sketch has become more pronounced for many of us. It feels to me like drawing has become a necessity. Our drawing practice changed from observational drawing to drawing objects or from photos at home. It’s not the same but it has kept us in touch. This is very different from the work we did as a group prior to Covid-19. Here are some direct quotes from some of our members: “Sketching reminds me that there’s a lot of joy in the moment, regardless of whatever else is happening (or isn’t happening!)” Merry Fuhrer
“Sketching is like meditation for me. It clears my head during the process and immediately afterwards.” Beverly Ann Moore Since the pandemic started, I have had a hard time focusing on drawing. Thanks to the artists group that I belong to, we still meet weekly by virtual means and that’s where I get my strength to continue through daily sketching. I don’t think I would have made it through the pandemic without my sketching practice, it is a daily physical act that is as important to me as brushing my teeth or eating, it is medicine for survival during stressful times. The act of sketching is what centres and grounds me. I reach for my sketchbook when there are upheavals in life, as there often are these days. When I start drawing, I tell myself that this is a space where everything is meant to be. I call my sketches peace sketches and I try to only put out peaceful drawings into the world right now, I have an instagram account and I like to think that first responders and health care workers, teachers, parents and children might come across my drawings and it might help them feel some calm
Letter to the Editor
during their stressful days. Sketching for others helps me get through stressful times because I feel that the physical act of drawing is something I can do to help others see something creative instead of destructive. The act of doing art has become an essential service for me. I am like a first responder who puts drawings out there that might uplift others.” Thank you for writing an article about drawing during stressful times. Helen Siksek USk Dallas / Fort Worth
SHARE YOUR CHAPTER’S NEWS WITH OUR READERS Contact us to share your chapter’s news, special events, joint meetups, and exhibitions with our readers. You don’t need to write the story yourself. We will assign a Drawing Attention writer to cover your story! Contact us at: drawingattention@urbansketchers.org.
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USK BERGAMO 6 DRAWING ATTENTION
Welcome, Urban Sketchers BERGAMO
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rban Sketchers Bergamo is a new USk chapter in the alpine Lombardy region of northern Italy, approximately 40 km (25 miles) northeast of Milan. It was founded by Elena Marchesani with the help of Emanuele Lorenzo Cavassa and Marco Carsana. Elena had studied art in high school, but in her thirties, she wanted to start drawing again. Her plan was to join the Urban Sketchers movement in Milan, and to send 100 postcards to members of the “Postcard Urban Sketching” Facebook group. One of the first postcards Elena sent was to a Canadian sketcher who lived on Garibaldi Drive. In Italy, Garibaldi is an important general who contributed to Italian unification more than a century ago. It surprised Elena to read the name Garibaldi from a place outside of Italy. On a very cold winter day, she decided to sketch the Garibaldi statue in her hometown. As she was sketching, a woman on a scooter approached and asked, “Have you finished?” Elena answered, “...yes, but I’m also very cold.” The woman said, “So come with me!
I’ll show you something.” She brought Elena to the second floor of the palace in the square and said, “I’m a lawyer and this is my office. From here we can see the statue better! Feel free to come here any time you want!” Elena came to know sketchers from all over the world and reached her goal of sending 100 postcards in less than a year. Elena recommends the Postcard Urban Sketching group on Facebook to everyone! There’s always someone waiting to hear from you. One day, in February 2019, the Milan group met at an artisan market in Spazio Fase, a complex of industrial buildings recovered from an abandoned paper mill. While Elena was sketching at a huge table, she was joined by some fellow sketchers and others who were just having coffee. At lunchtime, she noticed a guy who had been drawing near her, but keeping to himself. Elena asked, “Aren’t you hungry?...Why don’t you come with us for lunch?” He wasn’t quite sure, but in the end he said yes. NOVEMBER 2020 7
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BERGAMO SKETCH BY SIMONA BARI
“U
Sk Bergamo meetings not only provide an opportunity for members to sketch their surroundings, but also to talk about everything else: paper, colors, travels, dreams, and life...”
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USK BERGAMO
USk Bergamo
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As they began conversing, Elena learned that he had come from Puglia, a region in the south of Italy, just the day before to find a job and hoping to publish his graphic novel, which was about huge social problems in his hometown. During lunch, he showed Elena the graphic novel on his tablet. Elena asked how long he’d been a member of the group. “Which group?” he asked. “Urban Sketchers, of course!” “Who???” Elena started to laugh and immediately understood what had happened. She called over the others and said, “Guys! He has no idea who we are!” and the others remarked, “What??? I thought that he was a friend of yours!” Then they all enjoyed asking him questions and laughing about the situation. Elena embraces the philosophy that when you make new friends, you invite them to discover your hometown. After attending several meetings in Milan, Elena began to ask people if they would like to meet in Bergamo. As people embraced the idea, Elena was motivated to establish an Urban Sketchers chapter in Bergamo. She asked Marco and Emanuele to help her with this task, and they happily joined the team. 10 DRAWING ATTENTION
While each Urban Sketchers meeting differs, there are some constants. Never wanting anyone to feel isolated or alone, Elena always makes it a point to greet everyone and make them feel welcome. USk Bergamo meetings not only provide an opportunity for members to sketch their surroundings, but also to talk about everything else: paper, colors, travels, dreams, and life. The approval process to become an official USk Chapter took about eight months. During the pending period, from January to September 2020, their philosophy was “First we start, and while we wait for official approval, do not stop, keep sketching, and have meetings and jams.” It was very important for them to keep their pencils “on fire” and it worked well for them. Since Bergamo was one of the most dangerous zones in Italy during the pandemic, staying safe and using precautions were of utmost importance. While respecting lockdown restrictions, USk Bergamo participated in #USKAtHome and held online meetings with their own chapter and other chapters in
Italy and Europe. Sketching is fun, but staying safe is more important. They also invited their members to join online meetings organized by “Mercoledì al Secco,” a large Italian group of artists, sketchers, architects and people who simply love to draw. CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: ACCADEMIA CARRARA BY GIOVANNI SIMONCELLI; ACCADEMIA CARRARA, PORTA S. AGOSTINO BY PAOLA POLIGNANO; BERGAMO PIAZZA VECCHIA BY SREENIHAL POUKA; BERGAMO SKETCH BY PAOLA CALIZAYA.
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USk Bergamo
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Title
MEET NEW URBAN SKETCHERS CHAPTER
USk Jacksonville
BY CATHY GUTTERMAN
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ABOVE FROM (LEFT TO RIGHT): A DAY IN QUARANTINE BY PATRICK MAHONEY; CLARKS FISH CAMP SKETCH BY JAMIE HOWARD; AMERICAN FLAG BY CHRIS FLAGG
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isa Deems, Chris Flagg, and Xana Jazmin are the administrators of the new USk regional chapter in Jacksonville, Florida. All three have played an important part in successfully bringing their new chapter official USk recognition. Lisa Deems learned about Urban Sketchers from a new member of her Plein Air Painters Group. She noticed that many members of the group had good painting skills but lacked an understanding of perspective and basic drawing skills. In response to an interest in honing these skills, Lisa arranged a meeting in July 2019 for her plein air group just to go sketching. At that meeting, new member Chris Flagg asked Lisa if she had ever heard of Urban Sketchers. Having been a member of Urban Sketchers for some time, Chris offered to assist with setting up a
chapter, providing a venue for meetings, and leading “sketch crawls” around the city. Lisa’s curiosity drove her to do more research about the organization. After checking the Urban Sketchers website and Facebook page, Lisa decided that she wanted to “sketch like that” and wanted everyone she knew to also give it a try. The group had a social media presence on Facebook by August, which increased interest, not only from their own artists, but from other “sketchers” within Jacksonville. As they began to see posts of their on-site observational sketches, the ability to quickly envision a sketch, attack it with passion, and not worry about creating a “museum” piece became an attractive alternative to honing foundational skills. NOVEMBER 2020 13
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Lisa also reached out to Urban Sketchers Orlando and Noga Rose Grosman, whose assistance in sponsoring and guiding their efforts proved invaluable as they gained momentum as a group. At their first meeting in October, 2019, Chris and Lisa introduced the concept of urban sketching and reviewed the USk manifesto. Attendance was larger than expected, as the hunger for a sketch opportunity deepened the desire for such an organization in their city! At their first “sketch crawl,” they met Xana Jazmin, who had just moved from Chicago. Having
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been a member of USk Chicago, Xana wanted to remain involved as an urban sketcher. Her skills with social media helped strengthen the USk Jacksonville presence and her willing attitude quickly brought Xana into the group’s administrative circle, satisfying the need for three administrators. They were off to the races! The new USk Jacksonville Chapter was approved quickly, as they applied to become a chapter on June 2 and were approved on September 6.
USk Jacksonville
Lisa feels lucky to have so many artists from Jacksonville’s thriving art community wanting to participate in the group. It’s so important to have regular sketch crawls and regular sketch assignments, especially during these limiting social times. Everyone thrives on encouragement as there are absolutely no “bad” sketches! Meeting regularly is important to maintain momentum and USk Jacksonville has currently settled on at least one sketch crawl a month and a meeting every other month. While the pandemic temporarily stalled their usual “sketch crawl” format, USk Jacksonville found creative ways not to lose momentum. Lisa initiated weekly sketching assignments so they could “meet” virtually and keep learning from each other. Participation started slowly, but rose as more sketches were shared and people’s interest increased with each passing week. As curiosity grew, they attracted new members. A monthly Zoom meeting was also instituted. A sketch theme is posted the week prior so people can do their sketches and then bring them to the Zoom meeting for a “virtual throw down”! It’s a great way for everyone to stay in touch and to keep sketching!
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USk Jacksonville
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Meet Urban Sketchers POLAND BY DORA PINDUR
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USk Poland
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e would like to introduce ourselves to the international audience. The Polish chapter of Urban Sketchers was founded in June 2015 by Iga Oliwiak, Mateusz Hajnysz, and Joanna Prigara (all three of them currently live abroad, but Justyna Wojnowska from Poznan is continuing their mission in Poland). At the beginning there were no crowds, only a few people attended the first meetings, but now the USk movement in Poland is growing fast. This year was very interesting and despite the epidemic obstacles, sketchers in Poland became very active. During the lockdown we had several online meetings where people from the whole country could chat and draw together from their homes. When the quarantine was over, pleinair meetings started immediately. Sketch walks are being organized quite regularly in several cities across Poland: Poznan, Warsaw, Wroclaw, Krakow, Katowice, Gniezno, and Gdansk. All events are announced in our Facebook group Urban Sketchers Poland so that the sketchers can travel between cities and meet new friends and new places. NOVEMBER 2020 19
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Three bigger events (organized by Justyna Wojnowska) took place this summer in different cities in Poland: in Gniezno, where a lot of new sketchers appeared and started regular meetings in their city; in Wroclaw, connecting sketchers from the whole region; and in Torun, where we met for two days in this beautiful medieval town. Recently there was also a plein-air exhibition in Poznan, presenting drawings of 18 sketchers connected with this city, from age 12 to... well, I didn’t ask. Along with the exhibition, there was a speech about what urban sketching is and later there were free workshops for people who wanted to try it for the first time. Justyna Wojnowska is also regularly leading onsite and online urban sketching workshops, and she is currently recording a series of free lessons about sketching Polish historical architecture. During this year we have had many guests from abroad, including Jan Vitek from Urban Sketchers Prague, and we are open to visitors – we would love to meet them, show them our country, and sketch together. We would really like people across the world to get to know Urban Sketchers Poland and meet us on location. 20 DRAWING ATTENTION
SKETCH BY OKSANA MATSKOVICH
SKETCH BY DORA PINDUR
USk Poland
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USk Switzerland
“W
e would really like people across the world to get to know USk Poland and meet us on location.”
SKETCH BY KAMILA DEMBINSKA 22 DRAWING ATTENTION
SKETCH BY JUSTYNA WOJNOWSKA
USk Poland
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SKETCH BY ANNA YUDINA
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USk Poland
SKETCH BY ANKA ZIETKIEWICZ
SKETCH BY ANNA YUDINA
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BOGENSPIEL AM WOHNTURM SKETCH BY PRISKA SANCINI 26 DRAWING ATTENTION
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PERFECT WEATHER & HAPPY SKETCHERS: 2nd Swiss Urban Sketchers Symposium BY HEIDI ZURBUCHEN
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here were many questions, questions that were new to us. Should an event be planned at all this year? Will people register in spite of everything? How can safety be ensured? Will all the workshop leaders be able to travel to Switzerland? Might regulations change at the last moment? But we were lucky – everything worked out, and from September 17-20, 2020, the 2nd Swiss Symposium could take place. Around 70 urban sketchers met again in the beautiful village of Zuoz in the Engadin Valley (near St. Moritz). The weather was perfect and the vibe was great. People were sketching from morning to evening – at workshops, on every corner in the village, at the Drink & Draw in the famous Hotel Castell, and even after dinner hardly anyone could stop drawing. No wonder, Zuoz offers plenty of exciting subjects – picturesque houses and a scenic mountain landscape.
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STRAGLIA CHASTE SKETCH BY LIS WATKINS
Ten workshop leaders offered a wide variety of courses, from acrylic markers to watercolor, fineliners, pointed nibs, or the iPad – something for every taste. The diversity was very well received by the participants. We were delighted that Jenny Adam from Germany and Lis Watkins and Phil Dean from the UK took part. They were the perfect addition to the local workshop team. All workshops were held either in German or English, as we had attendees from the different language regions of Switzerland. What had started with many questions led to a beautiful experience and left us with a lot of memories and many drawings. And one final question was answered as well: where will the Swiss Symposium 2021 take place? The answer is: Bern. CONNECT WITH USK SWITZERLAND
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USk Switzerland
UN TEMPS PARFAIT ET DES SKETCHERS HEUREUX: le 2e Symposium Urban Sketchers Suisse PAR HEIDI ZURBUCHEN. TRADUIT PAR SOPHIE NAVAS
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l y a d’abord eu de nombreuses questions, des questions qui étaient nouvelles pour nous. Devrions-nous organiser un événement? Est-ce que les gens s’inscriront en dépit de tout le reste? Comment la sécurité sanitaire peut-elle être assurée? Est-ce que tous les organisateurs d’ateliers pourront se déplacer jusqu’en Suisse? Est-ce que les règles vont changer au tout dernier moment? Mais nous avons eu de la chance: tout a bien fonctionné, et du 17 au 20 septembre 2020, le 2e Symposium suisse a pu avoir lieu. Environ 70 Urban Sketchers se sont retrouvés dans le beau village de Zuos, dans la vallée d’Engadin (près de St Moritz). La météo était parfaite et l’humeur générale était bonne. Les gens ont dessiné du matin au soir, pendant les ateliers, à chaque coin de village, au Drink and Draw au célèbre Hôtel Castell; et même après le repas, il était difficile pour chacun de s’arrêter de dessiner. Ce n’est pas étonnant: Zuoz offre de nombreux sujets passionnants, ses maisons pittoresques et ses paysages de montagne. Dix instructeurs ont offert une large variété de cours de diverses techniques, des marqueurs à l’acrylique à l’aquarelle, des feutres à pointe fine aux stylos plume, ou même de l’iPad; il y en avait pour tous les goûts. Cette variété a été très appréciée des participants. Nous étions ravis que Jenny Adams, d’Allemagne, Lis Watkins et Phil Dean, du Royaume-Uni, aient pu prendre part à ce symposium. Ils ont complété parfaitement l’équipe locale d’instructeurs. Tous les ateliers se sont tenus en allemand ou en anglais, notre symposium accueillant des participants venant de plusieurs zones linguistiques de Suisse. Ce qui a commencé avec autant de questions a fini par être une belle expérience NOVEMBER 2020 29
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DRINK AND DRAW SKETCH BY OLIVIA ALOISI 30 DRAWING ATTENTION
USk Switzerland
et nous a laissé beaucoup de bons souvenirs, et autant de dessins. Et une dernière question a eu aussi sa réponse: où le prochain Symposium Suisse 2021 aura lieu? Ce sera: Bern.
CHESA POULT BY KRYSTYNA DISLICH
SE CONNECTAR AVEC USK SUISSE
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ZUOZ DOPPELSTOCK BY ANDRÉ SANDMANN
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USk Switzerland
ZUOZ SKETCH BY PHIL DEAN
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Welcome, USk Terres de l’Ebre, Spain FOUNDED BY MARÇAL JIMÉNEZ, MERITXELL ALGUERÓ, AND JANET HALL, URBAN SKETCHERS TERRES DE L’EBRE IS A SMALL GROUP LOCATED IN A HIDDEN CORNER OF THIS WORLD, THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE EBRE RIVER IN THE SOUTHWEST OF CATALONIA, SPAIN. BY CATHY GUTTERMAN
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ounded by Marçal Jiménez, Meritxell Algueró, and Janet Hall, Urban Sketchers Terres de l’Ebre is a small group located in a hidden corner of this world, the southern part of the Ebre River in the southwest of Catalonia, Spain. Since its inception, they have received a huge amount of support from sketchers their area. The enthusiasm has truly amazed Marçal and his team. Marçal’s contact with Urban Sketchers started in 2017. He was looking for a way to bond with his only nephew. Since they both love 34 DRAWING ATTENTION
drawing, it was something they could share. Marçal’s partner is from Les Terres de l’Ebre and he visits the area frequently. Everything began as a little joke between Marçal and his friend Meritxell, but in early 2019, they decided to organize a drawing group together with Janet Hall. They wanted their sketchbooks to reflect the architecture, cultural costumes, and the people from a usually unknown area in Catalonia, but with a relevant past and present. Don’t forget the natural parks – in Les Terres de l’Ebre there is the Parque Nacional del Delta de l’Ebre, UNESCO’s Biosphere Reserve, and the Parc Natural dels Ports. Their intention was to reach all the local towns and villages and to proclaim this beautiful region through their sketchbooks. It took a little over six months for USk Terres de l’Ebre to be approved
as an official USk chapter. Since the creation of their group, they have had a steady monthly program which has helped them to increase the number of regular sketchers. They applied to be an official chapter after being in existence for only six months. Meritxell took charge of the process, with help and encouragement from Javier Mas Pinturas, the USk Regional contact for Spain. Since English is Meritxell’s and Marçal‘s third language, the most challenging aspect of the approval process was having to use English during the process. They also had Janet’s priceless help to keep them going. During the pandemic, while sketching en plein air has been difficult, the group proposed monthly sketching challenges, such as drawing typical regional foods, without limiting the number of drawings each sketcher
USk Terres de l’Ebre
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USk Terres de l’Ebre
could submit. They have been quite active in sharing their pandemic activities with other nearby groups and USk Terres de I’Elbre has taken great care to build permanent bonds of cooperation with these groups. They also communicate using Whatsapp, which allows them to keep in touch and maintain a sense of togetherness among their sketchers.
JANET, MER
IT XELL & M
ARÇAL
CONNECT WITH USK TERRES DE L’EBRE
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For prospective groups wanting to become an official USk Regional Chapter, Marçal suggests the following: Don’t hesitate to do it! Marçal finds that being an official USk Chapter offers many benefits: recognition, events organization, workshops, being featured in the monthly Drawing Attention zine, etc...
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Bienvenidos al USk Terres de l’Ebre POR CATHY GUTTERMAN (TRANSLATION BY JAVIER MAS PINTURAS)
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undado por Marçal Jiménez, Meritxell Algueró y Janet Hall, Urban Sketchers Terres de l’Ebre es un pequeño grupo ubicado en un rincón escondido de este mundo, la parte sur del río Ebro en el suroeste de Cataluña. Desde sus inicios, han recibido un gran apoyo de los dibujantes de su área, cuyo entusiasmo realmente ha asombrado a Marçal y su equipo. El contacto de Marçal con Urban Sketchers comenzó en 2017. Estaba buscando una forma de vincularse con su único sobrino. Como a ambos les encanta dibujar, era algo que podían compartir. La pareja de Marçal es de Les Terres de l’Ebre y visita la zona con frecuencia. Todo empezó como una pequeña broma entre Marçal y su amiga Meritxell, pero a principios de 2019 decidieron organizar un grupo de dibujo, junto con Janet Hall. Querían que sus cuadernos reflejaran la arquitectura, los trajes culturales y la gente de una zona habitualmente desconocida en Cataluña, pero con un pasado y un presente relevantes. Sin olvidar los parques naturales, en Les Terres de l’Ebre se encuentra el Parque Nacional del Delta de l’Ebre, Reserva de la Biosfera de la UNESCO, y el Parc Natural dels Ports. Su intención era llegar a todos los pueblos y aldeas locales y proclamar esta hermosa región a través de sus cuadernos. El reconocimiento de USk Terres de l’Ebre como grupo oficial Urban Sketchers tardó relativamente poco tiempo:
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un poco más de seis meses. Desde la creación de su grupo, han tenido un programa mensual constante que les ha ayudado a aumentar el número de dibujantes regulares. Solicitaron ser un grupo oficial Urban Sketchers a los seis meses de su existencia. Meritxell se hizo cargo del proceso, con la ayuda y el apoyo de Javier Mas Pinturas, contacto regional de USk para España. Dado que el inglés es el tercer idioma de Meritxell y Marçal, el aspecto más desafiante del proceso de aprobación fue tener que usar el inglés durante el mismo. También contaron con la invaluable ayuda de Janet para seguir adelante. Durante la pandemia, si bien dibujar al aire libre fue algo difícil, el grupo propuso desafíos de dibujos mensuales, como dibujar productos alimenticios típicos de Les Terres de l’Ebre, sin limitar el número de dibujos que cada dibujante podía presentar. El grupo ha sido bastante activo al compartir sus actividades durante la pandemia con otros grupos cercanos. USk Terres de I’Elbre ha puesto sumo cuidado y perseverancia en construir lazos permanentes de cooperación con estos grupos cercanos. También tienen un grupo de Whatsapp, donde se comunican fácilmente. También les permite mantenerse en contacto y mantener la unión entre sus dibujantes. CONECTAR CON USK TERRES DE L’EBRE
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Sketcher Spotlight
El poder terapéutico del dibujo urbano en tiempos de pandemia POR ROSARIO MUÑOZ (USK CHILE)
PUNTA ARENAS, CHILE BY CELESTE RUIZ DE GAMBOA 40 DRAWING ATTENTION
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l dibujo nos hace felices y nos relaja; pero por qué, ¿cuál es ese proceso hermoso que nos trae de vuelta al cuaderno una y otra vez, incluso si estamos pasando tiempos difíciles como la pandemia? Queremos descubrir a través de las palabras de cuatro dibujantes, que nos cuentan su experiencia y lo que sienten al enfrentarse a un momento de dibujo en el aislamiento. CELESTE RUIZ DE GAMBOA, CHILE Cuando se trata del dibujo miles de vivencias me dan vuelta. Amo las mañanas de domingo en las que caras y voces desconocidas milagrosamente confluyen en mi ipad, todos respondiendo al deseo de disfrutar el proceso de pintar. Brotan los recuerdos y las emociones, revivo instantes... y pinto con ganas, con entusiasmo, con pasión. No importa el resultado: estos dichosos momentos son sólo míos y mis acuarelas también. Y sigo en mi casa, saliendo lo menos posible y esperando el mensaje de los dibujantes, los benditos sketchers, convocándonos a otro mágico encuentro. CONECTAR CON CELESTE
IVAN REYES, MÉXICO Dibujar es un acto de introspección. Nos ayuda a liberar nuestra mente y muchas veces es un proceso intuitivo entre el lápiz o pincel, y la mano. También es un sistema de defensa ante las adversidades de la vida real. Si bien durante la pandemia deseamos volver a dibujar a las calles, también observamos las escenas cotidianas desde el confinamiento y se vuelven nuestra “nueva realidad”, esa que un dibujo también puede plasmar en nuestros sketchbooks.
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CLAUDIO RUIZ, CHILE El dibujo me sirve para imaginar que estoy pintando afuera, me transporta. El dibujo ayuda a recordar que existimos para vivir. JORGE VILLARREAL, MÉXICO Dibujar es un acto de expresión, es por ello que al enfrentar momentos complicados de nuestras vidas, el arte sobresale en todas sus presentaciones. En el caso particular del dibujo in situ resulta valioso para encontrarnos con nuestro entorno, observarlo y vivirlo. Años adelante veremos nuestros dibujos y nos daremos cuenta de los cambios que enfrentó esa plaza, avenida, edificio o mercado. Nos veremos a nosotros mismos, nuestras emociones, dolores o preocupaciones como un momento específico del espacio que habitamos. En el caso de Urban Sketchers lo más disfrutable de participar en el grupo es pertenecer a una comunidad y comunicar nuestras perspectivas de la ciudad.
42 DRAWING ATTENTION
CONECTAR CON CLAUDIO
CLAUDIO RUIZ
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Sketcher Spotlight
Magic with Dirt & Substrate BY JANE WINGFIELD
D
ubbed the “SideShow Picasso” in a 2009 documentary, Marie Roberts of Brooklyn, New York, has been painting the bright and colorful sideshow posters of Coney Island for many years. The moniker is well deserved. She has lived near the permanent carnival most of her life. Her uncle was a carnival barker and her family hosted many of the sideshow performers at times. “My family spoke carney, and I ran away from their sideshow traditions to become a painter.” As a painter, Marie sketches all the time. “Taking a clue from Henri Rousseau who traveled to exotic places within the confines of Paris, I spent a year drawing animals at the Bronx Zoo.” She spent some time drawing at Ground Zero after the 9/11 attacks on New York City, capturing some of the chaos of the aftermath. Once when she was drawing at the 2011 Occupy Wall Street Protest in the financial district of Manhattan, an urban sketcher saw her and suggested she join the New York City group on one of their outings. She’s been joining regularly ever since. Recently, however, her Instagram account sports a new character. Frances, the cat, exhibits her contortions in Marie’s apartment on a daily basis. She is a real cat. A rescue cat, as a matter of fact. A friend found her in a pile of rubbish when she was all but gone and blinded from wounds. Marie brought her back to life and Frances has repaid Marie with endless inspiration. Recently, Marie has used the cat’s antics to encourage people to enact their civic duty by adding “vote” to her drawings. Animals can be a source of inspiration for urban sketchers in many settings. “I continually visit NYC zoos and the aquarium to draw the creatures. For me, I usually don’t “get” much on the first try, but I return over time to draw and eventually it all begins to make visual sense.” Marie loves to draw animals in their habitats, whether it’s the Bronx Zoo, Central Park Zoo, a riding stable, a farm in southern Scotland, or her own home.
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Marie Roberts
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Sketcher Spotlight
MARIE’S TIPS: PEOPLE THINK DRAWING JUST COMES NATURALLY BUT IT DOESN’T. REPETITION IS THE KEY. KEEP DOING IT OVER AND OVER. EXPLORE DIFFERENT MEDIUMS. PARTICULARLY BROAD MEDIA – FAT MARKERS, FOR EXAMPLE – THEY ARE VERY USEFUL IN GETTING PEOPLE TO LOOSEN UP. USE CONTRAST TO GET YOUR SUBJECT TO STAND OUT.
“Animals, like musicians, move, but they always go back and do the same thing. They have a certain range of things they do. If you observe long enough, animals will repeat their activity, and you can catch the image. Also, if you study the skeletal structure, you understand what’s going on on the surface. A lot of us look at surfaces, but I’m sort of a big one for drawing from the inside out.” 46 DRAWING ATTENTION
The other advice Marie always tells students is to “keep doing it over and over. People think [drawing] just comes naturally. But it doesn’t.” Repetition is the key. She also advises to explore different mediums. “Drawing is magic! All it is is dirt and a substrate. And you can make magic. So explore all the varieties you can, particularly broad media – fat markers,
Marie Roberts
for example.” They are very useful in getting people to loosen up. Use contrast to get your subject to stand out. “Drawing is like a jigsaw puzzle. You have a flat surface and you have to piece together shapes, values, textures. Experiment how it all works together.” NOVEMBER 2020 47
Holiday Booklist 2020
2020 HOLIDAY BOOK LIST
LOOKING FOR A SPECIAL GIFT FOR AN URBAN SKETCHER THIS HOLIDAY SEASON? HERE IS A SELECTION OF BOOKS ON URBAN SKETCHING TOPICS THAT WERE PUBLISHED THIS YEAR. HAVE A FAVORITE FROM THIS YEAR THAT ISN’T INCLUDED? EMAIL US AT DRAWING ATTENTION@ URBANSKETCHERS.ORG AND WE’LL INCLUDE IT IN NEXT MONTH’S LIST!
THE COMPLETE URBAN THE ADDICTIVE SKETCHING COMPANION SKETCHER BY SHARI BLAUKOPF, STEPHANIE BY ADEBANJI ALADE BOWER & GABRIEL CAMPANARIO
URBAN DRAWING BY PHIL DEAN
DRAWING WITH A TABLET BY UMA KELKAR
URBAN SKETCHING – AN ARTIST’S GUIDE BY ISABEL CARMONA ANDREU
COSTA ESMERALDA BY LAPIN
DRAWING EXPRESSIVE PEOPLE BY RÓISÍN CURÉ
TECHNIQUES FOR BEGINNERS BY SUHITA SHIRODKAR
Holiday Booklist 2020
À la recherche d’un cadeau particulier pour un Urban Sketcher pour les fêtes de fin d’année? Voici une sélection de livres sur l’urban sketching qui ont été publiés cette année. Vous avez une suggestion de parution cette année qui n’y est pas inclue? Envoyez-nous un e-mail à drawingattention@urbansketchers.org et nous l’ajouterons dans la sélection du mois prochain!
CAPTURER L’ÂME 28M2- CARNET DE D’UN LIEU PAR LA CONFINEMENT FORME ET LA COULEUR PAR MAT LET À L’AQUARELLE PAR MARION RIVOLIER
Estás buscando un regalo especial para un urban sketcher en estas fiestas? Aquí hay una selección de los libros sobre urban sketching que se publicaron este año. Si tienes uno favorito que no está incluido en esta lista, escríbenos al mail drawingattention@urbansketchers. org y lo incluiremos en la lista del próximo mes!
RIBERA SACRA EN ACUARELAS POR EDUARDO BAAMONDE
VENECIA: ACUARELAS DE VIAJE IRÁN: CUADERNO DE VIAJE CON ACUARELAS AUSTRALIA ACUARELAS DE VIAJE SEGOVIA: CUADERNO DE VIAJE POR JOAQUÍN GONZÁLEZ DORAO 101 CONSEILS POUR RÉUSSIR SES |CROQUIS PAR STEPHANIE BOWER
DIARIO DIBUJADO DE UN CONFINAMIENTO POR RAÚL DEAMO
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Endnotes
50 DRAWING ATTENTION
LAST DAY TO SUBMIT A PROPOSAL IS NOVEMBER 15, 2020
Review
PARKA REVIEWS BY TEOH YI CHIE
Teoh Yi Chie is an infographics journalist who joined Urban Sketchers Singapore in 2009. He’s probably better known as Parka from Parkablogs.com, a website that reviews art books and art products. This month Parka video reviews Strathmore Watercolour Travel Journal with 100% Cotton Paper. Check it out!
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Our Manifesto • We draw on location, indoors or out, capturing what we see from direct observation • Our drawings tell the story of our surroundings, the places we live and where we travel • Our drawings are a record of time and place • We are truthful to the scenes we witness • We use any kind of media and cherish our individual styles • We support each other and draw together • We share our drawings online • We show the world, one drawing at a time.
© 2020 Urban Sketchers www.urbansketchers.org