Drawing Attention DEC 2025 by Drawing Attention

Attention DRAWING

SKETCHING IN BAHRAIN, CORSICA

HAARLEM, LANZAROTE

MONTRÉAL, FRANCE

PHUKET

TORONTO

The official zine of Urban Sketchers DEC 2025

Drawing Attention Mandate

Drawing Attention, the official zine of the Urban Sketchers organization, communicates and promotes official USk workshops, symposiums, sketchwalks, news and events; shares news about USk chapters; and educates readers about the practice of on-location sketching.

Thanks to this month’s contributors:

Content P ubliC ation team: Anne Taylor, Suhita Shirodkar, Chiara Gomiselli, Tim Rutherford

mailChimP layout: Chiara Gomiselli

i ssuu layout: Anne Taylor

Writers & Contributors: Parka, Suhita

Shirodkar, Tim Rutherford

Proofreaders: Leigh Ferst, Tim Rutherford, Maria Regina Tuazon

Cover image: Olivia Marcus

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CirCulation: 14k+ r eadershiP: 16k+

Web: urbansketchers.org

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.

Kia ora, hello, everyone!

When former USk Communications Dirtector Brenda Murray suggested I design an online zine for www.urbansketchers. org back in 2017, I told her: “That would be my dream job!” It’s true; I’ve found it endlessly inspiring to work with news, stories and sketches from around the world.

The DA team do feel like friends, even though I’ve only met a couple of them in person. It’s been wonderful to follow their work through social media and I’m sure we will get the chance to meet up sometime, somewhere. That just seems to be the nature of this organization!

This was the vision of Gabi Campanario when he founded urbansketchers.org all those years ago: that we could grow and sustain connections with other sketchers worldwide, so that we feel part of a global family. In fact, this is the theme of a new DA feature: My Global Family. Please get in touch with your stories about memorable urban sketching connections you’ve made.

You might think there’s not too much in common between Lanzarote , Montréal and Phuket , but they all have USk Chapters, and they have

been busy. We get a glimpse into life in sweltering Bahrain, from sketchers there, and welcome new Chapters. We also have contributions from Anne Rose Oosterbaan and Olivia Marcus, who work hard to break down their process into simple steps for us.

This is the last issue that I will be working on before handing over to experienced publisher Tim Rutherford, an urban sketcher based in North Carolina. I’d like to thank the fun and hard-working editorial team — Chiara, Suhita and Communications Director Maria Regina Tuazon —our writers, contributors, and proofreaders who do a great job each issue, and who I know will support Tim well in this new role. Thanks too to Brenda, Patricia Wong, and Jane Wingfield who worked on DA back in the “early days.”

Remember, we always appreciate hearing about your urban sketching experiences, so do get in touch with the team. Wishing you inspiring urban sketching!

Anne Taylor (NZ), Managing Editor E: drawingattention@urbansketchers.org

Ronaldo Kurita President

AN END OF YEAR THANK YOU

As we reach the end of the year, it’s that special time to close cycles, reflect, and celebrate everything we’ve accomplished in 2025. This was my first term as President, and it has truly been a year of learning and growth. I feel more connected than ever to our global community, and I look forward to strengthening those connections even more in the coming year.

This was a year filled with inspiring moments to hold on to. From our amazing Symposium in Poznań to the many successful Regional Events supported by the Regional Event Grants program. The Reportage Grant projects once again brought us powerful,

meaningful, and beautifully documented stories from around the world. We also reached an incredible milestone: over 500 official Urban Sketchers chapters worldwide! What an achievement for our community.

We say goodbye and extend a heartfelt thank you to Eric Ngan, our Events Director, who will be leaving at the end of this year. We’ve shared many enriching discussions about the future of our organization, learned from each other, and built lasting friendships. Eric will be missed. We will announce and warmly welcome the new Events Director on January 1st.

This edition also marks a transition for Drawing Attention: after seven years, Anne Taylor is stepping down as Editor. Anne has been the driving force behind the publication’s current format, curating inspiring stories, coordinating contributors, and designing each edition with passion and care. Her dedication leaves a remarkable legacy now entrusted to Tim Rutherford, a seasoned publisher and avid sketcher.

As we move forward, we’ll continue working with our amazing team of volunteers and focus on creating an unforgettable Symposium in Toulouse 2026. Merci Toulouse team! Finally,

I invite everyone to join our Giving Tuesday “Fill the Palette” fundraising campaign. Help us fill the palette! Each pan represents a step toward funding our programs, including the Reportage Grant, Regional Events Grants, and more. Every contribution, no matter the size, helps keep our community vibrant and creative. Visit www.urbansketchers.org/donate for more details.

Wishing you all a joyful holiday season and happy sketching!

Ronaldo Kurita President, Urban Sketchers

Mary Jo Ernst Fundraising Director

HOW TO DONATE

Go to urbansketchers.org / donate to access these payment methods:

• check out how to use RMD funds from your retirement fund here

• use the main PayPal link

• choose recurring monthly donations

• access Venmo

• mail a check to Urban Sketchers, 248 3rd Street Box 428, Oakland, CA 94607

• access the link to the Facebook Usk Giving Tuesday fundraiser event page

LAST YEAR, OUR URBAN SKETCHERS “GIVING TUESDAY CAMPAIGN” WAS A RESOUNDING SUCCESS! LET’S KEEP THAT CREATIVE MOMENTUM GOING WITH OUR 2025 “FILL THE PALETTE” FUNDRAISER, RUNNING DECEMBER 2–31.

When you donate to Urban Sketchers, you help advance our mission to see the world, one drawing at a time. Your generosity supports vital resources for local chapters — including nonprofit status letters, legal documents, and insurance for group activities. Your contributions also fund organizational operations, global and regional events that inspire and unite sketchers worldwide, educational programs, and scholarships that nurture emerging artists.

As one of the largest non-profit art groups in the world, Urban Sketchers continues to grow rapidly, connecting people through creativity, community, and shared artistic passion. Every gift helps sustain the creativity, connection, and outreach that make Urban Sketchers truly unique. Thank you for being part of our global art community.

Our goal: $10,000. Together, let’s FILL THE PALETTE!

So many options to support Urban Sketchers!

Tim Rutherford DA Editor, Designer

We are pleased to welcome Tim Rutherford who will be taking over thhe design and editing of Drawing Attention from Anne Taylor, from the March 2026 issue.

Tim is a former journalist and photojournalist covering a broad range of topics, including editing and designing a monthly magazine about art and antiques. He pivoted to focus on food and wine writing during the last 10 years of his publishing career.

Today, he maintains a client list for whom he creates wine education and marketing materials. He also works as a wine events host and educator at Biltmore Winery, a part of the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina. He and his wife, TJ, a psychotherapist, live in the mountains of Western North Carolina. He is an active member of USk Asheville.

Bobby Graham is self-styled “slow art advocate” and award-winning artist from Canberra, Australia who has published an eBook, North Vietnam, the Noble: 10 Days in 20 Sketches. The book captures a 10-day journey among the Hmong people and the bustling streets of Hanoi.

Bobby uses innovative storytelling here, including embedded videos and pop-up details giving cultural insights and behindthe-scenes anecdotes. They also give travel and sketching tips to inspire your own creative exploration.

SUIKERRUI, ANTWERP

ANNE ROSE OOSTERBAAN SHARES HER PERSONAL SKETCHING JOURNEY WITH SUHITA SHIRODKAR ON PAGE 34

sketcher spotlight

with

‘Palabras al Vuelo’ USk Lanzarote Autumn (Northern Hemisphere) 2025

Every autumn, the Spanish island of Lanzarote – off the northwest coast of Africa — comes alive with Palabras al Vuelo, an enchanting oral storytelling festival that draws narrators and listeners from across Spain and beyond. Voices fill the air with tales, myths, and memories — and among them, another kind of storytelling quietly unfolds: the visual stories captured by Urban Sketchers Lanzarote.

The festival’s director, Cristina Temprano, is one of the sketchers and thanks to her, USk Lanzarote has become part of this beautiful celebration of imagination and culture. While words take flight through stories, pens and brushes trace their own narratives on paper, in situ, surrounded by Lanzarote’s dramatic volcanic landscapes.

We warmly invite you to join us next autumn on this magical island, where stories are spoken, sketched, and shared under the vast skies of Lanzarote.

Gabriela C Marrero, USk Lanzarote admim

LEFT: BÁRBARA MÜLLER @BMULLEART STORYTELLERS AND AUDIENCE DANCING

“When you spot photos of our drawings with our feet beside them, you’ll know we’ve been there— listening, sketching, and capturing the soul of each moment. Because stories aren’t only told with words; they can also be drawn.”

On the Motif:

Mariana & the Surroundings in 100 Drawings

A six-month event co-produced by USk Bastia and the Museum of the Archaeological Site of Mariana in Lucciana, Corsica | April 9 to September 21, 2025

Through exhibitions, workshops, live demos, and participative drawing spaces, this event celebrated the art of sketching on location.

Urban Sketchers Bastia presented 100 drawings capturing the Roman ruins, medieval echoes, museum architecture, and Marana-Golo landscapes using ink, watercolor, graphite, and digital tools. A large-scale video projection showcased their creative process, encouraging all levels to try. Visitors could draw on-site and contribute to a communal wall.

Highlights included flash guided tours, live sketching sessions, and a public conversation during European Heritage Days. The event bridged past and present through gesture and place, inviting everyone to experience the joy of drawing “sur le motif.”

Highlight box

USk BASTIA

World first:

Five Canadian USk Chapters meet up Hosted by USk Montréal

Over 70 sketchers | August 16th, 2025

What started out as a “Hey, I’m coming to your city, let’s sketch together” turned into a major event which attracted over 70 sketchers from USk chapters Waterloo Region, Toronto, Kingston, Ottawa and Montréal. This represented Sketchers from five of the 15 Canadian USk chapters. Some keen sketchers travelled 6+ hours to get there!

We met in the beautiful and historic Old Port of Montréal to sketch the boats, buildings, and people in this busy area on a gorgeous day. Then, of course, we enjoyed a throwdown and a Drink-and-Draw at a local brasserie. We hope to repeat our success!

Asia-Link Sketchwalk Phuket 2025

14–17 August 2025

Food • Art • Town • Sustainability (FATS)

Hosted by Phuket Sketchers Group, Bangkok Sketchers Group

Urban Sketchers Thailand

The Asia-Link Sketchwalk Phuket 2025 was the 7th edition of the regional Asia-Link series, the event brought together more than 800 sketchers from 26 countries in Asia and the Pacific region to celebrate the spirit of on-location sketching through the theme “Food • Art • Town • Sustainability (FATS).”

Over four inspiring days, participants explored Phuket’s Old Town, seaside, and ship yard through sketchwalks, live demos, and exhibitions. The main venue, Phuket Merlin Hotel, became a lively hub for demo , the “I-See-You Sketchbook” exchange tables, “Sketch Clinic” by 11 master sketchers, and the “Chang Market,” where artists shared local art and merchandise.

Highlights included 12 international demo artists, and a heartfelt Legend Award honoring long-time contributors to the regional sketching community. The event fostered friendship, creativity, and cultural understanding truly capturing the essence of sketching “from Phuket with love.”

PHUKET OLD TOWN MAP

SEASIDE SKETCHWALK NIGHT SHARE TALK SESSION

LEFT: OLD TOWN SKETCH WALK BELOW: THE SCENE SKETCHED BY TIA BOON SIM, SINGAPORE

Incheon’s sketching passport goes global

A world traveller’s passport is a quick trip down memory lane –chronicling journeys and recalling fond memories. USk Passports, initially designed by a sketcher from USk Incheon, do the same while building bonds among our global community.

Yunkyung Choi (Ggangnyang), of USk Incheon, says she got the idea when the COVID-19 pandemic limited travel. “Even if we stay here, let’s experience traveling through urban sketching,” she said. This led to the creation of the first Urban Sketchers Incheon Passport in September 2020. The passport was designed to closely resemble an actual passport, including its cover and inner pages. During outdoor meetings with masks on, stamping the chapter passport, became an especially meaningful ritual.

The small batch sold out quickly. In October 2021, a new version was sold as merchandise at the Gyeongju Urban Sketch Festival. The following year, the USk Passport was presented for introduction at the upcoming Buenos Aires symposium. Youngseok Oh (Young), of USk Jeonju and Sponsorship Coordinator joined the project to produce a global version for the Buenos Aires Symposium. “I handled translation, production in Korea, and shipping,” says Young. A shipping problem caused the passports to go missing in transit but Poznan attendees were enthusiastic to use the passports to collect chapter and sketcher stamps from around the world.

“It is incredibly rewarding to see this Incheon-initiated idea bring joy to urban sketchers worldwide,” says Ggangnyang. “We hope it fosters exchange between cities, and that passport holders will one day visit Incheon to participate in sketch walks and collect chapter stamps.”

USk INCHEON

Lines of the City: Urban Sketches of Toronto

USk Toronto Exhibition at 401 Richmond Building, Toronto

August 5 to September 27, 2025 | 48 sketchers

Forty-eight of our fellow Toronto urban sketchers exhibited their artwork at the historic 401 Richmond building in downtown Toronto. The exhibit reflected the diversity of the city, and showcased a range of styles, mediums and generations of artists, the youngest exhibitor being 10 years old!

Working with the gallery and local printers, the team put together an exhibit that garnered a lot of interest not only with the artists and their friends and family, but also with the community. All the coordination and efforts culminated in a lively opening night reception, as well as the production of a printed catalogue for those that wish to purchase it.

This was a great experience in scaling up from the past exhibits, as our chapter continues to grow in membership.

USk TORONTO

EXPLORE OUR GLOBAL SKETCHBOOK

Cho Jung (초) is an overseas marketer and enthusiastic urban sketcher based in South Korea with Urban sketchers Cheonan.

Cho Jung made their own panorama sketchbook and filled it over the week in New York while attending a trade show.

See more of Cho Jung’s work , and sketches from around the world in the USk Global Sketchbook.

KEEP UP TO DATE WITH USk EVENTS

CHO JUNG

featured chapter

USk Bahrain: A place in the sun

THE ISLAND NATION OF BAHRAIN HAS DEVELOPED INTO A BUSTLING COUNTRY OF 1.5 MILLION PEOPLE AND IS NOW HOME TO ONE OF USK’S NEWEST CHAPTERS. THE BAHRAIN NATIONAL MUSEUM IS THEIR REFUGE OF CHOICE WHEN IT GETS TOO HOT OUTSIDE. BY SCOTT WILSON

Bahrain has been a trading centre since the Bronze Age, and its rich history and culture now includes modern architecture and commerce, giving USk Bahrain a vibrant urbanscape to sketch.

Ahmed Alshkoori, Sadeq Al Shehabi, and Zahra Aria are the admins of this active group of around 60 sketchers. They gather in what is often a challenging environment. For much of the year, Bahrain is hot and humid. The surrounding Persian Gulf and Gulf of Bahrain cause high humidity, so they favour shady indoor venues.

The group has a special arrangement with the Culture and Antiquities Authority to regularly access the air-conditioned Bahrain National Museum. The location is cool in more ways than one: its detailed exhibits chronicle a series of themes like

“Every stroke on paper keeps the soul of Bahrain’s heritage alive.”

Ahmed Alshkoori

Echoes of the Ancients, Living along the Trade Route, Day in the life of a Bahraini, and Hands of Heritage.

Ahmed jokingly dispels any images of fantastical desert mages: “Keep in mind we don’t ride camels anymore or live in tents!”

The group ventures into the Manama Souq — the capital city’s 99-year-old bazaar — for sweets, spices, fabrics, jewelry, and crafts. Other popular sketching locations include the Bahrain Fort, UNESCO World Heritage Pearling Path, Al Fateh Grand Mosque, Prince Khalifa Bin Salman Park, and the old historical capital of Muharraq.

Ahmed is especially attracted to the shapes of the old wind towers in houses, the traditional architecture, handsome wooden doors in the villages, and the colourful, eye-catching patterns of local crafts.

BAHRAIN Urban Sketchers

The USk Bahrain logo features the distinctive white and red Bahraini flag, separated by five triangles in the form of a zigzag pattern. The five white triangles symbolise the five pillars of Islam.

Historically Bahrain has links with the Greeks, Portuguese and British amongst others, and is located at the crossroads of the Middle East. Bahrain is linked to Saudi Arabia via the amazing 25km King Fahad Causeway that spans long stretches of sea and reclaimed land. Summers are becoming increasingly hot and 40 degrees celcius is not uncommon. The seas around the island of Bahrain are shallow, which results in high humidity.

FREDDY FERNANDES

The sketchers, particularly those with an architectural background, have a close affiliation with the Bahrain Society of Engineers. The mix of sketchers is diverse, including both locals and expats, students, engineers, physicians, businesspeople, and homemakers. The co-founders believe the Chapter enables shy beginners to gain confidence with the encouragement of experienced sketchers, helping overcome the fear of sketching in public. Ahmed sees the group as an important link to preserving the nation’s historic identity. featured chapter

ART DE CAFE – NIJU JOY

AL A’ALI MALL – DR V. A. SUNILA

ABOVE: HALL OF CRAFTS – SUDEEP DESHPANDE

RIGHT: HALL OF DILMUN – DR. SHREYA GANDHI SURANA

Visting Bahrain? The country is welcoming, friendly, and safe. Don’t be surprised by a local sketcher greeting you with, “Shlonik?” (How are you?)

sketcher spotlight

From Haarlem to China and Beyond

ANNE ROSE OOSTERBAAN SHARES HER PERSONAL SKETCHING JOURNEY WITH SUHITA SHIRODKAR

I’ve always loved to draw, but something significant changed starting in 2013, when I traveled through China with a singular purpose of sketching. There I was, sitting in the streets, painting washes of color, then adding details with a pen. I learnt to deal with unpredictability, to experiment, and to have patience. People would stop to watch, curious that I was so interested in observing their world. Out of those moments grew a way of working that felt truly mine.

Back home in Haarlem, in the Netherlands, I no longer felt shy about drawing in public. I now dared to draw anywhere. Soon, a small circle of sketchers gathered to join me. In 2016, I discovered Urban Sketchers, joined the community, and renamed my local group Haarlem Urban Sketchers. As it grew, we organized special sketch days, workshops, and collaborative events with groups from other cities. Sketching together proved endlessly inspiring — a way to meet new people and rediscover places.

In 2017, I had the honor of designing the identity for the 10th Symposium in Amsterdam, I created a hand-drawn logo that reflected the city’s energy, and invented a mascot: Adam the Heron. Stubborn, cheeky, and a little rebellious — very much in the spirit of Amsterdam. Adam came to life in many animations and logos. At the end of the Symposium in Porto (2018), my animation revealed Amsterdam as the next host city, and as the room erupted in cheers, I felt a wave of pride in seeing my work carry such excitement. At the Amsterdam Symposium (2019), I conducted a workshop based on my approach called Color First.

Today, sketching events are thriving across Europe: gatherings in France and Germany attract more than 800 participants. New initiatives keep springing up, and time and again, I’m reminded of what makes Urban Sketchers so unique: the joy of sketching together. For me, it has never been about creating perfect results. It’s all about the memories held in each drawing: the scent of a market, the murmur of voices, the

unexpected encounter. Sometimes I recognize the line of someone sketching beside me, even if we’ve never met. It feels like coming home to a worldwide family.

Over the years, my drawing style has changed. These days I usually draw directly in pen — my trusted Black Forest fude fountain pen or a Rotring Calligraphy Art Pen, both filled with Rohrer & Klingner sketchINK. I skip the pencil sketch and just dive in, letting the drawing unfold. Often I add a few touches of watercolor, or use my Pentel mechanical pencil with its eight colors. I work on loose A4 sheets, light and practical. And if a sketch doesn’t work out, I simply turn the page and start again: that, too, is part of the process.

Today, I realize more than ever what a privilege it is to be part of this community. Creativity cannot be confined — we proved that together. And perhaps the greatest gift is not only the sketches we make, but the memories — and the friendships — that remain.

I’ve always been curious about inventive sketching solutions, and I was inspired to collect and share the many different ways sketchers approach a common problem. I created a series of blog posts for the Urban Sketchers Netherlands website.

Every blog felt like opening a small window onto the international community — a place brimming with generosity and creativity. Each post focused on a theme: sketching in the rain, drawing when you only have a few minutes, or capturing the colors of shadow. I searched worldwide for outstanding examples from the urban sketching community and highlighted what others could learn from them. Over time, I created 28 posts in this series, the last in April 2024, titled Drawing in the Dark.

Download the last episode of the English version here . On page 6 of this blog, you’ll find clickable links to 21 previous versions. The first two editions were only in Dutch, so you can download those as well.

ADAM, THE SYMPOSIUM MASCOT, AT WORK

MOUNTAIN IN WUYISHAN, CHINA

ABOVE: ANTWERP CENTRAL STATION

Anne Rose Oosterbaan

ANNE ROSE

SKETCHER DEMO

Make it POP —

Colorful, harmonious Sketching

OLIVIA MARCUS IS A FRENCH ILLUSTRATOR, INSTRUCTOR, AND URBAN SKETCHER BASED IN TOULOUSE. HER WORK EXPLORES COLOR, MOVEMENT, AND THE ENERGY OF EVERYDAY LIFE. SHE REGULARLY TEACHES WORKSHOPS AND SKETCHING CLASSES IN FRANCE AND ABROAD. BY SUHITA SHIRODKAR

Ilove working by layering colors because it helps me build unity throughout my sketch while still separating foreground and background elements. Composition also plays a key role: by carefully arranging the shapes and spaces, I can create depth and make each layer stand out without losing harmony.

OLIVIA’S MATERIALS

• HOT PRESS WATERCOLOR PAPER, 300 GSM

• ROHRER & KLINGNER “GOLD YELLOW” INK

• ROHRER & KLINGNER “INDIGO” INK (HIGHLY DILUTED)

• COLORED PENCILS (FABER-CASTELL POLYCHROMOS DERWENT CHROMAFLOW, CARAN D’ACHE LUMINANCE, PRISMACOLOR): TURQUOISE, WARM GREY-GREEN, COBALT, DARK INDIGO, WHITE, YELLOWOCHRE, RED, BEIGE, AND SKY BLUE.

• WHITE GOUACHE

Olivia Marcus

OLIVIA’S SCENE FOR THIS DEMO

STEP 1: The drawing

I start the sketch by outlining the boats in the foreground using a dark indigo pencil, and drawing everything else with a red pencil. I place a small group of elements (trash bins, a pole) in the foreground, just outside the frame, to add energy to the composition.

STEP 2: The yellow wash

I apply the yellow ink over the whole drawing, leaving a few areas like the boats, seagulls, and cars in reserve to preserve the whites and keep some brightness in the composition.

STEP 3: The blue wash

I layer a very diluted blue ink wash over the water. By overlapping it with the yellow, I achieve a deep green tone. I use the same diluted color to add shadows to the boats.

STEP 4: Adding colour & texture

I start working with the colored pencils to bring in color and texture. I begin with the water, using different shades of blue and green to create reflections and shadows. I also emphasize areas of strong contrast on the boats to make them more interesting.

STEP 5: Background Details With Colored Pencil

I continue with the colored pencils, now focusing on the background. I add details to the buildings, lighten some sunlit facades with white and beige pencils, color the road in dark grey, and use the same red pencil I used in Step 1 to draw the roof tiles. I also emphasize areas of strong contrast, like windows and shadows, with the dark indigo pencil.

STEP 6: The sky

I fill in the sky with a light blue, which helps the buildings stand out more clearly against the paper.

STEP 7: White gouache

I add spots of white gouache and it’s done !

OLIVIA MARCUS

Olivia Marcus

My global family: Kyoto/Osaka

IN THIS NEW DA FEATURE, WE SHARE HOW WE’VE MADE UNEXPECTED AND WONDERFUL CONNECTIONS WITH OTHER SKETCHERS AROUND THE WORLD.

BY ANNE TAYLOR , US k WELLINGTON, AOTEAROA NEW ZEALAND

Alone in Kyoto, April 2024. I can’t fault the chic, super clean, affordable hostel, but it’s not how I planned it. My friends are staying 3km away and I have to cook alone, masked up, then go back to my single room....because I got COVID right at the start of this holiday and I don’t want to infect my friends or anyone else. Five days in, I’m starting to feel a bit lonely.

Fast foward three or four days and I’m not infectious anymore and—wow!—I’ve got a sketching session planned, having reached out via Usk Tokyo’s Facebook page. Megumi and Momo are coming all the way from Osaka by train to meet me at the historic Chōho-ji Temple in central Kyoto, which they tell me is the birthplace of ikebana.

I’m late— a bad thing to be in Japan but partly due to COVID brain?—and hurry into the temple grounds. There they are, smiling warmly and holding sketchbooks; they must be my new friends from Osaka! Momo, Megumi, and her husband Andrew. We spend the next few hours drawing the wooden temple and unique details such as the little stone Buddhas with their crocheted hats. Then we go to Megumi’s favourite organic cafe for a buffet lunch. I reach for my sketchbook to record the food, beautifully set out in hand thrown ceramic bowls and dishes — then realise I’ve lost my sketchbook! In a flash, Megumi phones the temple visitor centre and translates what the priest is telling her: “Yes, there is a book here with pictures and English writing.” We plan to go back to pick it up after the meal and in the meantime I sketch on scraps of paper, which I can glue into my book later.

I thank them for the lovely time and promise to keep in touch, which we have since been doing by Instagram and the ‘old school’ postal service: letters, cards, art, and origami. They probably don’t realise how much I needed to see some friendly faces that day. Meeting Momo, Megumi and Andrew, and drawing together is a precious memory from my time in Japan. They’re part of my global family!

MEGUMI MOMO

SKETCH BY MEGUMI

GIFTS FROM MEGUMI

ASIA

WELCOME NEW CHAPTERS!

We are excited to announce 10 new chapters. Welcome to the global family of urban sketchers! JAVIER MAS PINTURAS

USk Jeonju, South Korea

USk Kanagawa, Japan

USk Baguio City, Philippines

EUROPE

USk Eindhoven, Netherlands

USk Schweinfurt, Germany

USk Braunschweig, Germany

USk Istres, France

USk La Rioja, Spain

NORTH AMERICA

USk Gainesville, FL, USA

OCEANIA

USk Ōtautahi Christchurch, New Zealand

US k BAGUIO CITY

US k EINDHOVEN

US k JEONJU

US k GAINESVILLE

US k RIOJA

US k KANAGAWA

US k OTAUTAHI CHRISTCHURCH

US k SCHWEINFURT

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 reviews the Hahnemuhle Watercolour Book with 100% cotton paper. Check it out!

SEE MORE REVIEWS

o ur 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.