COLUMN: Have Pencil, Will Draw
join the local Urban Sketchers group to get in on the fun
illustrated by Patricia Hawkenson |
Dig in your junk drawer, purse, or car glove compartment, and there’s probably a pencil within arm’s reach. Grab that and any scrap of paper, napkin, or notebook, and you’re good to go. That’s the beauty of sketching. But what to draw? More good news! It’s all around you, and a local group of sketchers is ready to help.
Inspired by Urban Sketchers (USk) Twin Cities, local sketcher Chiemi Freund was encouraged to start up an USk group closer to home. After creating a Facebook group page and sketch events to promote the joy of urban sketching, the group started growing. In Fall of 2022, it became an official regional chapter: USk Chippewa Valley. In recent years, Julie Majkowski, Drew Williams, Kathy Schmiedeskamp, and Des Sikowski-Nelson got on board as co-administrators.
“We now have over 300 members on our Facebook page. I strongly encourage folks to join us and sketch to truly understand why we enjoy urban sketching," Chiemi said.
Urban Sketchers is a global community of on-location sketching enthusiasts with about 500 official chapters around the world run by volunteers. Don’t let the word “urban” throw you off – urban sketching doesn’t have to take place in a city. All Urban Sketchers follow the same manifesto which includes:
- We draw on location, indoors or out, capturing what we see from direct observation.
- We use any kind of media and cherish our individual styles.
- We share our drawings online.
- We show the world, one drawing at a time.
Some of their recent sketch meet-up locations have included Market on River in Chippewa Falls, the Mabel Tainter in Menomonie, the Heyde Center for the Arts, the Chippewa Falls Museum of Technology, Phoenix Coffee & Bloomer Brewing Co. in Eau Claire, and the Pablo Center at the Confluence, to name a few.
“Joining this group forced me out of my comfort zone to meet new ‘like-minded’ people and to just look around for something that I normally wouldn’t draw. I love diverse people, different drawing styles, different mediums and techniques everyone uses and interpretations of what each person sees," Des said. "It’s a fantastic group of people, but I also like the crossovers between other local art groups like the Beaver Creek Watercolor Club.”
“I find Urban Sketching to be very ‘zen,’ ” Kathy added. "Being in the moment, focusing on the subject in front of you, is really relaxing.”
Artists pack light. A sketch pad and a pencil case filled with a variety of pencils, pens, erasers, and perhaps a small watercolor set, are all they need to capture images of the world around them. Most sketchers are happy to share information about what sketching techniques or supplies they are using, so if you stumble upon a sketcher out and about, don’t be afraid to join them. Borrow a pencil and start sketching!
Check out their Facebook page to see where they are sketching next. Join the fun of having art experiences in various locations around the Chippewa Valley.
“Behind the Easel” is a periodic column by Patricia Hawkenson, a visual artist and one of the proprietors of Decadent Gifts & Gallery in Eau Claire.
