When Sketching Becomes Meditative

If this was the first time or the hundredth time sketching in urban Honolulu, we are so glad to share our love of urban sketching with you. Art is amazingly meditative and when it’s at such a calming place like Kunawai Springs Urban Park, how can you not feel peace?

Thank you to a lovely group of O’ahu Urban Sketchers today. The weather was perfect for a nice shady day of sketching the fish, ducks, pigeons, or trees in this peaceful urban setting.

The intimate park kept us all in the same area which was nice. A lady walking in the park stopped to tell me thank you for sketching in the park this morning. She said it made being in the park feel special.

Thank you also for sharing your suggestions for sketching locations for 2026! Looking forward to a great year sketching!

SAVE THE DATE
We’ll be sketching at Honolulu Hale on Dec. 13. Hope you can join us for a merry time!

Happy sketching,
Terri

Do You Know of this Hidden Gem in the Middle of Honolulu?

Nestled in the heart of bustling Honolulu is a tranquil oasis, Kunawai Springs Urban Park. The park is an artist’s dream with natural greenery and peaceful water features. Perfect for us Urban Sketchers.

Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025
10 a.m. to Noon
Kunawai Springs Urban Park
645 Kunawai Lane

There is ample street parking. The park is heavily shaded. You may want to bring your own chair. If attending, please RSVP at uskoahu@gmail.com by Nov 21 so I know to expect you.

See you soon,
Terri

Sketching the Cuteness at PetWalk Proves to be Fun and Challenging

What a beautiful (and windy) day to be sketching outdoors in Waikiki.

Sketching at the Hawaiian Humane Society’s Annual PetWalk was entertaining and fun. So many cute four-legged friends and many were wearing the cutest costumes. If only, they stood still and posed for us sketchers. LOL.

Thank you Urban Sketchers O’ahu for coming out and sharing your sketches. It’s always an inspiration to sketch as a group. We learn a lot from each other.

We’re looking at Nov. 8 or 22 for our next gathering. Will post info soon.

Until then, happy sketching,
Terri

Ready to Sketch Cuteness at the PetWalk?

Sharpen your pencils Urban Sketchers and get ready for cuteness as we sketch the Hawaiian Humane Society’s Annual PetWalk at Kapi’olani Park.

HHS PetWalk
Kapi’olani Park
Saturday, Oct. 25
8:30 to 10:30 a.m.

Please note we are meeting at 8:30 instead of our normal time. The PetWalk starts at 8:30 so hopefully we can capture the PetWalk in progress through our sketches. Find more info about the PetWalk here.

Because it will be crowded, let’s not meet at the beginning of the event. Instead, please come at 8:30 or earlier and start sketching on your own until 10 a.m. We will meet at the Queen Kapio’lani Statue (see map) at 10 a.m. to share our sketches. Please RSVP at uskoahu@gmail.com by Oct. 24 so I know to expect you.

Happy Sketching,
Terri

A Community of Artists Flow into Chinatown

How fun was it to see so many artists painting and sketching in downtown Honolulu this morning. You could feel the energy in the air!

Thank you Downtown Art Center and Mark Brown for inviting us to join your talented group of oil and watercolor artists with our humble sketchbooks. It was exciting just to be sketching on the same streets as you!

Thank you Urban Sketchers! You really stepped up with your sketch pads, pencils and pens! Also, it’s nice to see everyone’s sketch with the new Urban Sketchers O’ahu stamp.

SAVE THE DATE: Saturday, Oct. 25!

Keep sketching!
Terri

Here’s the Latest from Urban Sketchers O’ahu

Happy September Urban Sketchers!

This past Saturday, I got to catch up with Mark Brown at Ala Moana Beach. He was teaching his Plein Air class with his faithful group of talented artist.

Mark is helping with the Downtown Art Center’s 5th Anniversary “From the HEART” which we Urban Sketchers O’ahu are invited to participate. If you haven’t RSVP to sketch with us on Saturday, please do so at uskoahu@gmail.com. There will be live music and a lot fun! (See previous post for map and more info)

Speaking of fun, did you see this segment about Urban Sketchers on the news? So proud to be a part of this sketching community: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmDF2hKpDnI&t=7s Thanks Ivan for letting me know about it!

And finally, I have our NEW re-inking custom rubber stamp! It’s a little smaller than the last one BUT it works so YAY!

Hope to see you all in Chinatown on Sept. 27!
Until then, happy sketching,
Terri

Are You Down to Sketch Our Town?

Mark your calendar for our next Urban Sketcher O’ahu meetup:

Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025
10am to Noon
Downtown Art Center

We are joining DAC in celebrating historic downtown Honolulu! DAC will be having a competition starting at 9 a.m.. If you are interested in entering, check out their rules here.

For the rest of us Urban Sketchers, we’ll be meeting at 10 a.m. to sketch the area and then meeting at 11:30 to share our sketches. Please email your attendance by Sept 26, so I know to expect you!

Until then, happy sketching!

Terri

When Everywhere You Look is Inspiration

Thank you O’ahu Urban Sketchers for coming out on a Sunday to sketch at the Honolulu Museum of Art. It was Community Day at HoMa which means free admission for kama’aina and a beautiful day to be inspired by the art all around us.

We welcomed a lot of new Urban Sketchers today. So glad you joined us to either start sketching or get back into sketching.

Sketching our community in person is what we do. We use our artistic skills as storytelling to share with our global community. Thank you for joining our community!

Whether you chose to sketch the breathtaking gardens at HoMa or statues on the grounds, it was such a lovely day to sketch together and share what we are currently trying to improve upon.

SAVE THE DATE

We are brewing up a collab with Downtown Art Center on Saturday, Sept. 27. More info will be posted next month! Until then, happy sketching!
Terri

Escape to Serenity Sketching in Urban Honolulu

Surrounded by nature, fluttery butterflies, soaring birds and your sketchbook. That’s transcendent. Sandwiched between the noisy highway and busy Vineyard Blvd., Foster Botanical Garden offers an serene escape to nature with its towering trees and lush foliage.

Thank you all who joined us at Urban Sketchers at Foster Botanical Garden in downtown Honolulu. Loved seeing all your wonderful sketches of this magical place.

SAVE THE DATE:

Our next sketching event will be on Sunday, August 17, 10am to noon at Honolulu Museum of Art. It’s Community Day so admission will be free for Hawaii residents.

Until then, happy sketching!
Terri