A “Cozy” Gathering at UH Mānoa

Posted: February 20, 2016 | Author: | Filed under: USkO | Tags: | Leave a comment

UH Mānoa was good to us again. On our second visit to campus this year, the weather was just as gorgeous as last time, and our location at Kennedy Theatre / East-West Center offered a variety of architectural vistas, as well as views of cultural practitioners of various persuasions. To our bewilderment, attendance left much to be desired – but all shall be forgiven if you show up next time. We still had a range of sketching styles (and sizes!) to marvel at during show-and-tell and greatly enjoyed socializing under the giant Banyan tree. True commitment to the cause was exhibited by some who stayed on to sketch elsewhere on campus, for two more hours…

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Check out today’s artwork on the USkO Flickr Group and hope to see you at our next event in Kailua!

Not Ready for the Cemetery

Posted: February 18, 2016 | Author: | Filed under: USkO | Tags: , , | Leave a comment

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Today’s sketching excursion to Mānoa Chinese Cemetery (Honolulu) was one of our less well prepared outings. Harald forgot to take his set of Micron pens, AJ was accosted by an over-friendly chicken, and neither remembered to bring a camera to document the event. In true USk fashion, we tried to make the best of the situation anyway. Although today’s sketches (chicken! tree!) may not have captured the most iconic sights, we had fun and gained a serious appreciation of the beauty and special character of our location. Definitely a destination to return to.

The photos below were taken later in the day when we briefly returned to the cemetery – this time with camera.

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Science Fair

Posted: February 13, 2016 | Author: | Filed under: USkO | Leave a comment

I dropped by the Honolulu District Science Fair at Kapi‘olani Community College this afternoon to see what local middle and high schoolers have been pursuing in the world of science. A wide range of projects were on display. I arrived a​s the judges were in the process of announcing awards and identifying which projects qualified for the statewide fair.

Kaka‘ako WOW!

Posted: February 11, 2016 | Author: | Filed under: USkO | Tags: , | Leave a comment

Today, Urban Sketchers O‘ahu met in Kaka‘ako during POW! WOW! Hawai‘i. For those unfamiliar with the festival, it is an annual gathering of local and international artists who create murals and other artwork. The complexity of the murals is impressive, and many artists require mechanical lifts and ladders in order to complete them.

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We thought this festival would be a great opportunity for sketchers to not only see the murals under construction but also try their hands at subjects different than our normal fare. Uncertain if many of our regular sketchers would be able to meet in the middle of a conventional workday, we were pleasantly surprised to see several prior participants. We also welcomed some new faces and introduced our group to several passers-by who might join us in the future.

As is tradition, our itinerary was relatively unstructured. Upon meeting, sketchers quickly scattered across several adjacent blocks and captured different murals and urban landscapes. The diversity of each sketcher’s choices was once again much appreciated during the show-and-tell session.

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It is wonderful to see that POW! WOW! Hawai‘i is going strong, and we will definitely keep it on the calendar for next year. Muralists were very friendly and open to being sketched. And, we certainly were not the only gawkers in the area! Hope to see familiar and new faces at our next event on the UH Mānoa campus (Saturday, 2/20)!

Returning to the UH Mānoa Campus

Posted: February 11, 2016 | Author: | Filed under: USkO | Tags: | Leave a comment

See you next week on Saturday!

Sketching a Ride

Posted: February 7, 2016 | Author: | Filed under: USkO | Tags: , , | 2 Comments
Flashing lights, screams of exhilaration (and terror) over booming dance music, and the intense smell of malasadas … not a traditional sketching environment for us, but Punahou Carnival offered great possibilities – in addition to sensory overload. The late hour allowed us to capture the crowds while it was still light, as well as the brightly lit carnival attractions during dusk. A once-per-year opportunity we would not want to have missed!

We were joined by two newcomers, graduates of the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, who showed us their dynamic sketches of the Carnival rides and party-goers in action; Ikumi, who completed three sketches in the time most of us were struggling to finish one; and Kev, with his ultra-small sketch-kit (a photo of which is shown below).

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Continuing the “special events” series, we will meet on Thursday (Feb 11) for a close-up look at art and fellow artists at POW! WOW! Hawai‘i in Kaka‘ako. See you there – or at our next regular event in March!

Special Event in Kaka‘ako

Posted: February 6, 2016 | Author: | Filed under: USkO | Tags: , , , | Leave a comment

Although midweek, as well as midday, our February 11 event is a great opportunity to see (and sketch!) artists painting murals during POW! WOW! Hawai‘i‘s annual festival.

Rain or Shine

Posted: February 6, 2016 | Author: | Filed under: USkO | Leave a comment

The weather might be in transition this afternoon so be prepared for the possibility of a little wind and rain. Surely Urban Sketchers are as tough as mail carriers though! Could be an opportunity to get creative with watercolors! Hope to see you at Punahou Carnival!

Sketch Event at Punahou Carnival

Posted: February 5, 2016 | Author: | Filed under: USkO | Tags: | 2 Comments

Hope to see you tomorrow evening!

Sketch Event on UH Mānoa Campus

Posted: January 23, 2016 | Author: | Filed under: USkO | Leave a comment

The new year is off to a great start with a well attended event at UH Mānoa’s Campus Center. Among the many newcomers was Kev from snowy Ohio who impressed us with a tiny sketch set — homemade, no less.

We found campus to be very accommodating, providing moving and stationary subjects, a variety of architectural styles (such as the monumental crossbeams of the Art Department, or the recently completed Warrior Recreation Center), and infrastructure that offers a plethora of shaded seating opportunities and second-floor vantage points.

Why didn’t we come here before?!

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Hope to see everyone at Punahou Carnival next month!

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