Sketching on Safeway’s Patio
Posted: October 17, 2015 Filed under: USkO | Tags: evening, supermarket 2 CommentsWe held our first midweek event last Thursday – and it was a smashing success! Safeway’s manager, Preston, kindly gave us permission to use the store’s outdoor patio which turned out to be the perfect venue for our sizeable group of sketchers. The elevated vantage point gave us sweeping views of the Waikiki skyline as the sun set and a wide choice of indoor and outdoor sketching targets.
As always we had a show-and-tell at the end. We had a range of city scenes in various stages of dusk, details from the store, the impressive vaulted ceilings and suspended lights of the patio, and quite a few sketches of USkOahu members. Jenny and Carol shared tips on materials… make sure to store your Micron pens upside down from now on. Different and very inventive new formats of sketch pads caught our attention: Ikumi made an accordion-style sketchbook, and Caroline and Joseph sketched on postcards.
Unfortunately, our traditional group photo did not turn out too well this time, but we have at least snapshots of some of us. For the full experience, you will just have to join us next time. :) We hope to see everyone’s sketches on Flickr!
Rock and Mineral Treasure Trove on Campus
Posted: October 11, 2015 Filed under: USkO | Tags: campus, crayons, geology, minerals, pen, rocks, UH Mānoa 3 CommentsI am currently taking a geology lab course at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. Last Wednesday, our class walked around campus to identify different rocks using the knowledge that we had accumulated so far… and the occasional guidance of our instructor. :) I really enjoyed the tour, so at the end of the week I decided to spend more time on campus to sketch several of the rocks we looked at. I became so engrossed in the scenes that I ended up sketching for 3 hours.
I first sketched the Pacific Ocean Sciences and Technology Building where I have my class.
Then I went to the Hawaii Peace Memorial near Kennedy Theatre, which seems to be made of Granodiorite, an intrusive igneous rock (solidifies from magma).
My last stop was the Campus Center. At the Campus Drive entrance, there is a sculpture called Hina-O Na Lani (Mother of the Universe). The figure and its base are both made of popular rocks used for kitchen countertops: Granite and Anorthosite. The courtyard of the Campus Center is tiled with fairly smooth and flat rocks which, unlike the others I mentioned, are metamorphic (unmelted rock transformed by high temperature and pressure) – possibly Phyllite. Anyway, I’m getting carried away talking about rocks and what I’ve been learning!
I am unexpectedly pleased with the close-up sketches of the minerals in the rock… and would even say that they look better than the rest of the sketch. Crayon turned out to be an excellent choice of medium because of its waxy and gritty look. The colors of the minerals were great to see, and definitely something new to sketch.
I hope to sketch more of campus in the future, whether that is on my own or during an Urban Sketchers O‘ahu event!
Quick Afternoon Sketch with an Edible Target
Posted: October 8, 2015 Filed under: USkO | Tags: Breadfruit, Ulu Leave a commentThis afternoon seemed like a fine time to practice sketching, something I have been vowing to do between USkO events and never seem to commit to. Not a good way to make progress!
In any case, I chose to visit a nearby ‘ulu (breadfruit) tree … one that is being meticulously cared for and doted upon like an only child in a royal lineage. :) The specimen was acquired as part of a giveaway through the Breadfruit Institute and hopefully will bear fruit in several years. The momentous occasion of “first appearance of fruit” would certainly require a second sketch installment!
Thursday Evening Event!
Posted: October 5, 2015 Filed under: USkO | Tags: event announcement Leave a commentWe are launching our first midweek USkO event, part of our efforts to increase opportunities to sketch as a group each month!
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- 10/15/2015
Art on and near the Zoo Fence
Posted: October 3, 2015 Filed under: USkO | Tags: Art on the Zoo Fence, event, Kapi‘olani Park 4 CommentsUpon arrival at our meeting point, we found our view of the exhibiting artists setting up for “Art on the Zoo Fence” mostly obscured by three large fire trucks in front of the zoo. Unfortunately they managed to negotiate the sharp turn onto the zoo grounds before we could sketch them.
Some 15 sketchers came out this morning, both new and returning. It was impressive to hear what distances some of them had covered to attend the event. Noyita traveled by bus for almost three hours to join us. Now that is commitment to the cause!
As usual, we gathered for a show-and-tell at the end of the event to share our artwork, techniques, and thoughts on materials. Pen, pencil, watercolor, color pencil, and ink all made an appearance in the artwork on display. Our lively discussion covered a variety of topics ranging from where to buy supplies, through layering of media, to the mesmerizing effect of the zoo cacophony and the contemporaneous zumba performance at the Kapi‘olani Bandstand. Below are a few photos.
We hope to see everyone at our next event, which will be announced at the start of next week.
October Event Announcement
Posted: September 15, 2015 Filed under: USkO | Tags: Art on the Zoo Fence, event announcement Leave a commentMake space on your calendars for the next event – less than 3 weeks away!
Windward, finally!
Posted: September 13, 2015 Filed under: USkO | Tags: event, WCC, Windward 1 CommentAlthough weather forecasts predicted heavy rain for the weekend, our event at Windward Community College only received a sprinkle. Nevertheless, it seems that the weather did deter some people, as we were a small group – small, but enthusiastic!
Apart from a team of students promoting higher education (they wore great t-shirts with the slogan, “Keep Calm and Go to College”!), the campus was largely empty. The vibrant colors of WCC (undergoing renovations and construction after receiving a federal grant) and the clouds sinking into the Ko‘olau Mountains created a great atmosphere for sketching.
We got together for our traditional show-and-tell toward the end of the event to share sketches ranging from a hen and her eleven chicks to views of the lush grounds and buildings. Below are a few photos of us.
We hope to see everyone at our next event! We will be alternating between windward and Honolulu locations, as well as others, in an attempt to be in everybody’s neighborhood at some point.
It Was a Wet and Stormy Night and Day
Posted: September 4, 2015 Filed under: USkO | Tags: pen, storm, stream, watercolor, watercolor pencils, weather Leave a commentThis past month has been a stormy one. Hurricanes and tropical storms seemed to be barely missing O‘ahu on a weekly basis. While we have escaped a direct hit so far (knock on wood), we still see torrential downpours after thunderstorms or very muggy, wind-still days, like today. Cycling home through one of these heavy rains last week, I noticed that the water level in the stream nearby was licking the underside of the bridge. As this clearly warranted sketching, AJ and I quickly headed out again with our sketch equipment and rain gear. However, by the time we arrived, almost an hour later, the water level had dropped by at least 4 feet, and the clouds had begun to part. In my sketch, I marked the water level where it was when I had seen it running up the banks, just a few feet from flooding the street.
September Event Announcement
Posted: August 14, 2015 Filed under: USkO | Tags: event announcement, Kaneohe, Windward Community College Leave a commentWindward artists (and all others) take note: We will be in Kaneohe next month!
A Morning on the Towne
Posted: August 9, 2015 Filed under: USkO | Tags: event, Hawaii Kai, Koko Crater, Koko Head, marina Leave a commentYesterday morning, we gathered in the courtyard of Hawaii Kai Towne Center for two hours of leisurely sketching. The weather was perfect and the venue provided ample shade and seating under beach umbrellas. Attendance reached double digits, and we saw several new faces.
We assembled at 11:00 a.m. to share our accomplishments. Many of us sketched Koko Crater and the Hawaii Kai Marina Bridge (the most prominent views), as usual employing different approaches and techniques. We yet again found ourselves marveling at the artwork on display, but noticed too late that we should take better advantage of the group’s diversity to actively learn from each other. In our next meeting we would like to encourage participants to share their choices of scene, composition, media, etcetera to increase the educational aspect of our get-togethers. Next time!
So, mark your calendars, we’ll be out again on September 12. Location to be announced soon!
AJ Tauber
Harald Ebeling
Terri Dux
noah kutaka
Susan Li
Sebastian
uskoadmin
Urban Sketchers O‘ahu 