Our little group grew! Here are the September Sketchers at the Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center: Alanna, Chris (Me), Jackie, and Michelle. One love, nature; One mission, sketching! So here we go…Let’s Paint Nature!
We hiked the Black Oak Trail half-way around Long John Slough, until we all agreed on a location we wanted to sketch. At this spot, two chickadees stopped on the fence post, one lingered a bit and allowed us to watch him as he ate. “Chick-a-dee-dee-dee, Chick-a-dee-dee-dee”, he called.
We settled in and found comfortable spots to sketch. Meanwhile, three white-breasted nuthatches visited us above our heads, hopping up and down the tree trunk. One stuck his bill in the bark, searching for insects, and knocked down little pieces of bark. One of which landed on my painting!
The great thing about going out as a group is that even though we are looking at the same thing, we all have different perspectives and different styles which produce some amazing pieces of art! Here is Alanna’s watercolor sketch, a wonderful representation of the day!
Michelle, a budding new artist, painted this precious watercolor…what great work!
Jackie decided to bypass watercolors and make a charcoal sketch. What a great idea, you don’t have to paint watercolors, you can use whatever medium you like! This sketch is of a tree stump behind the fence.
While we were painting, Jackie had enough time to make sketch #2. Sitting along side the trail, under the canopy of changing leaves and busy birds, what a wonderful memory she captured on paper.
Here is my watercolor sketch. Can you find the chickadee which stopped to sing to us?
We all had a wonderful time sketching in nature and recording our love through art. Maybe if you are in the area, you would like to join the next free sketching class, Saturday, October 30th!
Let's Paint Nature! 
While I read and follow your blog and sketching, I haven’t stopped to sketch yet… I have done some in the past and hope that when things close up from the summer. I want to take some of the pictures from my daughter and my foraging expeditions this summer and try out some watercoloring.
Thanks for your inspiration and simple instructions! Keep them coming!
You’re welcome! And thank you for your comment. When the hours of daylight shorten and the air is cold, there are no more backyard bbq’s to attend on the weekends and I find I have a lot more time to paint as well. You will find watercolors to be challenging, but very rewarding…you can do it!
Very inspiring. How can you not sketch lovely when you feel nature, breath fresh air and feel the breeze and smell the grass, trees or the lake?
I agree! Too bad our paintings didn’t have a scratch and smell, where you can smell all of those wonderful things you mentioned!
While the first Sketchcrawls were great fun with Chris all to myself, this one was the best yet because of the two additional artists! I learned so much from everyone. I’m looking forward to the art fair this Sunday — I hope it’s this Sunday – Oct 3rd – otherwise, I’ll just hike around this great facility and find something to paint on my own. I’m looking forward to our next sketching on October 30th!!
Yes, I too learned from all! If was great fun. You are correct, this Sunday the 3rd is the art fair, so far, we are to expect great weather…I hope that’s true. 🙂
Looks like y’all are having so much fun. Wish I could join in!
Me too, I wish you could join! Thanks!
Glad to see this is working out.
Those are some really cool sketches
Thanks! Hopefully the group will continue to grow.