Getting Back In Touch With My Art Roots.

I have been wanting to get the artistic side of me kick-started again since it has been dormant for far too long. I have a painting I need to work on and am afraid to touch beyond laying down the background because I fear I ma have lost my touch for painting. I have been trying to get going on sketching or dabbling in art in some way but had been unsuccessful. I decided I needed to make a change this year so joined a group on Meetup.com.

The Spokane Sketch Club is a very non-threatening meet-up group on Meetup.com. I decided to give it a try and see if I could not start to get back into artistic mode this way. It is much easier to be sketching when you are around others doing the same. It is similar to being in a informal class without an instructor and where you can show up -or not- depending on your schedule. The people that come to the meet-ups vary according to day and time...and are friendly.

So, I have attended 2 meet-ups and have two sketches  I admit they are not the best sketches in the world and I need to get back in sketch mode to really do something impressive. They are a start however and I am not one to be shy so am sharing them here.

Sketch #1:

The above sketch was done of part of the windows in Riverpark Square. I had limited time for that meet-up because it was during a day of museum visiting, lunch with friend, and then a Get Lit! author reading. It could be better but it was the first sketch I did in a long time so I am okay with it's issues. I do need to loosen up a bit in style.

Sketch #2:

This was at the duck pond at Manito Park this past Thursday. I am more toward my painting style but just using pencils in it and it seems a bit messy and dark to me. I feel like I should be working in colour for sketching but that never works out for me because then it becomes a colourful mess. I am thinking I will keep playing around with sketching style and materials until I find one that I am totally comfortable with...and lighten up on the pencil when I do use it. I didn't get a chance to address the water in the pond because my ride showed up early cutting my sketching time down to just over an hour. I hope to spend more time there next time I show up for a meet-up.

I am liking the meet-ups because they are so informal and you can chat off and on to the other people or just draw on your own. I am glad I found the group.

I have also signed up for The Spokane Analog Photo Group and attended one of those meet-ups. I just haven't been able to get the film developed yet and plan to do that next week for sure. I am not sure the film will turn out since it was expired but I shall see. There should be another meet-up of this group soon and, of course, if I have any interesting photos turn out from the last meet-up, I will post them in this blog.