Eureka Springs

Last week we drove to Eureka Springs, Arkansas, a delightful mountain town in the Ozarks.  Here is a sketch I did on the main drag through town.

We stayed in Cherokee Mountain Cabins, five miles east of town.  In a perfectly-appointed log cabin, we had a terrific view of the autumn wooded hills.  Here's our front porch, where we cooked out and relaxed.

Urban Sketching in Richardson

In October, Urban Sketchers-Texas met in Richardson to help celebrate Ricochet 15, it's first (annual ?) occurrence.  Several of us were at the civic complex; here's my sketch of the Civic Fountain.

For lunch I stopped at the new Food Truck Park, had some BBQ tacos and loud, live music.  It looked something like this:

Sketching with SWS in Waxahachie

This past weekend about 30 painters from Southwestern Watercolor Society gathered in Waxahachie, TX to do our thing.  Between paintings, I did a couple of ink and watercolor sketches.  Here they are:

Oakwood Cemetery, Urban Sketchers-TX

A couple of weeks ago, Urban Sketchers - Texas met at Fort Worth's 3rd oldest cemetery to sketch, then go have some Tex-Mex and a beer at Joe T's.  (If you have to ask, you wouldn't understand.)  Here are my efforts:

East Texas Paint Out

This weekend Southwestern Watercolor Society had a "paint-out" in Greenville and Sulphur Springs; more than two dozen participated.  I did several ink and watercolor sketches.  We had a great time. In Greenvilee just before lunch on Friday I did this . . . then SuAnne and I went in and ate.

Then we went to the mother-of-all feed mills.  I sat in the car to stay cool and did this sketch of the Sabine Valley Feed Mill.  Lots of detail to record.

The next day in Sulphur Springs I did a standing sketch of Bayou Jack's cajun restaurant.  We didn't eat there, the smells were great.

I did a couple of nice plein air watercolors in Sulphur Springs.  Check them out on my other blog: www.herbreedwatercolors.blogspot.com.

Urban Sketchers -Texas . . . Sundance Square on April 18

At our monthly sketchcrawl, USk-TX hit Sundance Square in Fort Worth.  It's a great downtown place full of energy and fun.  I did this sketch of the 959 Radio Station building on the square.

A short distance away dozens of kids were running through the fountain and lots of parents were watching.  Here's a quick take on some spectators.

Chestnut Square in McKinney

Here's another piece in my McKinney, TX series.  Chestnut Square is city park of old structures.  This is the old First Baptist Church . . . now a chapel.

Second Saturday in McKinney, TX

Each 2nd Saturday, downtown McKinney hosts great party on the square . . . food, drink, music, artists . . . the whole small town deal.  A number of us who have work in the LAST Art Gallery (two doors off the square) painted and sketched much of the afternoon.  Here are two ink and watercolor sketches I did.  Great fun!  (BTW, LAST stands for Louisiana Street.)

USk Texas at Earth Party 3-28-15

The valiant sketchers from North Texas had another Sketchcrawl at Earth Party in Fort Worth last Saturday.  The featured entertainer was Melanie, who started at Woodstock (she must be nearly as old as me . . . well, not quite).  She was great and some of us took a shot at getting her band in our sketchbooks.

New sketch kit

I just finished my new sketch kit.  The lap easel is a 12" x 12" piece of polystyrene, 1/10" thick.  I cut a hand-hole in it.  The water cup is a Guerrilla Painter oil painters palette cup, and the palette is a pocket palette from art-toolkit.com; it's made from a stainless business card case.  The next step up is a larger travel palette and a case of travel brushes.  I use a couple of alligator clips to secure my sketchbook.

I'm ready as soon as the snow leaves us.

Haystack Hamburger!

Last night we again enjoyed the best hamburger around, at Haystack, owned by friends Kevin and Jenny Galvan.  Didn't sketch the food, but here's the spot:

USk North TX at the Stockyards

Last Saturday the North Texas Urban Sketchers met at the Fort Worth Stockyards for a great sketch crawl.  I avoided the crowds on the street and went "below."  Who knew that this delightful creek flows through and under the stockyards?

CCPC, my church home

Last week I did this sketch of Canyon Creek Presbyterian in Richardson, my church home.

McKinney, TX . . . continued

I just finished four more ink and watercolor paintings of McKinney scenes.  Here they are:

Urban Sketchers - Texas @ Frontiers of Flight Museum

Yesterday some 20 urban sketchers from North Texas assembled at the Dallas Frontiers of Flight Museum for the monthly sketch crawl.  What a ball!  Almost no rules, no dues, no business . . . just some great fun sketching with new and old friends.  Here's my afternoon's effort: a H-13C helicopter just like Hawk Eye rode in on M*A*S*H.  And it was right by the front door with a handy chair and table along side.  Life's good!

McKinney, Texas

I just finished three watercolor/ink sketches of scenes in McKinney, Texas, a charming town about 40 miles north of Dallas.  I plan some more of these.

Day after Christmas

It's the day after Christmas . . . the presents are gone, leaving just warm memories of good times with family and friends.