Introduce Yourself
Where do you live and what do you?
Have you done much sketching before or are you just starting?
What are your other creative pursuits?
Please include a link to your Flickr account, blog, Facebook page, Instagram, Tumblr etc.
So I’ll go first…
I’m Liz (I think you all know that!)
I live in Sydney, Australia. I’m an architect by profession and worked 20 years on a range of residential and commercial developments, specialising in media projects. I’ve always drawn as part of my work but in 2007 discovered watercolour and started my first daily sketchbook. I haven’t stopped sketching since!
I’m very interested in architectural history and theory and drinking tea out of fancy china teacups… but I’m guessing you all know that too!
You can find me on: Facebook, Flickr, Google+, Instagram and Twitter using the buttons under ‘Connect on Social Media’ in the footer of this website.
Now it’s your turn…
Hi…I’m Elaine.
I live in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada and work at Durham College. I look after the processing of new applications.
Keeping a sketchbook journal is something I have been wanting to do for quite some time. About two years ago, I discovered Danny Gregory and started following his blog, which led me to Sketchbook Skool and Liz Steel.
I have some environmental health issues which make taking courses in a classroom a challenge so online classes seemed to be the way to go…and am I glad it was.
Love Sketchbook Skool and looking forwarding to Liz’s classes.
Welcome !!!! Even w/o the Pinky Swear (grin) – you will love this course.
Hi, I’m Hannah. Currently living near Seattle, but planning to return soon to the East Coast (D.C.), where I lived for 30 years. I’m a poet/writer (http://www.hannahsix.blogspot.com) and knitter (http://www.knitsix.blogspot.com). This year, thanks to Sketchbook Skool, and now this course, I’ve been enjoying rediscovering my passion for sketching and painting.
Hello, I am Suzanne from Washington State, USA. My intention for this class is to actually DO the work. So far, so good. My drawing skills have always held me back in my art journey. I’m late starting and working full time as a college counselor limits my art time, but I plan to follow through with this entire excellent class. I actually pinkie-swore with my husband that we would both spend time each day on our artistic endeavors. Looking forward…
I live in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley of Virginia in the USA. I consider myself an “artist in training” and have been taking some online and in person classes during the past year (including Sketchbook Skool where I “met” Liz).
My goal is to be able to draw more quickly and accurately, to draw daily and to draw in journals when I travel.
Over the years I’ve dabbled in calligraphy and Zentangle, and during the past year a small group has met at my home once a week to do something artistic/creative. We have such fun!
Greetings all! I am Katie, and am another late signer upper. Took the plunge when I learned the lessons will be available for a year. Born and raised in Southern California, but residing in Phoenix, Arizona, USA for the last 19 years.
I do a lot of volunteer work with my church and am trying to grow in my art for pleasure and perhaps for profit someday.
I have always enjoyed drawing, took drawing/painting classes at the College level, but set it aside while raising our 3 boys. After I graduated my youngest in 2011 (we homeschooled) I taught drawing for other homeschooling children for a few years. This was fun, but so time consuming I didn’t have time to do art for myself. So I’ve stopped teaching and have become the student again. 🙂
I also love music, reading, gardening, and exploring nature.
My flickr account is here; https://www.flickr.com/photos/katievision/
I hope I can catch up and figure out all the technical aspects of the class!
Hi! I signed up at the last minute so now I’m already 5 weeks behind–YIKES! I’m another 3 semester SBS student and have been loving all the classes. I am really excited about this one and just hope I can keep up. I am trying to get oriented tonight and hopefully tomorrow I can watch the week 1 videos.
Hello everyone!
Talk about last minute! Phew! But I am so glad I made it in! I am very much a beginner. I only started drawing this past summer because I stumbled upon Sketchbook Skool. I started messing around with pen and watercolors and fell in love. I often feel like I don’t know what I am doing . . . because I don’t know what I am doing. I am so new, that I often don’t know how to care for my watercolors or palette. But despite bumbling through everything, I am having fun. In fact, SKB class was one of the few positive things about a very, very stressful last few months. (I started a new job and I am still in graduate school pursuing a degree in Library and Information Science). Oh, sorry! I forgot to mention that I live in Honolulu, Hawaii with my husband.
I am on Google+ (KJ Silva), Twitter: @kjlsilva, and Instgram: silvak
Looking forward to this class and learning from everyone. . . if I ever catch up to you all!
Aloha,
KJ
Whoops – wrong Instagram. It’s @kajes8.
:o)
Hi everyone,
I’m Susan Sutcliffe from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Most of my artwork for many years was in clay, but I have been taking Sketchbook Skool courses since last April and am loving it. I really enjoyed Liz’s teaching and think that I can learn so much more from her. I am semi-retired. I no longer work as an occupational therapist, but am still a full time care provider for my adult foster son.
Hi everybody
I am Melissa Tang and I live in Sydney. I chanced upon Liz’s website and was inspired to join. I haven’t sketched very much but would love to learn and this seemed like a great foundational course to help me to do so . I am really looking forward to learning and be inspired from others, although having joined so late, I think I will be very far behind. I like taking photographs but nowadays am always struggling with time. This is just one way I hope I can inject some creativity back into my life. Thank you.
Hey Y’all, I’m Allyson Roebuck. I live in the Southeast of the USA, Birmingham, AL. I’m a commercial interior designer by profession and do a lot of drawing both by hand and via the computer. I love drawing, always have since I was a kid. The technology shift (introduction of CADD) into the design world kinda took all of us in these kinds of professions away from physcial hand drawing for a while. However, it’s wonderful to see that skill being revived and celebrated again in new ways! I’ve been incorporating more and more hand drawing into my own work for a number of years and enjoy that more and more. Looking forward to working through the course! I’ve been literally swapmed with tenant space designs in the last few months! I saw the announcement of the class and just missed the date but made it now!! I do have a Flicker site where I’ve been posting work. I’ve also just discovered Instagram!! It’s just divine! Not sure how you cite Instagram—but I tried!
https://www.flickr.com/photos/checkersketch/
Instagram: allyson_evans_roebuck
Loved your drawings!!!
Hi, I’m Linda. I live in Seattle, Washington, USA. I’ve very recently retired from my last job which was as an administrator at a university. Before that I did a bunch of other things, mostly teaching and working in administrative jobs. After being convinced for my entire adult life that I absolutely could not draw, a little over a year ago, much to my surprise, I picked up a pen and started drawing. Since I hadn’t drawn since grade school I am very much a beginner and have *everything* to learn. I’ve been in Sketchbook Skool and a couple of Koesje Koene’s classes with some of the other students who are here in this class (~~~~~hi everybody!~~~~ ). I also take photographs and write a little but this recently-emerged passion for art seems to have taken center stage.
….and my Flickr page with a few photos and some classwork from other classes is https://www.flickr.com/photos/lintenn/with/14093738394
I’m hoping that telling you this will motivate me to update it.
Whoops. I meant https://www.flickr.com/photos/lintenn
I don’t “get” Flickr.
Hi! I’m from Plano, Texas (near Dallas) and heard about Liz via my professor, Jim Richards (from my masters in landscape architecture classes at UTA). I’ve always been interested in sketching but have never done much of it. I’m coming in late but am looking forward to the lessons.
Sherry
Not too late, Sherry. Enjoy the lessons and dive right in.
blessings,
Michelle
Hi
I’ve only just joined on the almost last day so I’ve got a lot of catching up to do. I live in Lane cove in Sydney Australia, a nice leafy suburb and I started water colour painting classes with Jane Blundell back in 2008. I love it, it’s the highlight of my week. I joined the Sydney Sketch Meetup group last year which I also love and I try to get to urban sketchers whenever possible. Late last year I did an architectural drawing course with Liz Steele and got a lot out of it.
Jennifer, did you go to South Dubbo HS in the 1960s? I knew a Jennifer Foreman there then, she was in the same year.
Anyway, I better get down to some sketching.
Stephanie
HI Jennifer, I really enjoyed looking at your creative experiments! What a treat 🙂
very kind of you to say, Debby
Welcome!
Hi – Jennifer here – I am a late starter in this course but hoping to catch up over the Christmas holidays. During the week I am a legal secretary, film goer, theatre attendee etc but on the weekend I turn into an enthusiastic “art-er” (and sometime workshop participant) since I discovered drawing almost 4 years ago. My holidays these days are with like minded people and so far have taken painting excursions to Outback Queensland and Spain/Portugal. I am honoured to be involved with Sydney Sketch Club and have met many clever and inspirational local artists at the meetups. A few of my creative experiments are at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jenn-creative
Hi, I’m Maryam. I live near Melbourne. I just started painting and I love watercolor. I also would love to improve my drawing skills and have a sketch book with myself during our trips. I’m 30 and studied physics.
Hi, I’m Debby and I’m a bit of a late-comer…
I live in Canada. In Edmonton, AB in the winter and in Fraser Lake, BC in the summer.
I’ve been sketching for almost a year and I’m hooked, although, I am still not in the habit of carrying around my sketchbook.
I have a flickr account that I just opened and don’t know how to use yet
and a blog, ditto, still learning –
https://debbysparrow.wordpress.com
Hello Liz, hello everybody
I saw last week in FB that you where doing an online course and on Friday I enrolled… so I’m a bit in a harry… I have to catch up 4 courses !
I’m a Swiss German who grew up in Bogota, met in England & married a french guy and living near Paris since 20 years.
I’m a freelance graphic designer and since last 402 days I do a drawing per day! I’m now a blogger since 1 year : http://lesimages2renata.com.
I’m (sorry, me again ^-^) very happy to start this online course!!!
I love your shelfs Liz!…plenty of sketchbooks…
Hasta la vista, Renata
BLOG – http://lesimages2renata.com
https://www.facebook.com/lesimages2renata
https://twitter.com/RenataLahalle1
Hi, I’m Rebecca, I live in Brazil. I attended your class on the 2014 USk symposium (i’m the girl who borrowed your scarf!) and I’m excited about learning more. I’m on the last semester of a degree in teaching Visual Arts and I draw and paint with watercolor, mostly on pocket sized sketchbooks. You can see some of my work here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/skywilling_
Hi everyone! I’m a late arrival to course and enjoyed reading all the introductions. I have no drawing or art experience, and am so glad to be here and share this course with all of you.
I`m Tula, I live in Paris France, I’m brazilian. I was always interested in arts, I did graphic designer school in Brazil. I draw every day, some time just fice minutes,some times more…Very excited for Liz’s lessons.
I write monthy in USK Paris – here my last post – http://paris.urbansketchers.org/2014/11/des-couleurs-partout.html
My FB – https://www.facebook.com/tula.draw
Instagram – http://instagram.com/tuladraw/
Flirck – https://www.flickr.com/photos/tulamoraes
Hi I’m Peter, living in Melbourne, Australia. I have heard good things about the course and jumped on board. I’ve been a keen observer of the Urban Sketchers website and it’s time to try my hand at it, particularly for recording my travels.
And did someone mention coffee?
Hi Peter,
There are several of us from Melbourne. I live just outside the Metro area. If you scroll through you will find us. I love coffee.
Sandi
Hi I’m Stephanie. I live in Sydney Australia. Now I’ve retired I have resumed drawing and watercolour classes and discovered sketching as a perfect travel companion and memory keeper. I want to draw more freely and frequently and not be so concerned with accuracy thus exploring colours and different materials. I have already met Liz at Sydney Urban Sketching outings and really enjoyed her stimulating ideas and group interaction. My passion is for good coffee but I can appreciate the “tea culture” too!
Hi I’m Shaun. I also live in Sydney and have had an avid interest in arts and crafts all my life. I studied art at school and painted on an off through the years but recently found the set up and mess impractical which led me to sketching. The watercolour sketching and journal work of Liz’s on SketchingNow I am finding so inspiring. I look forward to joining the Sydney Sketch Club when I am a little more confident. I love to sew, knit, crochet, read, have an interest in history, family history, interior design. Hoping to combine these interests with sketching somehow. I taught primary school briefly many years ago but at present doing a Nursing degree. Oh yes….I love to relax with a skim piccolo in an interesting coffee shop and/or beautiful location!!!
Hi, I’m Nancy from The Woodlands, Texas. I just “retired” from 15 years of teaching Art History and am excited about getting back to drawing.
Hola, I’m anne or Anni and I live in Mexico near Puerto Vallarta . I have a great group if friends with whom I get together twice a week. Tuesday’s for beading and Fridays for art. Mostly watercolours but sketching is a high priority and we love to head out for plein aire, at least in the winter and spring.
I just got home from a two week trip to the Copper Canyon so have a bit of catching up to do. I think I’ve finally figured out how to introduce myself but am still out of my depth when it comes to Flickr.
Welcome, Anne.
It’s easy to get caught up in the social sharing. Put the art first and enjoy the lessons.
We had 10 people for Thanksgiving and many trips to the airport so I am quite behind with the lessons. Two kid’s birthdays in the next five days too. After sharing this, will stick to drawing in little minutes and worry about sharing when I can …
Hi,
My name is Rohit Kulkarni. I am from Bangalore, India.
I was always interested in arts. I had done a bit of sketching in the past. But things went very bookish when I sketched/drew as a student for knitwear design. Later I found the site wetcanvas and participated in their wde. It was fun. I have on and off sketched after that but never to my potential.
Joining this course, I am hopeful that some of Liz’s energy dusts on to me 😀
Some of my work can be found on http://www.rohitkulkarnis.blogspot.com
Hi everyone! My name’s Yasra and I am an art and architecture writer with a special interest in the history and theory of art/ criticism and architecture. I enjoy sketching, reading, cooking and writing. I live between Dubai and India. I have been sketching for a while but not as consistently as I’d like. Hopefully, that should change 🙂
Welcome Maria. Wish we lived closer. I think it would be fun to do a cycling trip that included stops to sketch AND drink coffee!! I live in Northern California.
hi, i am maria regina. i live in singapore.
i love sketching as a daily journal and an attempt to observe more by drawing.
i am a broadcast designer and i am a percussionist playing brazilian samba, arabic and indian music. i love traveling, bookbiniding, cylcing and a bit addicted to coffee 🙂 i love drawing people and used to be so scared of buildlings. hopefully i get better with architecture…
my flickr site:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/dreamtaym/
Hello Snowdrop and welcome to the course!
I think I have recently met your friend Dawn via this course and blog. It is good to know there are several of us in this locality. I am sure you will enjoy Sketch now and believe me, speaking as one who started at the beginning, I am still in dire need of repeating exercises! Thank goodness it is not a race and we all will travel at our own speed, enjoying the journey!
Ironically, re lesson 3 looking at postboxes, we have an Irish one in our garage, made by my husband for our son’s recent wedding to a lovely girl from County Mayo. Telling you this as if a green one appears as a local sketch, you Norfolk people will understand why!
Hello mickied!
Yes I think Dawn did mention having met up with a fellow course member. My real name is Julie by the way, but I do quite like being called Snowdrop! Thanks for the encouragement re catching up … I will try to not be agitated about catching up and enjoy the journey! The three lessons so far look brilliant. It’s amazing how many people are on this course! I will try and spot the green postbox on Flickr!
Hi, my name is Julie and, like Liz, I also live in Sydney. Have been learning watercolour for a few years in a loose style, so sketching is a new venture for me. I’ve just registered for the course, so have a bit of catching up to do!
Hi my name is Jessica and I live in the bushclad hills above Perth in Western Australia with my husband and cat, near my 2 adult children. I am 63 and in Jan this year stopped working as a psychologist and stopped everything else in my life to deal with breast cancer. Post surgery, post 4 months of heavy chemo, now 3wkly infusions of humanised mouse antibody, still badly fatigued but needing to get back into meditative activities that feel worthwhile and get me back in touch with the non-cancer-based world. I have done bursts of art study and work in the past: photography, printmaking, ceramics, and love drawing when I stop being rusty but am very shy while my hand-eye coordination is as badly out as it is now. I am not quite sure how to catch up: two lessons a week? just do what I can and trail behind? So glad to be joining you.
Hi Jessica,
So glad you’re healthy enough to take on the class. What a rough year.
Enjoy the process and don’t worry about catching up. Just jump in and swim 🙂
Michelle
Welcome!!!
Hi, I’m Julie. I am glad to see I am not the only late starter. So Trisha and Carla, I will be doing assignments late too.
I live in a village called Mulbarton just south of Norwich. I see from other comments that there are others nearby.
I sketch very occasionally maybe on holiday. I studied art at school and later on did some watercolour courses but that was years ago. Really want to rediscover my creative side and make sketching a natural and fun habit; I am apt to being a perfectionist and being negative and self-critical, aptitudes I want to eliminate.
I was introduced to Liz quite recently by a friend Dawn, also on the course. I find her work and attitude inspiring and encouraging.
Now just have to catch up 3 weeks!
Yay Dawn! good job getting Julie here too.
Welcome Trisha. I am a late starter as well – there are few of us laggers. We can support each other since our assignments may lag the others. 🙂
Hello, I’m Trisha. I’m late in starting, but I hope to catch up gradually. I’m a very new beginner .. have played around with “How to draw” books recently, but without the support/commitment to a group I find the blank page beats me. I like what you say about making friends with your inner critic, Liz, and hope I can do that.
I live in South Australia, am 63 and am a librarian. I like the outdoors and hope to have more time to be in it. My time is limited, and I hope to make some work that pleases me, but also to learn to SEE more and BE more in the moment.
I hope to go to Spain in late 2015, and want to develop the ability to do some useful sketching while I’m there. I’m excited about developing a new part of myself.
Welcome Trisha. I am a late starter as well – there are few of us laggers. We can support each other since our assignments may lag the others. 🙂
Me too!
Hi, I’am Christien and I live in a little village in the neighbourhood of Antwerp in Belgium. My job is a businessdeveloper for an ict-business integrator. I followed a drawing education in the academy for arts but that is another way of drawing which I really love. 2 years ago I got in touch with the Urban Sketchers Belgium and I fell in love with sketching, sketchbooks, sketchcrawls and many many drawing tools:-). Unfortunately I have not so much time but now it is a challenge to sit atb my desk every night and make somen ”awesome” art:-)
Hi, my name is Agata, I’m from Poland and live in Warsaw. I’m forty something 😉 Last year I read Danny Gregory’s “The Creative Licence” and – out of the blue;) – started to sketch the world around me. I drew a lot when I was a child, but stopped in my early twenties. I started to read books about art and blogs of great sketchers. My life seems to be the same, but on the other hand it changed so much…
I never met like-minded person in the real life yet, but – frankly speaking – it doesn’t matter: now I have a lot of sketch friends all around the world 🙂 Since Spring I have taken few online classes (SBS 1 and 2, Strathmore, Craftsy) but SketchingNow seems to be something special, because I’m a HUGE fan of our Liz:)
My blog: http://drawing-actually.blogspot.com/
Hi! I am Susana, I am from Argentina and I am living in Beijing. I have been sketching for a while but not systematically. I need to put things in order if I want to see something starting to grow in my sketching. As I travel a lot I have good opportunities for sketching. I need to find my own way. I think I have arrived to the right place for learning how to. I am very happy for participating. I like also to work with watercolor, oil painting.
Hi, My name is Jennifer and I live in Austin, TX.
I am a teacher and a photographer. I love art and sketching and want to improve my skills. I’m excited about taking this class!
Well, my intro was marked as spam by sketchingnow.com. Huh? Was it something I said? It’s because I’m a very late student, right? Duly noted.
Well, I’ll try again tonight: I’m D’Ann from Idaho. I am semiretired from teaching, and I love having the time to devote to my artsy side now! I look forward to this new class with Liz (I was introduced to her through Sketchbook Skool).
Hello! I’m D’Ann from Meridian, Idaho. I’m new to sketching just this year, thanks to two semesters of Sketchbook Skool. I loved Liz’s class, and i’m looking forward to jumping in to SketchingNow! Yes, I know I’m late for class…
Hi, I’m D’Ann from Meridian, Idaho, USA. I am semi-retired from teaching/librarian/mom to 3. Sketching is new to me this year since taking two semesters of Sketchbook Skool, and I loved Liz’s class!
Looking forward to learning new things from Liz again.
Hello, I’m D’Ann from Meridian, Idaho USA, semi-retired from teaching/librarian/mom to 3. I am new to sketchbooking this year, thanks to two semesters of Sketchbook Skool. I loved Liz’s class!
I’m looking forward to this class too. 🙂
A Native Northern Californian I live in Santa Cruz and am a Realtor by profession. Was introduced to a local Watercolor Journaling Group and they not only welcomed my inexperience but pointed me in this direction AND challenged me to do a sketch or w/c everyday w/o pencil, eraser or ruler for 75 days. I started 10/3 and figured it was the best birthday present I could give myself. Excited. Fearful and determined to put ego aside. I am starting this 2 weeks late and hope to catch up so I better get at it….
HI, Karla!
Hi DiAnnZ !!! Glad to see you here.
Are the other LAGGERS here yet? 🙂
Haven’t seen them… maybe they are skipping this step. I will go look for them.
Hello, my name is Elena, I am Italian and I currently live in Rome, Italy, where I work as an Interior Designer. I often have to sketch a piece of furniture or a room but my sketching is childish. I can use Illustrator, Auto-cad and Photoshop but most of the time I end having to sketch because the clients and the artisans understand better hand-drawing than computer-drawing.
I have a blog that speaks about decoration if you want to have a look
http://egiavarini.blogspot.it/
Thank you Liz for having me in your course.
(you can also download from the blog a free mini-guide of Rome where in the future I would like to add some sketches).
Hello, I am Corinne. I live in Arnhem in the Netherlands. I love sketching and hope to learn a lot during this course. So far I enjoyed it a lot. Is there anybody else following the course, who lives in the Netherlands?
Hallo Corinne, ik ben wel nederlandse, maar ik woon niet in NL, maar op Tenerife (Canarische Eilanden, Spanje). Groetjes, Willy Anderson
Hallo Willy,
ik heb je blog bekeken.Leuk!
Groetjes,
Corinne
Hi all, I’m Annette, and I am in the process of moving from deep south Texas (yes, we live 9 miles from the Mexican border and no, I am not afraid to go outside!), USA, to Louisiana, and am currently surrounded by boxes! I have been involved in photography, specifically nature photography, for several years, and, while I have enjoyed it very much, because I am outdoors all the time, I feel it’s now time to grab hold of my non-drawing ability and make it a drawing ability instead. I have an almost insane desire to sketch the world around me, and know that even though, right now, I am making rudimentary sketches, only practice will improve my drawing skills. Glad to meet everyone in cyber-school, and look forward to seeing everyone’s work. Liz, already, I have learned so much and thoroughly enjoy your teaching style. Thanks for making the time to create this course.
Hi everyone. I’m Elise, a fine art photographer branching out into sketching and watercolor. Just spent a fabulous 10 days at a watercolor sketching workshop in Tuscany with Brenda Swenson and am eager to continue the progress I made there. Looking forward to getting to know you all.
I’m Kelley from Boise, Idaho and put down my paints and pastels for almost 7 years after many years in the galleries. It’s time to start again and I’m ready to roll.
Hi, Kelley–I’m in Meridian! 🙂
Hi, Kelley, I’m in Meridian!
Hi, Kelley! I’m in Meridian 🙂
Hi, Kelley! I live in Meridian!
Hello, I’m Sandra and I live in the now FREEZING cold city of Libertyville, Illinois, USA. I have been doing art in one form or another for most of my life. I’ve spent about 35 years as a graphic designer and was a medical illustrator in the late 70’s (YIKES that was long ago!) I am also passionate about animal welfare, especially regarding feral and stray cats. I actually started a nonprofit that helps sterilize feral cats so they can live healthier lives and so the population of unwanted kittens is reduced. That and art fill me.
Hello Dawn hope you get to see this!
I can be at Notcutts on Monday or Wedsnesday morning of next week if you can make it! I am enjoying the course and will bring my sketchbook to the coffee are, if you are able to come at anytime on those two mornings. I have lots to learn- I seem to be saying that for quite a number of years now!
Best wishes
Mickied
Hi all, My name is Heather I live in Sydney. I loved drawing in high school but was turned off by a couple of teachers. One that loved my ideas so much she would take over and make me loose my vision (and I found I had to ask her what the next step was which took the fun out of my creation). And the second who I loved, but she started doing adult classes only which I was not able to join. So I guess you could say I lost my way. I started again a few months ago, have filled 3 sketchbooks and hope to fill a lot more 😀
It’s great to see some fellow Sydney siders!
Hello Everyone…My name is Paula and I live in Minnesota, a US state that borders Canada. I have always pursed art interests but was hooked on sketching about 2 years ago when I took an Urban Sketching class. It opened up big new worlds to me, not only in terms of drawing styles & public drawing (yikes) but the larger world with all of you sketchers out there. I have taken 3 Sketchbook Skool classes and a couple of Koesje Koene’s online classes as well. Love watercolor and drawing, music, travel and my family!. Look forward to learning and sharing a lot with everyone here.
Hi. My name is Sandra and I live in Langley, British Columbia, Canada. I was raised on the Northern end of Vancouver Island in a small town called Port McNeill. I have always drawn or created something since I can remember. I studied Graphic Design and Visual Arts in the big city before settling down back in Port McNeill. I moved to the big city (Langley) about 12 years ago and make my living as a commercial artist in the architectural glass world. I love what I do but I spend all my time on computers. I have been looking forward to retiring soon but that is still about 20 years away. I have been trying to get back to working with my hands and pens/pencils for years. When I came across Liz’s sketching blog and class, I thought this is MY KICK IN THE PANTS and make that time. I love all forms of art but my passion is Watercolour sketching and Calligraphy as you can see on my Pinterest page (Sandi Stephens). Really looking forward travelling and sketching my way through life and retirement. Thanks.
Hi Sandra, I live in Whistler & get to the Vancouver area fairly regularly, tho’ not so much out to Langley, maybe one day we can meet up and sketch together 🙂 Or if you’re in Whistler, there is a group of us who meet regularly to sketch at coffee shops or in the evening go to a pub (Drink & Draw – we’ve just started with those), life drawing etc. So let me know if you’re in town – [email protected]
Hi my names Cerena and I live in the country about 2 hours north east of Perth, West Aus. Great to read all about everyone and looking forward to improving my quick drawing skills. I have always done some sort of art during my life, though it was difficult when my kids were little. Now they have flown the nest I am just getting into enjoying time for me:)
Found Urban Sketchers while surfing the net and it struck a cord with me. Really looking forward to the next 12 weeks.
Thanks!
Welcome cerena from another sandgroper – from way down south
Hello, my name is Annette and I live in Germany near Cologne.
It’s nice to see so many familiar names that I know from SBS already. I’m a big fan of Liz’ structured and lively manner to teach and am looking forward to the next months together!
Hi, I’m Jean. I live north of Seattle, Washington near Puget Sound. As my login implies, I’m a VERY simple sketcher. I recently retired from a career in engineering, love architecture and travel, and really want to be brave enough to sketch when I travel. Teacups are too small for the tea or coffee I drink and when I travel I buy a mug from my favorite places. When I have my morning coffee I just think where I’d like to be that day and choose that mug! It brings pleasant memories to the beginning of each day.
Hi Jean. Are you near Ballard? My artist daughter lives on a boat there. Love visiting the area. I wish you well in your sketching endeavors!
Hi my name is Mary. I am retired but, still have a 15 year old to raise. I live in SW Mich. Hoping to move to Florida by next summer. I have taken a couple of drawing and watercolor classes and hooked on sketchbook skool for sure. I consider myself a beginner but, in spite of my lack of talent I have alot of enthusiasm. I just love drawing and painting. Watching the paper come alive. Can’t really explain it only to say I just love it. Looking forward to learning to really be able to draw and paint well. Glad to meet you all. Very exciting to see where everyone is from. Found out about Liz in SBS and I just love that she explains everything.
Hi Mary, My daughter lives in St. Joseph, MI and I have a daughter that lives in Florida in Lakeland. I am a Michigan native but currently live in North Carolina. I have just started drawing and watercolor classes and I am still doing SKS beginnings, it takes me awhile to get things done while working. I love it all and am so excited to be able to be so creative! I am still working but we visit both Michigan and Florida on a regular basis. Good luck and maybe we’ll run into each other sometime.
Hi, Mary. I live just a bit north of Holland, Michigan. Currently under a great deal of snow and wind! Perhaps when the roads are passable we can meet in the middle and sketch together some time!
Hi this is JennyI. I live in Manly, Sydney near the harbour and Pacific Ocean. I’m loving reading where everyone comes from. Who would have thought years ago we’d be connecting this way. I took up sketching when 65 years mainly because I wanted to be able to draw for my grandkids. Now we all draw together. Aged 1 – 4. I was fortunate to come across Liz so have loved attending her classes and workshop….just love those pigments and the fact every drawing is special… And wonky lines add character. Ha. Cheers all
I’m Laurie, I’ve lived in San Francisco for the last 30 years. Before that I lived in Australia for about 15 years, and a bunch of other places before that. Since 1985 I’ve been a graphic designer and illustrator. I’ve been working on the computer ever since the first Mac Plus came out. About 6 years ago I did a field sketching class in the Sierra Nevada with John Muir Laws and realized that I needed to get back to working without an undo button, getting my fingers dirty and looking at the world with my own eyes, without electronic mediation. I decided to develop a regular sketching practice, but could never get my friends to come out with me. So two years ago I set up a weekly Meetup group, http://www.meetup.com/SF-Sketchers/ and discovered that lots of other people also wanted to ditch their electronic devices and sketch on paper, in company with other people.
I’ve admired Liz’s work on flickr and in her blog for a long time, and am excited to learn more about her approach to sketching.
You can find me on flickr at https://www.flickr.com/photos/lauriewigham/
Hi Laurie,
I just joined this course, a little late. I live in Oakland and go to your meetups.
Sandee Shultz
You’re the Sandy who came to the mountains with me last month, no? Have I been spelling your name wrong all this time? Apologies!
Hi, I am Tyanne (rhymes with Diane). i have been drawing for about 6 years now after being a long time quilter. i have always loved and felt confident with color but felt I could not draw. Slowly that has been changing. I have admired Liz’ work for years so could not resist taking this class. It looks like it will be fun.
Dearest Liz,
I am so excited to start your class, I love your style of art and that’s why I am so excited to learn from you.
I am new to art, but right now we are moving from our home in Palmdale CA to Oxnard, CA. So I have been quite busy packing, but as soon as we get settled I look forward to starting my assignments. Liz I love it that you give us assingments to work on. Thank you for this class I really look forward to learning from you.
Kalena here, I live in Anacortes Washington, I’m a member of Anacortes Sketchers ASk.
I enjoy learning about drawing and water color. Grew having had someone tell me that I could not even draw stick people right…so spent many years not bothering to try! As a ‘grown up’ I realized that was a personal lie and decided to give it a try! I’ve done just about every other craft imaginable over the years so why not this!
It’s fun and challenging and I have found it is possible to learn with practice and instruction and lots of patience!….and I’ve met so many wonderful people in the process! Now I can include all of you too! K
Hello! I’m Melissa Wiley, a children’s book author and mom of six in San Diego, California. I have had a lifelong yearning to draw and paint, but my efforts to learn how have been few and fleeting. In a costume design class in college we read Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain and spent a few class periods doing negative space exercises, and I was entranced–but I was busy doing other things and didn’t persevere with sketching after the class moved on. After I had children I began doing some nature journaling with them, but again I’ve been quite sporadic about my own work, much more a facilitator of theirs. My kids can draw circles around me! 😉
This past year, I’ve been watching a lot of art tutorials on Youtube with my kids, and for the past couple of months, my youngest daughter and I have been enjoying working in our art journals together while listening to audiobooks. This past fall I took a short Line Drawing class with Lisa Congdon and an Art Journaling class with Dawn Devries Sokol, both via Creativebug, and those have inspired me be consistent about doing art on a daily basis. I am just about to finish my first course with Sketchbook Skool and heard about this workshop on the SBS Facebook page. I couldn’t resist! So here I am.
I have been fortunate to have my books illustrated by some truly wonderful artists, including Erwin Madrid, Sebastien Braun, Ag Jatkowska, and Melissa Iwai. I admire and envy their talents! 🙂
In addition to writing books, I have been blogging about my family’s reading life and other adventures for nearly 10 years at Here in the Bonny Glen (http://melissawiley.com/blog ).
Twitter: @melissawiley
Instagram: @bonnyglen
Melissa,
I enjoyed a peruse of your blog. I see you’ve read most of Helene Hanff’s books! I love all of those and reread them frequently. Took my teen daughter to London in the Spring (also homeschooling, originally 6, two now graduated) and we hunted down the much changed premises of 84 Charing Cross Rd. Many lovely old bookstores still nearby. It was good sketching territory. (I wrote to Hanff as a teen and got a postcard back with her famous address across the top … now a permanent bookmark in my beat up copy of “84”.)
I live in Balgowlah Heights, on the Northern Beaches of Sydney with my husband, our labradoodle and 2 ‘boomerang’ adult children. I was a primary school teacher for 30 years and loved creating art with children but I never had much time to do my own art. Now that I’ve retired, I have the time to follow my interests – sketching, painting, travel and coffee with friends.
The removal of a benign brainstem tumour in 2008 resulted in the restricted use of the right side of my body. I have taught herself to paint and sketch with my left hand. As Liz says…I’ve decided to embrace this wobbly, loose style and develop it. I find that I get ‘lost’ in sketching and this helps me escape from dealing with nerve pain. So more art = less pain! The best medicine!
I’m Carol and I live in Brisbane. I was born in South Africa and lived there until I immigrated to Australia 4 years ago. I went to art school and trained to be a teacher, taught for some time and then did a number of other things including book illustration, mosaic designs, running my garden landscaping company and finally I opened a retail shop with my son and daughter in law.
When I moved here, I convinced them to buy my share in the family business and now earn my living from art. I teach and run workshops from my home studio; paint and undertake commissions.
Sketching was always something I only did while on holiday, now I am making it part of my daily life.
I am glad to see you here Dale and looking forward to a great class.
Hi My name is Dale. I have always been interested in art, drawing and watercolor. No time for art through most of my life, with career and family. Now I have been in SBS Beginning, Seeing and Storytelling and now in Liz’s class. I have met some lovely people in SBS and we have formed a group East Bay Sketchers. We just got together again today. I live in Concord, CA.
Hi, I’m Andrea. I also live in Louisiana and found out about this class through the Facebook Sketchbook Skool group. I started sketching a year ago last October after retiring and visiting an art museum while on vacation. I’ve taken all 3 SBS semesters & have really enjoyed them. Keeping a travel journal while on vacation a few months ago really opened up my eyes as to a new way to more deeply experience my world, both familiar and foreign.
Hello everyone,
Wow it took me a while to get to the end of this list! My name is Angela and I live in Conway, PA near Pittsburgh. I am an elementary school teacher. I have always loved art; especially drawing and watercolor. I have taken all 3 Sketchbook Skool semesters and Awesome Art Journaling. Really enjoyed Liz’s Sketchbook class and looking forward to this one. I consider myself a life long learner of art. I am on Flickr and Facebook. See you in class.
Angela
Hello I’m Laura. I live in Louisiana. I love to sketch all the wonderful things around me. Learning all the time. Enjoy Liz’s classes before through Sketchbook Skool had to come back. Looking forward to class
Hi, Laura, Spotted on Sketchbook Skool that you were just signing on. Glad to see you. Beth Trembley
Hi Laura
I hope you have managed to sort out your Flickr account 🙂
Hi, I am Susan Torgerson James and I live in Gainesville, Florida. I have a background of studying architecture, interior design, and textile design. I have worked at many things including my own children’s clothing design business, teaching, and I am now hand painting silk scarves and making a few women’s jackets and silk and linen tops.
I have been sketching for awhile and am a part of Journey Daybook where we make illustrated travel journals. I was lucky to be able to attend the USK Symposium in Brazil this year and I took a workshop with Liz. I am looking forward to improving my sketching and becoming a better Urban Sketcher. I love being a part of this global group!
I can be found at http://www.facebook.com/satorisilk and on flickr Satorisilk.
Hi Susan! I decided to join the Foundations Class. You and Peggy are having too much fun and I too want to participate. See you later today when I’ll begin to catch up.
Hi, you two! have fun together today!
What an interesting and diverse group! I am so much looking forward to spending the next 12 weeks (well only 11 left) with you and Liz.
I am from Vienna, Austria (Europe) and it’s really nice to see some other Austrians in this course – so maybe the sketchcrawls in Austria will have more participants in the future. And I also recognize some fellow quilters – hello Helen Conway and Gloria Hansen.
I am so happy that Liz has finally decided to launch this course. I found her blog about 2 years ago and immediately realized that this is exactly the way I would like to sketch. I tried on my own and in some courses (yes – Sketchbookskool as well) and now I’m able to take a course with Liz.
Hi, I am Ev from Durban, South Africa. I am a stock photographer and food blogger , and haven’t really done much sketching since school days ( a very long time ago) so looking forward to this challenge. Have long been an admirer of Liz’s work, so I am hoping to learn a lot.
My blog : http://shadesofcinnamon.com/
Hello all, I’m Diane, and I’m from Healdsburg, California which is in the beautiful wine country, about an hour north of San Francisco. I’ve admired and followed Liz for a number of years, and am so excited to be part of this group! I’m a lawyer by profession, working distantly for a firm on the opposite side of the country doing the written side of legal work. I live with my teenaged daughter, a dog and a cat.
I sketch regularly with an Urban Sketchers group in my area (Urban Sketchers – North Bay) and have really enjoyed the Sketchbook Skool classes. I love seeing different styles and approaches to sketching, and I’m finding my way into my own style, I guess. I try a little of everything and see how it goes! I blog about my creative pursuits at http://www.goingtopieces.blogspot.com , and you can see my sketches on my flickr page, too. https://www.flickr.com/photos/dphock/
So glad to be in this class!
Diane
Hi, I’m Julie, a Brit, living with my husband in Javea, Spain. I started watercolour painting 2 years ago and love it, but my drawing lets me down and is inhibiting my progress. Liz writes an inspiring blog and I look forward to learning from her wealth of experience. Already the first exercise has made me focus on the equipment I use, and forced sketching into my day.
Hi All,
My name is Cecilia, I am from Hungary, live in a tiny village near Budapest. I am an illustrator, graphic designer.
You find my blog here: http://www.felleg.blogspot.com or facebook/fellegajto – although I am quite a hectic blogger.
I am glad to see so many passionate sketchers-to-be… My aim with this course is to improve my sketching, develop my own style and establish a routine of daily sketching… And also because Liz is a very inspiring person for me…
Is there anyone here from nearby Budapest?
Cecilia
Hi everyone! My name is Rebekah and i’m a stay at home mom from the U.S. in the state of California. I have loved art since a child and am so excited to learn more!! Watercolor is my favorite media with mixed media being my second. I love to quilt, knit and crochet. You can find me at BekahJan.com where there is also a link to my social media sites.
Welcome to the class. Its fun to meet you here.
Hi, my name is Claire McFeely. I’m in San Jose, California which is in the bay area near San Francisco. I’ve been working for 36+years as a software designer, but as I approached mid-life and my 3 sons were getting older, I started craving doing something more creative and more with my hands. A few years ago I started watercolor journaling and fell in love with doing casual pages for myself (no place on the walls at home to hang stuff and I prefer being more private) which mix text and image. I am most passionate when my subject touches my family or friends – times spent together, memory pages of sentimental items, etc.
I also love to walk, cook (for fun), sew, garden, listen to music, ….
A few years ago I started a blog, http://www.clairessketchbook.blogspot.com
I haven’t been active on it much this year, but I hope to start reposting to it and connecting with other artists. Stop by and take a look.
Hi Claire! I live in Concord just north of you! So neat to have a classmate from the Bay Area! 🙂
Nice to hear from another one near by in California! 😉
You might want to come sketch with EastBay Sketchers some time. The group is on Facebook.
I live in Concord, CA, too.
Hi, my name is Ann and it is nice to meet you all. I live in Sydney, Australia and I am looking forward to seeing your art works representing different parts of the world where you live. I have been sketching for one year and have a lot to learn so I’m really looking forward to the home work.
Hi, my name is Kate, I live in a small coastal town in Victoria Australia.
My painting and sketching began over the last few years. I am looking forward to learning greater skills and gaining more confidence in quick sketching.
Hi Kate, I also live on Victoria’s coast – at Warrnambool. Am I anywhere near you?
Hi Janet, We live in Far East Gippsland in Mallacoota so couldn’t be much further away. Both beautiful locations.
Hi all. My name is Mary. I’m originally from Detroit, but I’ve lived in Chicago for 25 years. I’ve sketched for a long time, but I’ve never taken an online class before, so this should be fun. I also like to knit and crochet.
Hi everyone, my name is Cheryl
I live in Canberra. I work full time but really want to be an artist! My art passion is mixed media but I desperately want to be able to create a visual journal for my travel adventures. I’ve tried. I’m really not very good. AND I’m scared stiff of drawing in public. I’ve got so much to learn!!!
I am Nancy and I live in San Diego , CA I in the USA. After my husband and I retired, we traveled through all 49 states in our Roadtrek 20 foot RV. I recorded our travels with a written journal and photographs but never had enough courage to illustrate them. I have many ideas from Sketchbook Skool and am looking forward to learning the skills from Liz to put them to paper.
Hi everyone,
I am Marylou and live in Brunswick Heads, northern NSW. I have done one of Liz’s architecture sketching classes in the rocks which was invaluable. I am so grateful for the mighty internet to give me the chance to learn more! I love drawing & painting but tend to get caught up in the detail. Sketching helps to overcome the obsession for perfection!
Greetings. I am Barbara from Atlanta, Georgia in the USA. I found out about this course from Sketchbook Skool and also your blog, Liz. My Sketchbook buddy, my sister-in-law, and I are taking your class together. I am a novice artist, having taken drawing and painting art classes intermittently throughout my life. I am looking forward to the foundational aspect of this course, as I learn best by starting with basic and building on that knowledge. I know that I didn’t need to but I bought some watercolors yesterday and am already having some fun.
hello,
karen from the left coast USA. a landscape architect who found out about this class via BeLoose..com .. i use AD markers instead of water color, and colored pencils instead of water color pencils, but the principals are the same. and interesting to use a blender marker instead of water…
i hope to get better at sketching and colors while having fun 🙂
Hi! I am Petra and living near Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Started in May this year with drawing and currently following Sketchbook school “seeing”. I really need to learn a lot and also “to loosen up” with my drawings and draw more regularly. I have been following Liz’s blog with great pleasure and am looking forward to this course!
Hi! My name is Bruce and I live in Christchurch, New Zealand. Most mornings after breakfast, courtesy of the Internet, I have followed the sketches of Liz and others as they sketch round Sydney; The Rocks and CBD, and other places I remember from holidays. I have followed her progress and look forward to being part of it.
Hi! My name is Bruce and I live in Christchurch, New Zealand. Most mornings after breakfast, courtesy of the Internet, I have followed the sketches of Liz and others as they sketch round Sydney; The Rocks and CBD, . I have followed her progress and look forward to being part of it.
Hi, I’m Clarissa, a Brazilian/American living in a small farm in the countryside of São Paulo State, in Brazil. I love drawing and sketching, and I’m trying to practice every day (when life doesn’t interfere!). I’m an artist, a mother, a grandmother, a wife, a reader, and much more – who isn’t nowadays? My principles in life are my love of knowledge, my goal to be a good person and self-analysis. I hate gossip, stupidity, frogs of any kind and violence. I’m a feminist and I don’t live without dogs. I think that sums it up. Very excited for Liz’s lessons.
My name is Dawn and I live in a small village in Norfolk (UK). I came across the idea of keeping an illustrated journal and although I don’t consider myself a skilled artist I’ve jumped in and am thoroughly enjoying it! I discovered Liz Steel a year or two ago and have been reading her blog which is such an inspiration. Apart from Liz’s wonderful style and contagious enthusiasm it’s great to find a Christian who is so comfortable about her faith and sharing it appropriately as part of her artwork and writing. Yes, I am also a Christian (and a vicar!). Enjoying week 1 of the Foundations course and really looking forward to the remaining 11 sessions!
Welcome, Dawn! I agree about the faith thing. Where are you in Norfolk? I love sketching on the North Norfolk coast, esp around Burnham Overy Staithe. I live in the States, by my mum still runs an art group at her church in Norwich, Surrey Sketchers, as well as one that meets in Hethersett. She also puts on art shows in Wymondham in the old library. Norfolk is such a fantastic place to draw.
Thank you for this – amazing! I’m in Saxlingham Nethergate – very close to Wymondham and Hethersett. I also enjoy North Norfolk, especially Holt, Sheringham and Blakeney! Is Surrey Sketchers part of Surrey Chapel? I’ve spoken a couple of times at their Wednesday fellowship (ladies group).
Yes, Surrey Chapel. They meet on Fridays.
It’s such a small world, isn’t it?!
Hello Dawn
The world has got even smaller! I actually live very close to Notcutts on the Norwich inner ring road! so pleased to see you and Brian are nearby and will look forward to seeing your work.
Like you I have been following Liz’s blogs for several years and wished I was not so far from Sydney. Now we have the chance to join in online I am so pleased.
If you fancy meeting up, maybe at Notcutts café sometime, do let me know. Would love to see your sketchbooks and very happy for you to see my scrawls-I assure you they are VERY amateurish! Now must get back to my homework!
Hi mickied
I left a reply further up (takes ages to locate an entry on this thread!) – Notcutts sounds good. My sketching is also amateurish and not very prolific but I do enjoy working in my journal – looking forward to gaining a bit more confidence through this course!
Hi Dawn,
Well I succumbed and although a little late I have joined up to the course.
(For others reading, I am already a friend of Dawn’s and she inspired me to join in. So I am another one in the Norwich area, I live just south of Norwich in Mulbarton)
My name is Leona and I live in Canada. An academic historian by training, I have been enamoured for years by the tiny drawings found in some Victorian-era diaries. Just over a year ago, I took up sketching. My goals are modest: to improve and to have fun. I am confident that this Foundations course will help me achieve my goals. Cheers.
Hi everyone. My name is Shauna. I live in Avalon on Sydney’s Northern beaches ( I was excited to see Liz visited my area this week). I co own an art supplies shop in this area and one of my lovely customers told me about this course.(ps Liz was right , access to a large amount of art supplies does not make you a good sketcher.)
I grew up in a creative family and tried many forms of art and other creative activities, everything from stained glass to sewing to painting. The one thing I have stuck to and love is printmaking, mostly Lino cuts. I love the strong lines and colour. I have never been a drawer or sketcher but have always loved the idea of sitting and sketching, especially since my husband has retired and we hope to be able to do a few short getaways. I could sketch while he plays golf. I just have to get over the fear and self criticism. Hoping Liz will help with this. X
Hello everyone, I’m Sandra from Sydney, Australia. I work in paediatric health and relax by creating with paper/paint/glue. I have had the privilege of taking two classes with Liz sketching and painting teacups and buildings in The Rocks. Absolutely love her teaching style. Signed up to Sketchbook Skool and recognise a few names from SBS. So looking forward to Liz’s class and sharing how we all see this wonderful world.
Hi everyone. I’m Jim Blodget.I’ve been drawing and painting for pleasure since I retired in 2008. I love to tinker with all kinds of media. Along the way I’ve been a photographer, film maker, TV producer, director, editor, instructor, media specialist, computer programmer, web designer, and blogger. I’m 66 and live in the beautiful Pacific Northwest (Oregon, USA). Link to my blog: jimblodget.com/blog and to my Flickr photostream: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jimblodget/ .
Hi Everyone! I’m Barbara from Vancouver, Canada and I am a Sketchbook Skool Skolar and novice sketchbook artist. I have just started sketching and journaling a few months ago and haven really enjoying the journey so far. I am a curriculum designer in higher education and work with health scientists and interactive arts academics including engineers and architects. I have always loved structure and patterns and I am really looking forward to this course with Liz. I have enjoyed other creative pursuits over the years from music to tailoring to knitting. I have a Flickr site and will soon launch my blog. Stay tuned….
Hi, I’m Beth, and I live in Austin, Texas. I accidentally became a technical writer a long time ago, but I’ve always dabbled in art. My degree is in art history, minor in interior design. I’m here because I somehow stumbled onto your blog, Liz, and suddenly had found someone who paints and draws the way I want to paint and draw. Loose and expressive and communicating in real time. I was also toying with the sketchbook and journal ideas, so that’s a plus.
Although I’ve certainly taken fine watercolor and drawing classes over the years, I finally realized that I’m not interested in doing full-blown watercolor paintings or especially realistic drawings. I really just want the suggestion of an experience, a prompt of the memory of where it was and what I was doing. I don’t want to spend gobs of time on it, and I want to move on. But I want to look back at it later and check in to that place. It’s so true that your memory of a place and time is much more vivid if you draw it, even quickly.
And I’ll add that I’ve never felt the least confident with watercolor or with sketching in public places. I’ve done it, but not with brilliant results. 🙂
Beth, that was so well expressed. Thanks for taking the time to voice your thoughts on what you want from sketching.
Hi Beth. I’m Ellen, and also an Austinite. let me know if you’re ever in the mood to meet up and sketch for a few hours..
Beth, I like your career description process as “accidentally.” I also became a technical writer in a less-than-planned way. My experience is that many of us in this field have strong creative interests. I’m looking forward to enjoying this class with you. Barbara, Technical Writer/Instructional Designer from Atlanta, GA, USA.
G’day, My name is Tony. I live at Wentworth Point in Sydney near the Olympic precinct. I have come to art late in life having spent the last 15 years making fine furniture after retiring from business and was looking for something to do. My main aim is botanic art but I am also interested in drawing/painting what is around me and appeals to my eye. I am particularly keen to draw any travelling that I do.
Hi everyone, I’m Amanda and we live in a small village near Windsor in the UK and several months of the year in an even smaller village near Cognac in South West France (lifetime dream realised when I retired four or five years’ ago). So, more of a rural sketcher than an urban one, accompanied by an uncomplaining elderly Border Collie, though he’d probably be delighted if I speeded up a bit! Along with several other people here, I’ve just finished Semester 3 of Sketchbook Skool which was really pushing me a lot. Have admired and followed Liz for a long while, so hope some of her magic will rub off!
Hi I’m Mel from Melbourne, Australia.
I just started sketching and drawing at the start of the year after signing up for a one day watercolour workshop on a whim. From there I found Liz’s blog and Sketchbook Skool and have been having a great time. I’m a writer by trade so nice to have a new creative thing that’s just for fun again! Looking forward to the next twelve months hanging out and learning with everyone.
Hi Mel, There are a few of us from Melbourne here. Nice to meet you. Sketchbook Skool seems to be very popular; I must look it up. Cheers, Sandi
Hello, everyone:
My name is Marion, and I live outside Toronto, Canada. I created a lot of art when I was much younger, but only in the last year have I taken it up again. I started sketching (with some measure of consistency) this past spring in preparation for keeping an illustrated travel journal for a trip I was taking to Italy in the summer. Now long back from the trip, I am hooked on sketching. I am inhaling books, courses, blogs, and anything I can get my hands on, related to sketching, especially travel sketching.
I take classes on watercolour and acrylic painting, but often can’t wait to get to my sketchbook. I started a blog about a year ago that has a lot of my art, as well as some pieces by friends of mine. If you’d like to stop by and leave some words of encouragement, the blog is at http://artwewonderful.com/.
Hi everyone,
I’m as excited as all of you to be part of this group. I live in Sunnyvale, California, USA. I see that there are others in the group who live in the general area. So perhaps we can get together to sketch at some point during the class. I’m a member of Sketchcrawl.com and had a small group who sketched monthly in the South San Francisco Bay area. You can view our efforts here
http://sketchcrawlsv.blogspot.com
Hi Carmela – If you ever get up to San Francisco you’re welcome to join the SF Sketchers meetups. http://www.meetup.com/SF-Sketchers/
Also, John Muir Laws’ Nature Journal Club has monthly field trips all over the bay area, and once a month a field journaling class in Santa Clara and San Mateo. For more info, see http://www.johnmuirlaws.com/events and https://www.facebook.com/groups/naturejournalclub/
Thanks for the info Laurie. I’m unlikely to make it to SF, but I’ll check out the John Muir Laws link. I’m interested in drawing nature–so may be able to join you. Between Sketchcrawl, Meetup and UrbanSketchers, there is a lot happening in the Bay area. Lucky us!
Yes, we are very lucky.
Well, I pressed submit to fast :).
My name is Yana and i live in San Diegom CA. Very excited to attend the class.
Looking forward to meeting you all.
Hi,
my name is Ya
Hi everyone.
My name is Mila and I currently live in Israel.
Loved Liz’s Sketchbook Skool class, so I decided to enroll.
I’ve always done some kind of art and I’m looking forward to learning to sketch with more spontaneity.
Hi to you all. I am Heather, and I live in Encinitas California, which is a few miles north of San Diego. I am new to art and sketching, but am very excited to start this class. I am originally from New Zealand, and spend a lot of time in Melbourne Australia where my son lives. Gardening and quilting are my other therapies!
Hi. Is this where I introduce myself? Am a retired English teacher with no art training, but have benn dabbling with watercolour and textile art for several years – but it’ s since I discovered Urban Sketching that I feel I may have found my ‘thing’. Belong to both Manchester Urban Sketchers and Yorkshire Urban sketchers. Have followed Liz’s blog and love her work. Hoping to get faster and loosed as I go through the course. My only worry is the technology…..
Hello Anne,
I’m Elaine from Carlisle, which in terms of participants on this course makes us near neighbours. If the techie stuff look daunting, the best I can suggest is – find a teenager, they just make light of it all and at their age they don’t worry about breaking anything. Good luck in the coming weeks.
Elaine,
To have left your IT day job for needlecrafts sounds like a dream come true. I work for an data center consulting firm and I also knit and crochet, so your story resonates with me.
Best of luck in this class and your business.
Marj
Hello everyone, my word this list of greetings is getting very long!
My name is Elaine and I live in Carlisle, Cumbria, close to the English/Scottish border. I’m delighted to see that I’m not the only sketcher from the far North planning to go out in winter. I started drawing just a year ago, but my local art class has lost its tutor, and If I found Liz’s wonderful work while searching for support and ideas on line. I quit my day job as a IT business consultant 2 years ago to teach needlecrafts on a freelance basis and have never been happier. Just planning to make some fingerless mitts to keep my hands warm.
Can we put in orders? It is getting pretty nippy for outdoor sketching in the far west of Wales too – though I did manage a 5-minute sketch today wearing those silly gloves with special finger ends for using with a mobile phone.
Hello Maggie
I see from your intro that you’re way out west in Pembrokeshire – such a beautiful place, lucky you. I’m going to make the mitts from the sleeves of a treasured old sweater, which will be quicker than knitting.
Yes, Pembrokeshire is lovely when it’s not raining….yesterday we had a picnic on the beach in warm sunshine. No need for gloves – and yes I did do a sketch too. I tried making wrist warmers from an old jersey last year, but they were a bit light-weight, so I may have to pinch one of my husbands old sweaters for another go this winter.
Jan from Milwaukee, Wisconsin (north of Chicago on Lake Michigan).
New to sketching and happy to have found it!
I work with Veterans with serious mental illness and have found my sketching adds to the “joy” side of my day—balancing me and giving me a good dose of quiet energy. Now I ask regularly: Why doesn’t everyone sketch and paint?!
I’m Sharon from Western Colorado, U.S.A. I’m getting back into drawing many years after earning a fine arts degree.
Loved Liz’s approach to drawing in her Sketchbook Skool class, so here I am.
Anyone else from the West Slope out there?
Ling, I also crochet and knit. In fact, have crocheted longer than I’ve been drawing.
Marj
I’m Ling from Singapore. I have very little sketching experience, but recently tried to pick up watercolor journalling with my 4 children, whom I home-school. I’ve always found my perfectionist tendencies getting in the way of drawing and painting, so I’m hoping to work on those insecurities. I find it easier to crochet….it’s nearly always neat, and mistakes can be easily undone.
Hi Ling,
Just to say your not the only one with perfectionist tendencies that get in the way of drawing and painting. It is going to be a real challenge for me to use a bound sketchbook and not tear any pages out! May need to just scribble on one page just to break the perfectionist spell! Here’s to a new freedom in our artwork!
Hi all,
I live in El Segundo, California. Started drawing again this past year (took a few semesters of architectural drafting in college). Interesting improving my drawing skills and learning more about working with other mediums.
Cheers!
Helen
Hi everyone. I’m Fran from Geraldton, Western Australia. I found Liz through Danny Gregory and Urban Sketchers. I’m looking forward to learning to sketch with more spontaneity, less procrastination and the confidence to sketch wherever I happen to be. Such a big group here. This is going to be fun!
Hello everyone – iI am from Canberra Australia. I went to art school 30 years ago and trained in painting but life took me towards textiles and then teaching Photoshop, Illustrator and web design in an art school. I have always kept a journal and studio journals but after many years I am returning to drawing from life- in a sketchbook. Most of all after years of computer work I enjoying the rediscovery of ‘marks and stuff’ on paper. I am looking forward to this class after reading Liz’s blog for years.
You can find me at
http://tonesandtints.com
and for textiles at
http://pintangle.com
If there are any other Canberrans out there – I would love to make contact
Hi, everyone, I’m Cate, a lifelong Sydney resident. Most of my art experience has been printmaking and I’m quite new to sketching. Looking forward to this course!
In regard to unsubscribing to comments
To unsubscribe from this or any comment section you have subscribed to click the ‘unsubscribe option’ at the base of one of the emails you have received. (unchecking the “notify me of follow-up comments by email”below doesn’t work.)
I have included an image in the questions page
https://sketchingnow.com/questions/
wow, what a group! I think the aussies may be bending the class curve!
I live in San Diego California and have been drawing for about 6 months. I connected the same dots from Danny Gregory to Urban Sketchers to LIz. I am retired from marketing medical products and have fallen hard for my sketchbooks, pens and brushes.
I am also just down the 5 from several folks and have gas money.
HI everyone – It is so great to hear from you all!
(I am testing how the unsubscribe feature – to check that it works)
Ros!! Good to see you here too. This looks like it’s going to be lots of fun.
Hi everyone. I’m Jim Blodget. I’ve been drawing and painting for pleasure since I retired in 2008. I love to tinker with all kinds of media. Along the way I’ve been a photographer, film maker, TV producer, director, editor, instructor, media specialist, computer programmer, web designer, and blogger. I’m 66 and live in the beautiful Pacific Northwest (Oregon, USA). Link to my blog: http://jimblodget.com/blog and to my Flickr photostream: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jimblodget/ .
Hi Jim, I have subscribed to your very interesting blog. Thankyou. But I cannot find a ‘comment’ link or any other way of getting in touch with you. Sandi
Hi everyone, I’m Julia from Milton-near-Boston, I’ve been learning watercolors since 1998 and somewhere along the line started sketching, which is now my passion. I retired 5-6 years ago from a marketing-publishing-corporate management career and have been busier than I ever was when I was working full time. I collect published sketchbooks (Danny Gregory, et al.) as well as facsimiles of sketchbooks by “famous artists” (Prendergast, Sargent, etc.) and I also buy WAAAYYY too many art materials. Now it’s time to use some of them. I follow Cathy Johnson’s blog and also Liz, whom I discovered through Gregory’s and others books. Really excited about this course and hope to loosen up and speed up my sketching. I travel to sketch, and especially enjoy architectural subjects (though my buildings frequently lean like that building in Pisa …)
Shirley Jenkins
Duxbury, MA is my home. I trained as a landscape designer @ Radcliffe College and worked for many years for the Boston Redevelopment Authority. Finally I had time to take a watercolor course in 1992 and I have enjoyed painting greatly. I am looking forward to developing better fast sketching skills. Travel has been a big part of my life; the sketchbooks I have are a huge store of happy memories! Here’s to many more!
See above intro. I think I forgot to check the notify box!
Hi Everyone, I’m Julie and I live in North Carolina U.S., near Raleigh and Durham. I grew up in Michigan and I still have family there. I teach fitness and yoga to seniors. I have recently been exploring my interest in watercolor and now sketching with my teacher, Lin Frye. We are taking this class together. I’m excited to be here and know it will be fun and challenging. I am on Facebook too and I am also doing sketchbook skool beginnings.
I’m Tama from Tucson and recently took the storytelling session of Sketchbookskool. For 24 years my husband and I have helped people self publish books. We mostly work in person, but have a website at ghostriverimages.com, Everyone in thi group sounds so accomplished! My hobbies are art, spinning, rughooking and old-fashioned living. My claim to fame is that I won a Thanksgiving turkey a few years ago at a flintlock rifle shooting contest.
I want to use my sketching to produce small books on topics I find exciting. I’m thinking a series on the Mexican restaurants of Tucson would be fun. I would like to improve my ability to sketch quickly and portray food and buildings. Now if I can just master the computer skills needed to upload and download, etc. Cast-iron cooking is a lot easier!
Ah, I meant to add that I am on Facebook as Tama White and you can contact me at [email protected]. Thanks!
Hello! This is Patty Ruthe in Pennsylvania. I am naturally curious, a nature journalist, and a Sketchbook Skool Skolar. I’m sort of “semi-retired” as I still teach environmental science at the local community college. I love journaling about nature so therefore I am trying to improve my sketching skills. Besides taking on-line art courses, I am participating in the Pennsylvania Master Naturalist Program.
Hi everyone, gosh what a lot of you there are! I am Lisa, I live near the coast in beautiful West Dorset, UK. I have been painting and drawing for the past few years with varying degrees of success! I work mainly in acrylics and watercolour and would like to gain confidence to sketch regularly out in public! I’m hoping this course will give me the impetus and direction to do this. I love Liz’s style and spontaneity and hope to capture some of this in my work! Well that’s the plan!
This is wonderful that there are so many of us in the course, living in so many different parts of the world. Hello, everyone!
I’m Emily. I was, as they say, – “born & bred”here in Kentucky. We make our home in Louisville.
Though I painted some in oils growing up, it was not until 2007, (and after many, many years away from painting), that I picked up a watercolor brush. Such a different approach start to finish!
I love keeping a watercolor journal, whether it’s just here at home or as we travel.
Hi, all. I’m Beth from near Holland, Michigan USA. I’ve tried to post here twice, and am not finding my post in the thread, so maybe the third time is the charm. I have been a college teacher and administrator for almost 30 years in literature and creative writing. I have published three mystery novels under the name Josie Gordon. I also sing and do a little readers theatre when there is an opportunity. I grew up as the one in my family who couldn’t draw! But when my creative interests led to me try working with comics, I decided I could learn something…enough to at least lay out storyboards for other artists. I’ve been practicing for a few years and joined Sketchbook Skool for all three semesters–the focus has helped my drawing really improve. That’s how I discovered Liz and I’m happy to be here with everyone. I am particularly loving people seeing all the posts timed and dated from the future!
Hi, I’m Carmen I live in Girona, (near Barcelona) Catalonia (Spain). I work as a lawyer and I love to draw as a child. I’m a beginner sketcher but drawing makes me happy and it’s a very relaxing activity to disconnect from work. My speaking and writting English isn’t as fluent as I would like so I apologize for my mistakes specially spelling and grammatical errors. I’m really looking forward to this course.
Wow what a lot of people!! Hello to everyone.
I’m Michele and live near Boston, Massachusetts although I’m originally from England. I painted in high school but deviated into science for a fair few years until I decided to take up painting again a couple of years ago.
I love Liz’s sketches, style and general approach to everything. And of course she is a devoted tea drinker – what’s not to like?
Just did a major double take! I’m also Michelle (two l’s) and live in Boston, Massachusetts but am originally from England.
We should probably get together …
Wow – what are the chances of that? We should definitely get together sometime – I actually live in Somerville.
Roslindale, here. Not far! I’m on fb under Michelle Geffken and twitter @Paperblogging.
My website is http://www.paperblogging.com, stories for, by and about sketchbookers. Last post was a tribute to Mayor Menino, which by a slight of hand, managed to make relevant to sketchbooking 🙂 Just had to write about the mayor.
Good to see you here too Michele 🙂
Ros
Hi, I’m Norma and I live in Encinitas, a suburb of San Diego, California. I’ve done ceramics and other three dimensional art for more than half of my 68 years but just tried drawing a couple of months ago. I’m an avid gardener and traveler. For some reason, I’ve developed a burning desire to sketch/journal my clay projects, plants, and travel. I hope this course will get me started.
Hi, Norma – I am so happy you signed up. We will get together and enjoy our common interests and have a good time.
Hello! I’m Jenny, hailing from San Francisco. Even though I’m an architect by profession, my previous sketchbooks have always been filled with more notes and diagrams than actual sketches. In fact, I think the only real drawings in my books before this year – buildings sketched on site in Brazil – take up a pitiful two pages.
I discovered Liz’s blog and the Urban Sketchers site earlier this year and was amazed at the quality and quantity of beautiful sketches out there. The desire to make some of my own, combined with a trip abroad where I wanted to myself to fill up the pages of my empty sketchbook rather than filling up the SD card on my camera, led to me to rediscovering and relearning how to draw.
I’ve always been overly analytical and precise when drawing – leading to me never doing it because it just took too long! So my journey into sketching this year has delved into exploring faster, looser, wonkier lines – and I still have a long ways to go. I’ve also started splashing watercolor onto my pages – something that I was absolutely terrified to touch before as I always just ended up making mud.
When I’m not buried nose-deep in my sketchbook – which seems to be happening a lot as of late – I’m either out biking, exploring the great urban outdoors, or drinking way too much coffee.
Excited for the upcoming few weeks ahead here!
Hi Jenny – I’m in SF too (Bernal Heights). If you’re ever looking to go sketching with other people you’re welcome to join the meetup group I organize http://www.meetup.com/SF-Sketchers/
We have something happening almost every weekend, mostly in the city but occasionally going to other parts of the bay area. We usually sketch for 2-3 hours then get together in a cafe to share sketches and chat.
Hi all, my name is Kathleen and I live in Succasunna, New Jersey, USA. I started water color painting a few years ago and have recently started focusing on my drawing skills. I’ve taken some other great online classes and am really looking forward to this one.
Hello, my name is Elda. I live in Barcelona (Spain) and I have been teaching Biology and Earth Sciences in a Secondary School. Now I’m retired and spend much of my time painting, drawing and travelling. I love sketching outdoors and I’ve done a few sketchbooks but I would like to improve the composition, use of colour and speed.
I’m a perfectionist and I am afraid to share my sketches on Facebook or Pinterest. So… share with you my drawings will be a challenge to me! Looking forward to begin and enjoy this course.
Hello Everyone
I live in Norwich U.K. and belong to our local Urban Sketchers Group. I first came across Liz’s work in Cathy Johnson’s book which I discovered in Barnes and Noble’ s store in Clearwater, Florida, when visiting my brother. Started following her blogs and wishing I could go to one of her classes. (Ironically have been to Aus on a 6 month”gap year” trip- about 40 years later than most!- but this was before I knew about Liz! )
Really excited about sketching, as since retiring have tried to capture travels, especially when in our camper van, here in UK or abroad..
I went on a SketchCrawl day on my own in Norwich several years ago as could not find any others interested. How things have progressed!
I need to work more quickly and not be so intimidated by perspective. Also to overcome a weakness for buying books about sketching and acting like a kid in a sweet shop when looking in art supply stores! Think I might not be alone in this! Good luck all- wherever you are!
Hello everyone. I live just outside Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. I am a beginner at sketching and drawing. I have always wanted to learn how and now that my children are grown I am filling my empty nest with new learning adventures for me! Music is also an interest of mine and I love to sing, play piano and ukulele. I am excited to begin the course.
Hi, everyone!
My name is Marj and I live in the northwest suburbs of Chicago. I’m a writer and desktop publisher whose only art classes were in junior high and high school. However, since I read “Rendering in Pencil” by Arthur Guptill over 20 years ago I’ve been entranced with drawing. A member of the Colored Pencil Society of America since 1995, I attained my signature status in 2005 (which I achieved with abstracts, not my drawing skills :-).
Like so many, I came to sketching after reading “The Art of Urban Sketching” in 2012. I’ve been sketching ever since, but unfortunately I too often allow work stress and pressure to keep me away from my sketchbook.
I was thrilled to get the notice about SkNF because I want to learn more about sketching faster and better, and I need the accountability of learning with a group. My goal: to transform my intense, ongoing interest (with spotty execution) into an enriching life-long discipline.
My Flickr account: https://www.flickr.com/photos/marjimarks
Hi All,
My name is Sue and I live in Southwestern Ontario. Although I’ve been working in watercolours for a few years now, my drawing skills needed some help and so I signed up for Sketchbook Skool and a whole new world opened up for me. My inner critic has been if not completely silenced at least muffled. I’ve sketched in public on a few occasions, limited by mobility issues rather than fear. I’ve even opened up my art blog, something I never thought I’d have the courage or desire to do. I’m looking forward to spending the early winter sharing and learning with you.
http://nukiart-watercolours.blogspot.ca
Hi! I’m Debbe and live in the midwest of the US. I began sketching last spring. I have not drawn, sketched or painted before then. I kept a sketchbook journal on my vacation this summer and absolutely loved that! Looking forward to knowing how to show what I see, feel and imagine.
Hi everyone! My name is Christine and I currently live in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. I retired a few years ago to follow my passion and have been writing novels ever since. I’ve always done some kind of art in one form or another, mostly oil paintings and self-taught, and look forward to this course to help me be more involved in documenting with art on a more daily basis. In a few months, my husband will retire and we will travel full-time. This is the perfect medium to keep track of our travels. Looking this course!
http://www.christinejfraser.com
Hi everyone,
I am Lotte, living in Denmark with short days and winter coming.
I began sketching in April after moving, and love it, love to try and capture my day and the world around me
Hello. I’m Theresa from Boise, Idaho. I have studied calligraphy as a hobby for a number of years. I began keeping a sketchbook after a class in San
Diego from Jane Lafazio. Like a number of you, I found Liz through Sketchbook Skool. I look forward to this new sketching adventure.
My name is Frankie (Eliza is my 8 year old granddaughter who also enjoys sketching). I live in North Idaho, near the Canadian border and work as a Hospice nurse. My son Rob, is an Urban Sketcher and sketches nearly every day. I’m hoping this class inspires me to sketch lots more!
PS I also have a tiny bear who travels with me, in my car on daily patient visits…maybe I’ll do some drawings of him!
Hi, my name is Claudia and I live in Linz, Austria. I’ve become interested in urban sketching after reading the book “the art of urban sketching”. I’m a beginner to sketching and looking forward to this course.
I’m Lynn. I live in South Burlington, Vermont. We’ve had a beautiful summer and fall and now winter and the cold weather are approaching. I was introduced to keeping an illustrated journal a few year ago through reading Danny Gregory’s Everyday Matters book. I just attended 3 semesters of Sketchbook Skool online(although I did not complete all my homework) and that is where I was introduced to Liz Steel. I love Liz’s work and promise to do all my homework for Sketching Now.
Hello, I’m Joanne and I live in Santa Fe, NM. I’ve been painting in watercolor for a long time and have explored other media such as oils and watercolor pencils. In the past several years I have also spent time quilting and knitting creating my own designs. These days I spend most of my free time painting and sketching primarily in ink and watercolor. I work full time as a project coordinator for an Architectural/Engineering firm, so free time is limited but fun!
I just can’t get enough of exploring, learning, and creating art:)
I’m excited about this course with Liz Steel whose art I have enjoyed so much!
Hello. I’m Charlene and live in Seattle, Washington. I’ve been painting and photographing for most of my life and am a full time artist. I started keeping travel sketchbooks about ten years ago but that was the only time I sketchbooked until about A year ago. Now I sketch every day and it has surpassed the time I spend on my paintings and photography. I love it. I’m excited to take Liz’s class as I love her style, her interests and most of all, how analytically she approaches all manner of art questions and goals. So looking forward to this!
http://www.charlenecollinsfreeman.com
Hello to you all. What an amazing group of people we are, and from so many parts of the world! I am Anne, and I live in Melbourne, Australia. I am a botanic artist, and am drawn to the fine details. However, I want to encourage that part of me that wants to be loose and expressive. I am very excited by Liz’s first lesson, and can’t wait to try those ‘juicy’ washes.
My blog is http://www.annelawson.wordpress.com
Hi Anne, Thankyou, saw your greeting somewhere else. Nice to meet you. I have just subscribed to your beautiful blog. Sandi
Hello,
I am Hanne and I live in Berlin, Germany.
Hi Hanna! So nice to see some one from Berlin! I just visited Berlin in September and had an awesome time at a live workshop with artist, Stephanie Levy. It was also love at first sight on our Berlin city experience!
Kind regards from Cape Town in Sourh Africa x
Hi Liezl,
thank´s for your reply. It ´s nice to hear that you enjoyed Berlin, I love this city as well but haven´t been to South Africa yet.
Best wishes and ‘see’ you later
Hi, my name is Kerstin Engström and I live in Sweden (northern Europe). I live on the countryside on a small farm. We have Icelandic horses, cats and dogs. Calligraphy, painting and drawing have I during the last year tried to do on a daily basis. I also do some bookbinding, partly because it is hard to find good sketchbooks in Sweden.
Hi Everyone
I’m Brian, and live in the beautiful city of Norwich, England. I am retired now after a career in the Printing industry, and more recently in University administration. I have been interested in art for a long time, but only started seriously sketching and painting about 10 months ago. So far I have taken all three SBS classes (which were great), and I am really looking forward to this class with Liz. I love drawing architecture, and am hoping to learn more about sketching a bit more quickly on location, as my current drawings take me a long, long time!
Hi, Brian. I grew up next to the UEA (on Bluebell Rd) though now I’m in the USA. My parents still live in Hethersett. Very much miss beautiful Norwich. I loved sketching the Cathedral cloisters as a young person. Look forward to seeing your sketches.
Hi, great to hear from you. I live in Costessey (not that far from Bluebell Road) and spent six years working at the UEA before I retired. So lucky to live somewhere with all that great medieval architecture to draw! Looking forward to the course, and seeing some of your work from the USA.
Hi Brian
I am just down the road behind Notcutts! Also saw there is a Dawn from Saxlingham Nethergate on the course too! trying to track down where she is amongst all on this site!
Do you go to Norwich Urban Sketchers too? They are meeting tomorrow, Sunday 16 Nov, at1pm at Britannia Café- adjacent to Norwich prison. you would be very welcome if you are not already a member. Hope to go but have had foot op recently. Looking forward to seeing your Norwich work!
Hi Brian – I know what you mean about trying to track someone down on this list! I tend not to look at e-mails on Sundays or Mondays so quite a build up since then. Great to know there’s a Norwich Urban Sketchers! Would be good to get together over coffee and sketchbooks at some point with you and mickied… my contact details are on the Diocese of Norwich website! (use Find a Person to search)
Hi Brian,
I am another one in the Norwich area. Have been friends with Dawn for years. It great to hear that there are others close by. Sketching is rather new to me.
Snowdrop46 aka Julie
Hi micied, Dawn and Snowdrop46
Great to hear from you all. Sorry about the time it has taken me to reply – I haven’t looked at this page recently. There is indeed a Norwich Urban Sketchers group – details on the web site – (I usually go – although I missed the last one at Britannia Cafe. I would be happy to meet up for a coffee with you all and perhaps a bit of sketching. As well as the Urban Sketchers, there is a weekly Norwich outdoor painting group which meets every Wednesday in the Forum at 10.30. We decide on a location in Norwich every week, and then walk there and spend two or three hours sketching and painting it. Everyone is very welcome (beginners and experts included) and it is a really friendly group. Just turn up if you are interested. If you would like to get in touch directly, my email is [email protected]
Hi, I am Carolyn from Cairns in the Tropical Far North in Qld Australia. New to sketching but really enjoying going out with the Cairns Plein Air group. Looking forward to the course.
Hi I’m Alex and I live in Bridgetown, Western Australia. I kept a journal back in 2009 (before I moved to Australia) and loved creating it and found it such a therapeutic thing to do. Unfortunately, life took over and the habit was broken but I’m hoping to use this course to get back into my art journal ways. I’m a beginner and have no technique at all so I’m look forward to learning lots from this course and from the community too. Not sure how well I’ll keep up with the weekly tasks as we’re heading into end of term madness at school (I’m a teacher) and then we’re heading to the UK for a wintry Christmas holiday, but I am fairly determined to carve out a bit of ‘me’ time for sketching.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/sets/72157613248284737/
🙂 Alex
Hello fellow sketchers. I’m Kathy from San Diego and I began sketching for the first time as a student in the online Sketchbook Skool. I liked Liz’s approach to teaching and look forward to learning more from her. I’m a retired librarian and enjoy cycling, cycle touring, birding, good food, and now sketching.
Hi, I’m Lena, live in Kyiv, Ukraine. I’m a journalist and a pianist. I have never before done any sketching, but I always wanted. I like watercolors, but no practice with them also. I’m interested in architecture, modern art and classical music.
Hi all – My name is Simon and I live in Melbourne Australia. I took up sketching a year ago and did a weekend course with Liz. It was a great learning experience and lots of fun. I am back for more inspiration, tips and techniques.
Hi Simon, At last count there were about 5 from Melbourne. Welcome. Sandi
Hi everyone. I live in Melbourne, born in New Zealand and grew up in Auckland. I did Art at high school – 40 years ago sigh – and have been using Sketchnoting techniques for the last 2 years. I am very rusty art wise but am renewing my interest. I have never used watercolors so that will be interesting. I work in I.T. and to satisfy my creative side I build furniture and am currently building a 15′ sailboat too :-). I’m really looking forward to the next 12 weeks as I am very impressed with urban sketchers.
Hi, my name is Laura and I live in Victoria on beautiful Vancouver Island. I am a newbie to sketching but intend to commit to a daily practice despite taking care of my lovely grandbabies. How is it that after you retire you are busier than ever?
Hi everyone – I live in Warrnambool (on the south coast of Australia) and I retired this year. I am very interested in developing sketching and painting skills and am particularly interested in sketching buildings. I am very much looking forward to the next twelve weeks.
Hi Janet, I live in Wandin East, Victoria, just outside the metro area of Melbourne. Nice to meet you. Please say high to beautiful Bridgewater Bay for me, and to all the whales that stayed away when I visited 🙂 Cheers, Sandi
Hello everyone, my name is Toni. I live in Sydney, Australia and have enjoyed watercolour for several years. This year I discovered urban sketchers and the lovely group who attend and sketch our wonderful city. I’ve wanted to join one of Liz’s workshops but time poor! Really looking forward to learning from liz .. Many thanks liz… We are in for a fun ride
Hi, my name is Lydia and I live in Southern California, USA. I love drawing, doodling, and hand-lettering but never really got serious into it. I started getting into it more the past few months and started art journaling too. I look forward to learning new things from you!
Hello, I live in Whistler, British Columbia; I’m a therapeutic yoga teacher & facilitator. I’ve been sketching for about 4 or 5 years now, mostly life drawing sessions, some watercolour painting workshops. In the last year or so I’ve become interested in sketchbook journals and have been trying to get going in that, in fits & starts. I just recently signed on to do the SketchBook Skool so getting quite a bit more sketching done in the last few weeks, it has definitely sparked my sketch journal habit! So I was delighted to see this course and am hoping it will help me continue and expand my sketching habit 🙂
Sounds good! I know the ferry is very limited this time of year!
Hi Missy! Glad to be here with you! Thanks for recommending this to me XO Kalena
Hello! I live in Albuquerque, New Mexico and I joyfully stumbled on Liz’s work on pinterest. I am fairly new to sketching but I tend to document in my head and I would like to do more on paper. I am really looking forward to this class.
Hi, I am Angela. I live in Birmingham, Alabama. I am new to sketching. I am fascinated with Liz’s work. My interest keeps growing as I follow Urban Sketchers in Pinterest and I find so many beautiful examples of architectural drawings. I am a busy engineer. I love traveling, photography and spending time with my family. I am looking forward to learning from Liz and some day creating my own travel sketches. I feel a privilege to be part of this class.
I live in Anacortes, Washington on Fidalgo Island in the NW corner of Washington state. We have a sketching group that meets each week. I’m really excited to learn all that I can through Liz’s class. This will be FUN!
Anacortessketchers.blogspot.com
Hello to everyone. I live in Nova Scotia, Canada. I am new to sketching . I expect that I will gain a lot of insight from Liz’s class and my fellow classmates.
I have enjoyed Liz’s blog for months.
Ruth
Hi Ruth ! I am also from Nova Scotia. I live in Halifax. How about you? Look forward to seeing your work. Shelley
HI Shelley
I live in Bedford so very close.
Greetings to the group — I was born the U.S. to a family of Oak Park, Ill., Architects and Artists and grew up on the shores of Western Michigan.
I’ve eventually settled in Salt Lake City with my wife after a Baghdad tour with the US Army, and work as an Architectural Specification writer with a large firm here.
I also and share time with my other profession as an Architectural photographer – http://www.jsturr.com
I discovered the magic of watercolor last week — and did some searching and came up with Liz’s site — how cool is this — all of these people taking this class !
The world has become a small place all of a sudden.
Go easy on me — JSturr.
If you are close enough to Portland OR to want to be invited if we get together send me an email and I’ll put you on my list. Then I can organize something. As we have our own business it is an easy place to meet up. email is [email protected].
Kay, I’m in Sellwood, looks like Portland is well represented!
hi everyone! I’m Ernestine from Las Vegas, NV (originally from the Philippines).
I started learning watercolor two years ago and have loved it since. I love loose and spontaneous (impressionistic) style painting and have no patience for too much detailed work.
I also learned calligraphy and I love handwritten notes and I keep a gratitude journal which I write with Lamy Joy calligraphy pen.
Painting is my “me” time and I can say that I’ve found my passion!
I’m Carrol and live in the beautiful state of Oregon. Right now we are in a deep freeze which is highly unusual. I started a sketching a few years ago. How I lament the fact that I could have been sketching views and scenes while traveling around the world. However it is the present and having had Liz’s fantastic class in Danny Gregory’s Sketchbook Skool, I look forward to learning everything I can from Liz.
Hello! I’m Jen Mak, from Sydney Australia, originally from Hong Kong. I’m a traffic/road engineer and a mummy of two gorgeous boys (a toddler and a terrible 3-er). I have recently awaken my drawing itch after attending a 1-day watercolour course. I had no formal art training (except for some chinese painting classes during childhood), currently trying to self-learn how to sketch properly and absolutely love the feel and dynamics of watercolour. Being a time poor mum, it is hard to go out and sketch. However, I love the feeling of losing myself in the drawing space – enjoying the moments of ‘me’-time during night. The prospect of learning how to sketch quick and capturing the essence of the sketch attracts me to the course. I’m really excited about this – my first online learning experience (thanks Liz!) and looking forward to learning from Liz and sharing with fellow sketching friends from all over the world!
Hi from Baltimore, Md
I am new to sketching and looking forward to this course!!
Julie
Hello from Alberta CANADA. I am a beginner sketcher and started this journey with SketchBook Skool where I was introduced to Liz and her style. Thought I would explore more of her “loving the process”.
Hi everyone! I’m Ruby from Singapore. It’s always been my dream to learn to sketch. While in school many years ago, I tried very hard and wanted to love art but became disillusioned when I received mediocre grades. I’ve grown to really like stationery (especially fountain pens! ) and art supplies, and even hoard some art books though I’ve never drawn regularly. Consider me a complete novice!
Got to know about Liz Steel–someone posted her comments about an ink–through a post on Fountain Pen Network. I’m really excited to finally learn the concepts of drawing through a fellow leftie teacher, and all the interesting classmates!
Hello! I am Jane Lovedahl. . . I live in Fort Worth, Texas. After retiring, I wrote some outdoor education units for a local camping organization. This experience connected me with a Master Naturalist, and this led me to beginning a nature journal sketchbook, documenting the incredible things I found during hikes, camping, and exploring. This work led me to discovering the incredible online resources and opportunities in journaling and recording everyday experiences through drawing and painting! I am thrilled to have the opportunity to experience the next 12 weeks with Liz!
Hi. I’m Leslie, and I live in Germany. I loved art and drawing as a child and have dabbled in it off and on over the years. A few months ago I started keeping a sketchbook regularly to give myself a bit of a creative outlet while raising my children. I want to increase my confidence and my ability to use short snippets of time to record what I see/observe. Looking forward to the next 12 weeks with you all!
I’m Ruth Anderson. I’m a retired college English teacher, living in San Diego, California. Along with sketching, my other interests are jewelry making and training my two Australian Shepherds. I don’t remember ever drawing as a child and didn’t take art classes in school, but I started sketching in Sketchbook Skool last April and now I can’t feel like a day is complete itself unless I’ve found time to sketch. I’m a real novice, but Liz’s approach in SBS Seeing made so much sense to me that her offering this class seems like serendipity.
Hi Ruth. I am in Encinitas, and had 2 Aussies – the best dogs ever. this sketching is fun, and a great therapy.
I am Ricardo from Paraty (Brazil). Yes, this is the beautiful place that hosted the 5th Urban Sketchers Symposium ! I am a graduate civil engineer but have been painting Watercolors professionaly for about 10 years. I look very much forward to Liz’s sketching course as a way to improve my own abilities. I am organizer and one of the participants of the local Urban Sketchers group. We get together every other Sunday morning to sketch around
Ricardo 2 days ago I’ve been at a conference here at Lisbon with André Baptista, João Catarino e Nelson Paciência. I think, maybe you have known them.
Good evening,
Roberto Stocco, from Milan, Italy. Currently living and working as a teacher in Manchester, UK. I have been drawing for a while after many years of distractions in different directions. Thank you to Liz for this stupendous opportunity. If anyone in the Northwest is interested in meeting please let me know. Ciao.
Roberto
I forgot to mark the box about being notified about comments. If anyone in the Portland area reads this and is interested in meeting to sketch together, please let a comment. My main note is above this one. :o)
Hi tallartist; there are about a half-dozen of us so far. I can’t find you above (missed it) but you can find me through flickr and my blog. My studio is in NW Portland. Sketching together would be fun; email is [email protected]
Hi! My name is Cheryl.
I am a “tallartist” because I am 6’3″ tall! :o)
I live in Hillsboro, Oregon-a small town west of the larger cit of Portland, Oregon.
I have been drawing and attempting sketchbooks for about 5 years. I am a self taught artist. I had a desire to draw and create as a child yet it has only been the last few years to really let myself explore my desire. I like a quote by George Eliott that says “It is never too let to be what you might have been.” I am 65 years old and going to keep on seeking my creative soul. :o)
I first learned about Liz through Sketchbook Skool. I am eager to learn more from her classes. I want to learn how to be more expressive with my drawings-aiming to capture the moment without such a fuss about being “precise” and “perfect”.
I would love to connect with other sketchbook artists in Oregon and abroad.
Hi, I am Sabine, I am German, but living – for the moment – in Johannesburg, South Africa. I have been drawing for quite a while and I always take a sketchbook on our family trips, but when I come back home after a week, it is still mostly empty and so I sit down in front of the computer to write about and sketch all those things that we did and we saw from my photos. So – I really want to speed up my sketching, my dream would be to actually come home with a finished sketchbook that looks like Liz´ books- and that´s what I hope to learn in this class!
Hi,
My Name is Ludo. I’m French and I am living in the south of France near Aix-en-Provence. I’m an engineer. I’ve started to draw with my wife last summer (august) while trekking in the mountains. I also took a 5 days watercolor course in october that was interesting from the technical point of view, but what I really would like to learn is sketchning fast on location. I’m really excited to take part in that course with many students from everywhere in the world !
I am Aikya from Oakland, California. Online I often use the name Menukon, which means “rainbow” in Lenape, a native language originally from the US East Coast states of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware. I just started sketching and sketchbooks in Sketchbook Skool but, since my father was a commercial artist, drawing and painting have been an integral part of my life. For about 15 years, up until Sketchbook Skool, I stopped creating art (se peculiar) but I’m BACK now. I am retired from medical research, serve in my church and run two prison ministries. Art keeps me sane.
Nice to see you again, Aikya.
Hi,
My name is Géraldine. I live in Belgium. I regularly draw and paint since I was 13 but I had to stop for many years. I’m drawing again since 1 year only.
I don’t do it everyday and I’m not so prolific as I would like to be.
My other passions are the travels and photography. I follow Liz’s blog since a long time. i’m feeling really enthusiastic being part of this class with Liz as teacher.
Hi,
I am Pat from Southern California. I love to sketch and journal! I’m looking forward to taking this class with Liz and you all.
Where in So Cal. There are several of us on the course.
Hi Diane, Jacqueline and Heather,
I live in the Los Angeles area but sometimes visit my brother in San Clemente. Would love to meet up some weekend for a few hours of sketching!
Hi, I’m Gabi from Budapest, Hungary. I’ve four children and very little free time, which I want to spend well. I started to sketch just a few months ago, but I’ve been following Liz’s blog for long time. I hope my English will be enough, I have problem with it, but this course could help to improve not only my sketching skills, but also my English knowledge 🙂 I’m looking forward to learning from Liz and all of you.
I’m Laura, from Austria. I’ve recently been getting back into watercolor and stumbled across Liz blog – and was hooked. I have no prior experience when it comes to sketching, but I’m intrigued by the concept and I keep a journal – I should have thought about urban sketching way earlier! Excited for this class!
Hi, I am Diane and I live in NYC . I love painting in watercolor and have recently become addicted to sketching and watercolor journaling via Sketchbook Skool and Just Draw It . I love Liz’s blog and am looking forward to sketching with you over this 12 week course.
Hi everyone. My real name (not the ID) is Jose-Miguel and you can guess from the name I live in the sunny Barcelona.
Fully amateur on sketching for the last 2 years, think is time to move to a next step and no one can be better than Liz.
Hi Everyone, my name is Michelle and I live in Sydney, Australia. I used to do a lot of drawing and painting at school, but haven’t done much for many years now. I’m excited to start something new, but I’m hoping it will be a little familiar. I also love any arty crafty pastime (I’m currently crocheting a rug) and learning to play the flute.
Nice to meet you all.
Hi, my name is Diane Harvey. I live in Irvine, CA about 50 miles south of Los Angeles (and probably one of the least creative areas around.) 🙂 I’ve been an architectural interior designer for longer than I care to remember and my husband & fellow designer own a firm that designs interiors for seniors communities – Alzheimer’s & Assisted Living. I’ve become burned out working in this field, (meeting deadlines, tight budgets & demanding clients can put a crimp in your creativity). I joined SBS for the very first Beginnings class and every one since, hoping to recapture some of the joy I knew drawing as an art student in college. So enjoyed Liz’s class in the Seeings semester and want to expand on what I learned from that! Looking forward to drawing more buildings and drawing some of our wonderful historic missions & Victorians here in California!
Hi Diane,
I’m in Santa Monica and own an FF&E purchasing agency. I’m right there with you burnt out with deadlines, but I never attempted to be creative. My job is to squeeze the design details out of the designers so that I can buy the furniture! There are several others in the class from SoCal. I hope we can get together to sketch at least once!
Hi Diane,
I live in San Juan Capistrano so if you are looking for a sketching partner at the Mission there, I’m only a couple of miles away from there.
Hi Diane, Jacqueline and Heather,
I live in the Los Angeles area but sometimes visit my brother in San Clemente. Would love to meet up some weekend for a few hours of sketching!
I go to San Clemente on a regular basis so I am up for meeting up sometime when you are in the area.
Hi, I work in Irvine and live in HB. Nice to have sketching neighbors!
Due to to two car accidents, I don’t drive very far but if you want to go sketching in the Dana Point, San Juan, San Clemente, or Laguna Beach area sometime that would be fun.
I sketched with your daughter today, Diane. Caitlin is very talented.
I’m available for a painting trip in SoCal on Wednesday during the day and would love to meet up with other Sketching Now artists. Is anyone up for a mid day San Juan Capistrano, North Laguna Beach or further south? I’m staying in La Jolla.
Heather, I am available mid-day on Wednesday. I was only thinking yesterday that I’d like to sketch sometime soon at the Mission in San Juan Capistrano which is a few miles away from me. Laguna Beach is also doable.
My email is [email protected] if that’s an easier contact for you.
Hi, I’m Kathleen. I live in Canada but am originally from Singapore. I’ve dabbled in art for most of my life but have been taking it seriously in the last 10 years after I took early retirement with the move to Canada. I stumbled upon Urban Sketching 2 years ago and love it! I really enjoyed Liz’s course on Sketchbook Skool and hope to improve my skills and spontaneity in this course. My Blog: http://nowismystoryinsketches.blogspot.sg/
Hi all. I’m Angie and from West Sussex in the south of the UK. I first heard of Liz when I did Sketchbook Skool and love her approach. I am looking forward to (hopefully!) learning how to sketch fast and loose – in fact how to sketch at all would be nice 🙂
I’m also doing an online course on Tapestry Weaving with Rebecca Metzoff so both ends of the spectrum as tapestry weaving is definitely a slow process!
Hi, 🙂
My name is Olga and live in Mexico City with my husband and two children. I’m a computer system engineer and had discovered drawing last year, while attending a technical training course. I found out that if I was drawing, the tiredness disappeared (my training course was after work, until very late). I love drawing and having a sketchbook as a journal is my “escape”. I have also taken Sketchbook Skool (the three current courses) and… I love being here.
Hello!
My name is Shelley and I am from Nova Scotia Canada.
It is a bit of a daunting prospect of winter sketching considering I am ALWAYS frozen!! Looking forward to the next 12 weeks.
I can not remember a time I did not draw. I did the last three sessions of SBS and discovered Liz in session two. No real formal art training. Trying to find my own way of doing. Often it seems slow going on my own. Looking forward to seeing everyone’s progress over the next 12 weeks!
I enjoy drawing with my kids. Yoga, hot or regular, knitting, watching mysteries and riding my bicycle.
Hi, Ann Sinarski here. Live in Virginia, USA. Dabbled in the arts all my life. Graduated with an art degree many years ago. Have been with Sketchbook Skool since April 2014 and have also taken courses with Koosje Koene.
Hello, fellow sketchers,
I stumbled upon Liz’s work at Urban Sketchers and signed up as soon as she announced her class. I have drawn and sketched off and on throughout my various careers (travel guide (scenes, etc), teacher of basic art (class examples), detective (crime scene sketches!). Although I enjoy linoleum block printing, I love the challenge of quick sketching. Now I want to sketch for fun, have a reason to practice and a way to improve. My home is in Tucson, Arizona-a fortunate climate for outdoor sketching, even in winter. Excited to participate with you all!
Hi again, classmates. My “real” name is Marilyn.
Hello, I’m Katie and I live in the US in a suburb of Sacramento, California. I am retiring on December 1rst from a 35+ year career in finance. Over the years I have dabbled in quite a few different arts and crafts hobbies. I have always admired those who could capture the moment in a quick sketch and now I will have time to learn the art of sketching. I am so looking forward to this class!
Hi, Katy. I live in Oakland, CA so we are not too far away. I retired last December. I was always very busy so I had no problem knowing what to do with myself. Hahaha. I wondered how I ever found time to work in fact. Glad to be on this journey with you.
Hi Katie, I live in Concord, CA. Several of us, including Aikya, have started sketching together. Maybe you can join us sometime. We are EastBay Sketchers on Facebook.
I’m Dutch living in Germany in the moment. Always liked to draw, started a few years ago with oil and acrylic paint and for about a year discoved watercolour. Love horses and dogs and not to forget my guitar.
Email overflowing removed from comments
Hi, I’m Jo and I live in Cedar Mill, a suburb of Portland, Oregon. For most of my life I was a fiber artist. The first time I drew on location was in Adelaide Hills, Australia, in 1991 and was immediately hooked on drawing as an aid to memory of place. My primary art medium is collage and i paint and draw as well? I’ve taken all 3 sessions of Sketchbook Skool and look forward to studying with Liz.
Hi Jo — My studio is in NW Portland. So far there are about a half dozen of us — possibly enough to meet sometime! Kate
Hi. I am Cheryl. I live in Hillsboro, Oregon. I would love to meet with other sketchbook artists in the area. ([email protected])
My name is Lorraine and I live near Coupeville, WA, USA which is in the center of Whidbey Island north of Seattle. Right now I’m in the third month of a cross country rode trip and am passing through the southwest on my way to San Diego before heading north along the coast. As a novice sketcher, my challenge until next month will be to keep up with the class while traveling and visiting friends. I’m really looking forward to the learning and experimenting. I’m also a textile and fiber artist currently working with my own computer enhanced photos on fabric.
Hi Lorraine. I live in Anacortes. We have a sketching group that meets on Mondays. Maybe you can join us sometime when you get back from your trip. (Anacortes Sketchers).
Hi Missy! There’s a sketching group on Whidbey too but thanks for the invitation. I’m hoping to use what I learn in this course to improve my visual record keeping for design ideas and not so much to just sketch so likely won’t be joining a group. Lorraine
Hello All, I’m Anne from Monte Sereno, California (between San Jose and Santa Cruz). I have a husband of 44 years, two sons, two grand kids, and a ESS named Riley. I love art and took courses in college, but did not do much until I retired about 10 years ago. I love sketching, watercolor, bookbinding (wanted to make my own watercolor journals), and quilting!
Several years ago I started a sketching meet up group that meets every Friday in our area. I loved SBS and here I am!
Hi all! I’m Gwen, I’m French but living in the Netherlands, in Amsterdam.
I started to draw at the start of this year and since then, I have been obsessed with drawing (almost) daily and keeping a sketchbook. This addiction has been fed by Sketchbook Skool (1, 2 and 3… and I know I will sign up for 4 ;)).
I’m here mainly because I draw neither fast, nor (very) spontaneously and so I’m very curious to see what this class to do to me 🙂
I hope to loosen my lines at least a bit and to get more confortable drawing outside. And I’m happy to be in such an international group!
Hi Gwen! So glad to find you here! Don’t you think this is the right place for us to loosen up?
Hope to see you soon!
Petra Dammer
Hi Gwen,
Nice to see you.
Dale
Hey Gwen I am so glad to see you here.
Hi! I’m Marilia.
I’m very happy to join this group and eager to leanr! I’m a respiratory doctor (pulmonologist) and I love Art (before Medicine I started the Art School and Architecture, too bad I didn’t continue them…).
I’m 61 and live in Brazil, close to Sao Paulo city, in a place called Mogi das Cruzes. I used to draw and paint when I was a young girl but had to stop for many years, since 2013, when I started working less and having more time for myself. The result is that I now follow the Urban Sketchers group and became addicted to drawing!
See you all soon!
sorry for that = Learn, not leanr….untill 2013/2014, not since …. 🙁 learning how NOT to use an eraser !
Hi all, I’m Cyd. I live in the USA near Chicago, Illinois.
I have a past life as a geology student in university & later, a landscape architect. The latter brought me to sketching & drawing. In my attempts to make sketching a habit, I have taken smattering of classes over the years, but let myself get distracted by life’s other demands, and put the sketchbook down.
I have followed Liz & Borromini for a long time (when I should have been sketching!) & am captivated by Liz’s style & speed. I really appreciate her verbal communication skills, too. She really understands how to get the 3-D brain to record on a 2-D media. I am SO excited that this class is being offered! And my mother (RIP) would be thrilled to know that I am developing an appreciation for fine china teacups!
Hello everyone, I’m RJ (Ruth) I have recently moved to Northwest Arkansas where I am surrounded by nature and enjoy the woods and beautiful lake view. I have kept a sketchbook for several years and am passionate about developing my drawing skills. I have admired the work of Liz Steel and am especially looking forward to learning to sketch quickly. I have a Flickr site Artstudio309. I’m looking forward to learning from Liz and all of you.
Hi All I am Nadine Heidacker from Walnut Grove, Ca. I am a retired Program Director for a non-profit agency working with developmentally delayed adults. I was a passionate photographer for 10+ years. I wanted to expand and out of curiosity took a watercolor class a few years back and then a couple more. I felt I wanted to develop my practically nonexistent drawing skills and saw Sketchbook Skool and have done the 3 Semesters. I don’t post ..not quite ready ..but want to push myself to try that. I have a flickr account nadine1016 and a friend mad a LONG You Tube video ( with music ) of my work. I am So looking forward to this !
Hi Nadine! Jules from The Artist’s Journal Workshop FB group here! So glad you are doing Liz’s class too!
Hello Everyone, I’m Maria Chiara, I live in Venice, Italy, with my husband, two sons and a cat. I like creativity, I love bookbinding and watercolors and I’m trying to learn sketching.
Thank you Liz for this opportunity!
Hi Maria! I would be interested to see your bound books. Did you make them for the Foundations course?
Hi classmates! Hi Liz!
I have always dreamed to learn to draw but my mom said I was too small to ride the bus across the town to the drawing school. So now that I have grown up to be 31 years old and travelled across the word from Russia to Australia I thought it is a good time to have a go. I am an architect who suffered too much from 3D design so I want to be able to draw the building in minutes. Excited to be in such a warm company.
Hi all, I am Helena Monteiro from Portugal – Lisbon. I am a retired teacher of nothing to do with arts. Since I retired I began to draw and have had some workshops but the real turnover come with being part of the Urban Sketchers of Portugal where I met a lot of very good sketchers and people who really know to draw. With them I have learned a lot and I’ve participated on the Lisbon Symposium of the Urban Sketchers where I’ve met Liz. Hope to learn a lot with Liz and all of you. Particularly I love watercolours and Indian ink but I am open to try all kinds of media, I love to do experiences.
Hello, my name is Ellen. I live in Royersford, Pennsylvania, near Philadelphia. I work as a Web design manager for a large financial company. I’m trained as a graphic designer so I had a good foundation of art classes (many years ago), but I’ve only started sketching again in the last few years. Last spring I took a “sketching flowers” class and enjoyed the online format. I follow Urban Sketchers through social media and am inspired by their outings and their ability to sketch quickly onsite. You can follow me on Instagram @ellenking or through social media of choice: http://ellenkingdesign.com/. I’m married with 3 children and 3 grandchildren, and I’m owned by a ginger cat named Sonny. I look forward to getting to know you all better and learning from Liz!
P.S. I love that there are so many Ellens taking this class. Yay!
Hi Ellen, this is Patty also from Pennsylvania. There are a few of us here!
Hello Everyone, My name is Cassandra and I am an American living in France. I am a mother of 4 and my favorite thing to do is to travel. I first heard of Liz during sketchbook skool and was very impressed by her klass and the SPEED. I do what I can when I can and have been very happy to see some progress in my drawing skills.
Hi everyone, my name is Gloria Hansen. I’m from central, New Jersey where I work from my home office where I primarily do graphic design (I also started when cut and paste wast literally cut and paste), photography, and consulting. I was bitten early by the computer bug and ended up writing 15 books on topics for computer users and artists/crafts persons. While I’ve been a textile artist for several decades, over the past few years I’ve been concentrating more on drawing/painting. I learned of Liz through Sketchbook Skool. If interested, my website is http://www.gloriahansen.com
Hi! My name is Pat. My current home is Ohio. I have lived many places in the U.S. My husband and I just celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary this year! We currently have one pet “Minnie Cat” (AKA Minnie Cato), who is a constant subject for my sketching and an absolute source of amusement. I am a retired RN.(worked too many years to count). I love music, art, dancing, nature, animals, Aqua Zumba and cooking. My recent love of sketching really began in April of this year with Sketchbook Skool. That’s where I met Liz and I’m delighted I did!
Hello everyone,
My name is Sandra and I live in Montreal, Canada. I’ve recently retired and I have started taking some lessons in drawing, oil painting and watercolor.
Last year I took a 5-day sketching workshop which I enjoyed immensely. From there, I discovered the online world of urban sketching, through which I found Liz. I consider myself a beginner to sketching and very much look forward to this course and to improving my sketching skills. Thank you for this opportunity Liz!
Hi, I am Kayle Jad from Singapore. I am a homeschoolers, I like doing sketching and artworks. I can sketch and draw simple stuff but I want to do it better to draw beyond my imagination and draw much more complicated stuff. I am delighted to be learning with everyone together . Do give me guidance, feedbacks and tips and more tips!
Hi Friends!
I’m Cathy Dwyer and I live in Connecticut. I’ve been keeping a sketchbook since 2008. I love to draw and recently I’ve been trying to figure out the wonders of watercolor. Architecture has always been a love of mine but I feel I lack the skills I need to sketch it successfully so I’m hoping this class will give me the push I need to get it together. I’m really excited to be in this class and it’s wonderful to see so many familiar people here.
Greetings to another SBS buddy!
Greetings …it will be fun!
Here are my places to find me on the Internet:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/donna.z.wynn
Instagram: (aka yogiknitgirl) http://instagram.com/yogiknitgirl
My Blog: http://www.gentlethreads.blogspot.com
Hi Classmates!
My name is Donna and I live on the East Coast of the US in Virginia Beach, VA! I am thrilled beyond measure to be here. I love watercolors and am learning to sketch more and more. I met Liz during Sketchbook Skool and was hooked. I am an Optician by day, wife, mom and now grand mom (a totally new joy in my life). I enjoy knitting, hot yoga, my art, photography, writing poetry and I am a CZT Certified Zentangle Teacher. I look forward to digging in and have cleared my schedule to be able to concentrate on this wonderful experience!
Hi All,
My name is Ana. I live in Doolin, County Clare with my Husband and cat Buddy. I received this course as a gift and couldn’t be more excited to learn. I have almost no experience in sketching and watercolor but I love creativity and I can’t wait to see how I will progress from the beginning to the end.
Hi,
My name is Benita and I’m an architecture student who owns a secondhand bookshop and is mother to a three year old. I’m 35, live in Melbourne, Australia and have decided to take this course as one way to keep myself working over the Christmas break. I’m keen to develop my visual communication skills in anyway I can, as well as the confidence to experiment with different media.
I’m very excited and can’t wait to start!
Hi Benita, I live just outside Melbourne – 18 km from Lilydale. Nice to meet you. I’m a bookaholic; where is your bookshop? bfn Sandi
Hi I am Marilyn from Melbourne Australia and counting down to retirement at the end of this year. Have recently started watercolour classes and have also discovered sketching groups on facebook. Have become very excited at the prospect of participating in this course and learning lots more about pen and watercolour sketching.
Hi Marilyn, I’m from just outside the Melbourne metro area – 18 km from Lilydale. Nice to meet you. I am counting down to retirement too. bfn Sandi
Hi Sandi, know Lilydale well. Have a friend at Coldstream and my husband’s family were at Yarra Junction. Have been through Lilydale a few times in the last few months. Hope you enjoy the course. Marilyn
Hi Marilyn, Thankyou. And wishing you happy times with the course too. I am actually in Wandin East; a little off the beaten track. But I know Lilydale very well from the train station; travel those tracks incessantly. I like Yarra Junction; it’s mix of old and new buildings give it character. And of course I visit Warburton whenever I can. The art group I belong to meet in Coldstream. Cheers. Sandi
Hi there … I’m Roger from Manly Beach, NSW Australia! A former educationalist, I share in the running of a B&B, enjoy volunteering and experiencing live drama performances. Sketching became part of my life last year after joining a local studio. I travel overseas every year and hope to use my developing skills in sketching to record my experiences. I’ve just joined Flickr.
Hello everyone, my name is Juergen and I live in Munich, Germany. I was born in Berlin, Germany but I spent my formative years (3-23) in Queens, New York City. I then returned to Berlin, worked, got a degree in computer science, married and eventually moved to Munich because of the mountains. I’m 64 now and my last 30 work years were spent at BMW in the IT departments. Hiking in the mountains with their vistas got me into pencil sketching some years ago. Kelly Medford’s Sketching Rome Tour this past October got me into watercolors but I’m a total novice with that technology. I’d like to learn to sketch quicker because my wife and hiking companions don’t really want to wait all to long for me to finish (amongst other reasons).
I can definitely relate, Juergen. My family would *love* it if I could speed up my sketching. I marvel at how much Liz accomplishes so quickly. Am definitely excited to find out more.
I’m Jen. Worked in field of architecture and interiors for … ages! At one point I used to do architectural illustration for a living – setting up perspectives manually in the days before computers! Then I sort of forgot about drawing until earlier this year.
So I’m a seasoned sketcher but love courses like this to give me motivation and a drawing community. I think being experienced sometimes makes it harder to try new things and experiment, so I love to see how uninhibited the novices are – I envy you! I live in very rural France with a husband and six jack russell dogs. Regularly travel to London for work, and to get a hit of urban city gritty life.
Blog: http://www.jensdraws.com – Facebook page: Jen Grove sketchbook
Hi Jen, I am also in France. Where do you live?
Hi Cassandra and Jen,
I’m also (part-time) in France (very rural Cognac) with an elderly border collie …. where are you all?
Hi Amanda, I’m about 30minutes north of Angouleme, so not a million miles away from you…
Hi Cassandra – I’m in the Charente, near Angouleme, where are you?
Hello to all from around the world. I am Angela from Melbourne, Australia – I have an architectural background, still working in the construction industry. Two years ago, I came across Urban Sketchers on line, which struck such a chord with me, and that is how I first found Liz. When I draw it is often buildings, mainly heritage buildings, though recently through sketchbook skool have been really trying to draw more figures. I have drawn on and off through my life, more now that the children have grown and left home. I try to draw each day, and I love colour. Looking forward to spending three months with this group. Thanks Liz!
Hi Angela, I live just outside Melbourne. I am very much a novice at drawing and painting. I have just finished reading “The Art of Urban Sketching”, edited by Gabriel Campanario. So many architects in this book with so much drawing talent. Most say they have been drawing all of their life, but I haven’t! Even so, I am inspired by the idea that with practice I may make some progress. Cheers, Sandi
Hi Zoya, Bendigo is a lovely city. I am in Melbourne, so we are almost neighbours!
Sorry, that comment was meant to go further up 🙁
Angela and Sandi, I am in Melbourne too. Nice to meet you both.
Hi everyone, I am Sue from Davenport, Iowa. I am a social worker. I have been sketching off and on for several years but more intently this past year. I started again last November with Koosje’s Awesome Art Journaling class and have since been in the last three sessions of Sketchbook Skool. I can be found on Facebook and Flicker.
I think I was in that AAJ class with you, SueM.
Hi, I am Diana from Singapore. I work as a PE teacher. Picked up art as s hobby in the recent years. Look forward to learning from you all. 🙂
Hi, I’m Jeff from Malaysia and my work is as a IT consultant.
I am very excited to attend the course and meet everyone! I have strong passion in sketching and hope I can learn and start to record my life with sketchbook instead of camera.
I came across Liz’s blog some time back and read about her work and sketches in some art books that I bought. Feel very excited that I have the opportunity to attend her sketching class. I have been looking for this for quite some time!
Hi, I’m Kate from Manly, Sydney. I attend a great local travel sketching class and am totally hooked. I love colour and recently started experimenting with watercolour, which is so exciting. I’m a medical editor most of the week (with a day squeezed in the middle silversmithing), but hope to find some time in between all that and my lovely family for even more sketching! I’m really looking forward to the course, Liz.
Maggie here from Pembrokeshire in West Wales. I have been following Liz’s blog for some months and loved her tutorials on Sketchbook Skool. I took up art classes on retirement and have dabbled in lots of different media, but sketching is what I love best.
Hi I am Liezl from Cape Town in South Africa! I am 44yrs old and have loved creativity all my life! 2014 was the year I promised myself that I will stop only admiring sketchbook artists, I will give it a try myself.
I was thrilled when I learned of sketchbookskool.com and in semester two it was lovely to have a weeks class with Liz Steel, who I have noticed for the first time in the facebook posts of the Barcelona Sketchers gathering in 2013.
You can find me at myheartdreaming.blogspot.com and on Instagram ‘Liezlvs’
I am so looking forward to your class Liz!!
Hello everyone, good to meet you. I ‘m Jules, and I live near Bristol in the UK. I’m a textile artist and designer and started keeping a sketchbook journal a couple of years ago. I’ve drawn and stitched all my life, but I want to loosen up my sketching – and improve my studies of man made objects! I think Liz’s class is just what I need! looking forward to getting to know people here. I blog at http://needleandpen.blogspot.co.uk/
Hi all I’m a painter and textile artist. I live on a coastal Nature Reserve in the UK where my husband is the Warden. Sounds wonderful in theory I know, but living here is not like the idea people have unfortunately! Anyway I used to sketch a lot, but stopped really when we moved here as I no longer had access to my favourite subject, which is people.
Since then I’ve been trying to get into landscapes and buildings – and am gradually doing that so I was delighted when Liz announced this course – I discovered her work on Flickr years ago – maybe 2008? Anyway I am happy to be here and to connect with you all.
You can find my on my blog and website: http://smallofferings.weebly.com
Instagram: http://instagram.com/smallofferings
Twitter: https://twitter.com/smallofferings
and Flickr of course! https://www.flickr.com/photos/biteyourowntail/
Can’t wait to get started!
Goodmorning, my name is Christine. I live in Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
I am very exited to start with this course. I know Liz from The lessons in Sketchbookskool. I really love drinking tea and i really love Rotterdam so i cannot wait to start drawing our beautiful buildings!
Nice to meet you all!
Best regards,
Christine
Hi, I am Helen Conway. I live in St. Helens in the UK ( Between Liverpool and Manchester) I am a lawyer by day and a textile artist by night and weekend. I have also recently decided to get serious about photography and I am a blogger. So really I know I have enough priorities to squash into available time but still the sketching calls me and I can’t leave it alone! I am especially interested in travel journalling. My main struggle with everyday sketching is regarding anything in my daily life as interesting enough to sketch! I am a relative beginner having been slowly dabbling here and there for maybe a year. I have been in Sketchbook Skool since the beginning and have even done some of the homeworks 🙂
You can find me at
http://www.helenconwaydesign.com
http://www.helenconwayphotography.com
http://Www.twelvebytwelve.org and on facebook – link from my website.
Helen, I subscribe to your textiles blog. Love reading the updates! Looking forward to digging into the new photography one.
Michelle
Hi Helen, I grew up in Prescot (between St. Helens and Liverpool) and started work in St.Helens but moved to London many many moons ago! Just finished Semester 3 of SketchbookSkool too – Small world!
Hi I’m Adrienne and I recently moved up to Lake Macquarie from Sydney and have spent this year trying out as many different types of art that I am able to. I am looking forward to the next twelve weeks after doing a one day workshop with Liz when I finally felt I could draw something I was happy with in a short time frame. I am new to watercolour too and enjoy learning about the way it works. All good things to come…
Hi, I’m Cynthia from Chico, California. I am a watercolor artist and teacher. I started sketching in a journal about 2 years ago and became completely addicted. I love to see how others approach and create images for their journals and that is why I have taken this class.
I too love architecture and tea, although I haven’t attempted drawing my teacup and saucers, but I guess that will change.
I’m really looking forward to getting to know some of you and your work.
Hi everyone I am Rhonda, live in suburban Sydney and realy looking forward to sharing this course with everyone. I currently work full time in a health care job and love to escape to draw and paint . I have no formal training apart from 2 x 1 day workshops on botanical drawing and painting in water colours. I also enjoy cooking, gardening and sewing clothes for my grandchildren.
Hi Rhonda, great to see another fellow Sydney sider enrolled for Liz’s class. Looking forward to getting together and sketching some of the local sights.
Hi everyone! I am Marit, from Germany, but I live and work in Brussels, Belgium. I am quite new to drawing. Around easter this year I picked up a pen for the first time and started doodling my stress away. And I haven’t been able to put down the pen since then, trying all kinds of different media and techniques, and graduating from doodles to something I might call actual drawings (when I’m feeling generous). I love the combination of ink and watercolor, but I also love playing with colored pencils and inktense pencils. I started sketchbook skool in in Oktober (“Beginnings”) and now I’m looking forward to the next 12 weeks with Liz and all of you!
Hi, my name is Lucie and I’m a physics teacher in Manchester. I Loved drawing as a kid, but stopped in my early 20s. I fell seriously ill earlier this year and picked up the pencils again as a way of helping me get better.
I’m blogging about my sketching adventures at http://bunnysketches.blogspot.co.uk (bunny is my nickname)
Hi Lucie, I’m in the UK (Bristol) too and I see several people from the Manchester area here, but just me down South! Will hop over to your blog later.
Hi everyone!
My name is Beliza, I live in the Grand-duchy of Luxembourg.
I have always loved drawing, but only started doing it regularly about 3 years ago.
I love that it is an “easy hobby”, meaning that I can take it anywhere and actually don’t need much fancy material for it either.
It has allowed also me to meet a lot of great people from all over the world.
And I love that you can always learn something new, explore different materials and new ways of sketching.
I’m a huge fan of comic books (any type really, European, American, Japanese, etc., as long as they are good) and love going to the movies.
I have a blog that keeps me motivated to sketch (http://belizamendes.blogspot.com). I’m also on Flickr (search for beliza_m) and Instagram (look for promethea13).
Looking forward to sharing my work and seeing yours!
Happy to see you here!!!!
My name is Elizabeth and I have lived in Sydney for 32 years. I am originally from Ottawa, Canada.
I have recently stopped working and have been looking for something artistic which pushes me.
I have always wanted to learn how to draw/paint but have never really pursued it. I like the idea and philosophy behind the sketching movement as it makes art and doing art accessible to all.
To sum up I am a beginner and feel I would really benefit from structure and guidance.
Hi. I’m a Western Australian girl who lives in Perth, but travels around the State on a regular basis. Earlier in the year I participated in Sketchbook Skool Beginnings. I have been urban sketching in my own way for a couple of years and alos have an interest in bookbinding.
Oops. No edit facility here. Mean “ALSO”.
Hi I am Ariel (Mr.) from Singapore. I’m into Interior Design. Sketching since young but mostly B&W. I’d like to add life to my sketches with some color wash similar to Liz’s style. I want to learn this approach in coloring and apply to different mediums and maybe with an IPad as welI. Also I travel occasionally and want to capture good scene moments with sketches and yes have my own sketchbook travelogue. Looking forward to start the lessons. Cheers everyone !
Yeah!!! Another Singaporean! Hi hi, I am Diana. I am a PE teacher. Art is a hobby I picked up only recently. 🙂 I like to learn a new medium.
Hi Diana ! Great to see another creative from the little red dot. Can’t wait to learn and try my first sketch of an HDB, Shophouse, MBS skyline, so many and not to mention a glass of teh Tarik. hehe. Let’s enjpy the journey !
suek
I’m Susan and live in Sydney, Australia. Am a retired Interior Designer with a passion for the visual arts. Have gone to various art classes over the years, mainly drawing and watercolour. Love making my own cards with collage. I enjoy travelling both in Australia and belatedly overseas (am a bit of a francophile) and take many photos, but would like to do more travel sketching. Hope that this course gives me the confidence and skill to sketch ‘in-situ’ rather than just from photos.
Hi, I’m Annee. I retired 10 years ago from a career as a graphic designer and design teacher. I also made a sea-change from the city to the country, and live in Coffs Harbour, halfway between Sydney and Brisbane, Australia. I became a designer because I loved drawing, but 25 years of my career was spent on the computer! I loved it all, but want to rediscover pen, paint and paper – and spontaneity! My other interests are birdwatching, architecture (2 in the family), bookbinding and sewing. I’m thrilled to be part of this class with Liz as teacher. http:www.flickr.com/photos/annee_artist
I mean http://www.flickr.com/photos/annee_artist
Hello Annee – I just looked through your flickr page and was thrilled to see sketches of many familiar places. I live in the US now, but my parents lived in Coffs and Grafton for many years, my sister lived near Bellingen and my family had a beach house at Red Rock. Keep those north coast sketches coming!
– Laurie
(I’m also an ex-graphic designer.)
Hi Laurie, I just found your post! The Coffs coast and Grafton are beautiful places to live, glad to keep those memories alive for you. I grew up in Canberra, so this climate and scenery are always a source of wonder to me. My best friend from schooldays and my cousin live in the US. Lots of dramatic and beautiful scenery there too.
There is indeed lots of beautiful scenery here too, but I miss Australia. Here’s a quick sketch I did on a Clarence River tour boat when I was a the Grafton High School centenary a few years ago. https://www.flickr.com/photos/lauriewigham/7430416862/in/set-72157630260331384/
And here’s one that I did standing on the headland at Red Rock, looking south towards Corindi. https://www.flickr.com/photos/lauriewigham/8114331526/
Hi, I’m Susan from Vancouver, Canada. I’ve been drawing and painting since I discovered Danny Gregory’s Creative License a few years ago. I’ve also discovered the Vancouver Urban Sketchers and get together for a group sketch when I can find the time. I’ve also done a couple of Sketchbook Skool Klasses. When I’m not sketching, I work as and ESL teacher for newcomer adults to Canada, I play the fiddle (badly but enthusiastically), I like to sing and wilderness camp. I’ve spent the past 20 years raising my now teen girls with my husband. Life is getting a little less busy now the girls are nearly grown so I’m looking forward to even more sketching! Bring it on, Liz!
Oh I forgot to mention my blog seeitsketchit.blogspot.ca
It is mostly for my mom and sister to see what I am up to but anyone is welcome to have a peek.
Hello everybody! My name is Heather. I grew up in Maine and live in Santa Monica, California with my husband, dog and two bunny rabbits. My grandfather was a commercial artist who loved to draw landscapes en plein air. He gave me sketch books, pencils, chalks and other “real” artist’s tools every year for Christmas and I filled them up with drawings. I went to one year of art school with thoughts of becoming an art therapist, but got very discouraged and went into business in the interior design field as a purchasing agent. I design and knit (heatherroses on ravelry) and garden. I started keeping a sketch journal in 2009, inspired by Geninne.com. I take my watercolors to paint when I travel, which isn’t often enough, so I joined this class.
Hi, I’m Jenni and I live in Newcastle, Australia. It sure is interesting to read all the posts and realise what a global site it is. I have always loved painting and drawing but the drawing skills need loosening up! I love Liz’ approach to architectural drawing and aim to use this class in losing inhibitions about sketching and painting outdoors.
Checked on notify me – sorry guys I’ll read your comments here so opting out of follow up comments… 🙂
I’m Tania, I live in Brisbane, Australia. I attend weekly art class, working mainly in acrylics. I also did Sketchbook Skool 1 which I really enjoyed, I am now so looking forward to learning from Liz. Sketching is just such a wonderful form of self expression to me, I try to always have a sketchbook in my handbag when I go out to capture the day or a moment.
Hi, I’m Heather and I live in Northern California, surrounded by redwood trees, near Eureka. I have just started drawing this year. I’ve been married for 17 years and have four beautiful children. In addition to drawing, I love knitting, sewing, gardening, and reading books. I can’t wait to start this class. I love the idea of recording my daily life with sketching. You can find me on flickr under the name: h.hodge97 and on instagram under the name: heatherh2020
Hi! I’m Kathie from Chicago ~ I’ve been an artist all my life thanks to my mom and dad and was lucky enough to be surrounded by art supplies most of my life. I think I still have them all … and more! Was an illustrator/designer, then mom, then a painter of pastel portraits and plein air oil landscapes. I’ve been teaching pastels at the historically wonderful Old Town Art Center and recently became reacquainted with watercolor when the asked to teach a class. I feel as if I’ve come home ~ though I still love pastels and oils. Spent a bit of time last winter in Manly and Sydney while my son worked and surf boated there for a year. LOVE Australia and wish I was with you in person for your classes there, Liz! So looking forward to the next 12 weeks of study!
Hi! I’m Holly. I live in Jakarta Indonesia. My passion is fashion and art. I have done some fashion illustrations, and posted them on instagram @avecholly. I would like to improve my sketch, mostly I work in photoshop. Hoping I can learn watercolor techniques, drawing buildings and able to sketch faster.
Hi, I’m Penny. I live in Mill Valley which is just north of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California. I have been retired for four years and now have time to spend time with my family and my therapy- trained dog, Lulu. I love all things Italian (my husband and I spend 6 weeks in Orvieto every year) including speaking Italian. I am really looking forward to learning some skills that will enrich my time in the places I love!
Hi I am ellen in san diego but most recently Sausalito…and i love orvieto!!!
i forgot to mention that though I live in Boston in the US, I was born in Australia, in Armidale, NSW, and grew up in Norwich in the UK … I come from everywhere.
I’m Michelle. I live in Boston, USA and homeschool my kids. Four at home still, two adult children, one little granddaughter. But that makes me sound older than I feel! I’m 46.
I’ve been drawing all my life. Absolutely love architecture and architectural theory so am looking forward to learning more about sketching buildings. I used to work for a newspaper and in publishing, have sold used books, am a bibliophile and have been sketchbooking about six years ago. So much more to learn.
I blog at http://www.paperblogging.com where I write stories for, by and about sketchbookers, as well as give hints on how to get started sketchbooking for people who think they absolutely can’t. You can find me on Facebook under Michelle Geffken, and on Twitter and Pinterest under Paperblogging. Flickr account to come.
Hi Michelle, your paperbloggingnsite looks really nice! I also found you on Pinterest 🙂
I am Liezl from Cape Town xx
Thanks,, Liezl! The blog is recent startup and I’m really enjoying it. Took a class in London with the Gentle Author of Spitalfieldslife.com back in the Spring. One of the best things I ever did.
I live in the Southeast USA and am a newbie of 2 years to drawing and watercolor beginning upon my retirement from Clinical Administrative work in Healthcare. I have had no formal art training but have had a fun beginning with Draw Everyday in May, Brenda Swansons 75 Day Ink Drawing twice, Inktober 30 Day Draw, and Sketchbook Skool 2 and 3. I have always enjoyed photography and overload the computers capacity often……love the cloud. For 37 years, I have enjoyed creating crafts for children’s ministry so have lengthy experience with crayons and colored markers. Yes, I too love tea but mostly iced. Oh, ……..and so I don’t sit to much drawing and such, I love to walk and roll the ball on a ten pen bowling league. Now let’s draw and paint!!
Hi, I’m Sandi. I live in Wandin East, Victoria, Australia. I have written all my life; only now and again toying with a pencil or a bit of paint. For the past 5 years I have been a social member of the Mt Evelyn and Yarra Valley Art Society. Through this group I was inspired to read how-to books, and attended a couple of workshops. In the art books they are always telling you to ‘have fun’. This is never told to a writer, not in all of my experience anyway. So I am here to doodle a little bit more with my pencil, and to have fun.
I’m Dawn from San Jose California. I’m a fashion stylist with CAbi. I’ve been a scrapbooker for at least 20 years, but I’ve recently discovered a love for sketching and watercolor. I took an travel art journaling class and practiced on my travels to Sweden and Hawaii. I love to draw architecture and landscapes, but have a fear of sketching people! I’m looking forward to this class! You can find me on Facebook at Dawn Bozarth-Independant CAbi Consultant.
I am a senior living at The Redwoods in Mill Valley, California. I started watercolor at the age of 60, almost 20 years ago. Keeping a watercolor journal is a joy and delight for me. I have been doing this since 2005 when I took a workshop. Now, I lead a group 2 Tuesdays a month called the Watercolor Journal Group. We go out to a pretty place and do a page. We have been doing this for 6 years. I have had no formal training or art background. This has not kept me for loving to learn and grow. You can teach an old dog new tricks.
Here is my flickr page
https://www.flickr.com/photos/maoma3/
Hi Elizabeth, I enjoyed your flickr page. You are inspiring!
I’m Larry, I live in Philadelphia, and I’m a76 year old retired Architect. One reason I became an Architect was my love of drawing. Over the years computers and my role in the practice pushed drawing to the back shelf. After retiring I pursued photography, but became restless: too much computer time, too much left brain. Then about 8 months ago, I rediscovered drawing and watercolor; nothing has been the same since. I’m looking forward to expanding my vision and my capacity to capture the life that surrounds me.
Bravo, Larry, for exploring new interests and especially moving into watercolors and sketching!
I am Peggy Herrick and I live on a small island in the Gulf of Mexico off the northern part of Florida in the U.S. Two of my friends who live in Gainesville, 55 miles to the northeast, are also in this Foundations Course. I have sketched most of my life and have kept a journal, which I call a journey daybook, for about 28 years.
I was recently in Paraty, Brazil at the last Urban Sketchers symposium and met scores of inspiring people, like Liz. Since September, I have been following blogs and Facebook posts in my lifelong attempt to improve my sketching skills. Taking this course was a no-brainer for me! Thanks, Liz!
Hi Peggy! Now we are four – you, STJ and DF are having such a good experience in the Foundations Course that I had to join. I’ll be lagging behind for a while but in time will catch up.
I will be happy to help you as much as I can.
Hi, I’m Irena and I live in Southern California high desert. I’m a retired Marriage and Family Therapist. I’ve been painting in watercolor for over 15 years mostly from photo’s from my travels. I want to get over my fear of drawing in public. I’ve been following Liz’s blog for a while now, and after taking her class this past summer at Sketchbook Skool, I knew I had to sign up for this foundation class.
Hi, I am Debi from Tallahassee, Florida. I homeschool my two teens and sneak in sketching every chance I get. I love sketching old churches and nature and my pets, even people on occasion. I am very excited about this class and can’t wait until tomorrow.
I am Ricky and am excited to be here in the sketching foundations course! I live near San Jose in the Santa Cruz Mountains of California. I have taken art and sketching classes off and on again for many years, starting with watercolor Fall trees when I was in Kindergarten! Now I am retired and want to sketch regularly. Planning to travel and do travel journals! I also quilt and love nature sketching. I am on Facebook.
Hello, all. I’m Susan, and I live in Colorado in the U.S. I love that there are people from all over involved in this class. I am an oral historian and have run a program in oral history for our library for nearly 18 years, but next week I am turning the management of the program over to a new person. I still will be working but less and in a more focused way with, I hope, less pressure and more time for things like drawing and travel. I never drew until middle age, and though I have been drawing and painting in watercolor for a while now, I still feel very much the beginner. Perhaps I will always be a beginner, but I do enjoy the process, so maybe that’s okay. I do have a flickr site with a variety of work–pen and ink, watercolor, mixed media, abstract pieces, and travel journal pages–at https://www.flickr.com/photos/takinganotherlook/sets/
Hi SusanB,
Happy to see another Coloradoan. I also work in a library. Thanks for sharing your Flickr link — really nice pieces.
Sharon
Hello, I’m Rachabodin and I live in Thailand. I’m interested in Photography, Art and History. I started painting in watercolour since 2010 but I am a beginner to Drawing and Sketching. I am looking forward to learning and developing more about sketching.
My flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/rachabodin/
My blog: http://rachabodin.com/
Hello, I’m Karen from Rochester, New York. I’m a retired elementary and special education teacher. I just started drawing this summer during a semester in Sketchbook Skool. That’s how I found Liz. I’ve worked my way through a Learn to Draw book as well, and am beginning to see some improvement. I never had any art instruction growing up, but have been a paper crafter (card maker and scrapbooker) for over 20 years, and an enthusiastic photographer for the last 15 years or so. I’m hoping to learn enough to keep not only a daily sketchbook, but also one when I’m traveling. I’m really looking forward to this course! You can find me on my blog (www.kbwalker.blogs.com), on Facebook (Karen Walker) and on Flickr (Karen1448).
I am Kay French, Ellie Segal’s good friend. I live in Portland Oregon and am happy to see other Pacific Northwesterners are enrolled as well. Look at all the people all over the world who say “I want to draw!” All I can say is “Me too!!!”
Hi Kay — I’m in NW Portland, you?
I see from your post you are an Urban Sketcher. Do you go to the sketchcrawls with the Portland group?
I’d like to and I am signed up but I never get the notices. Not sure why. This summer we were doing a job in Olympia so I was not here for two of them tho. My email is [email protected].
Hi my name is Rishi Kaneria. I was born in London, England, but I am currently a Creative Director living in Atlanta, GA.
I sketched a lot during my youth but somewhere along the line digital art kind of took over. Recently I’ve been trying to get back in touch with traditional media and in particular keeping a visual journal.
I have many creative outlets: writing, music, photography, art, but in the past few years my main focus has been video/film and you can find my work on Vimeo:
staff picks on Vimeo and just over 2 million views across my 7 videos.
Cheers!
Rishi
Hi! I’m Jessica.
I live in Concord, California and am taking a few years off from construction management to care for my two little boys. I’ve been drawing all my life but since this past July, I’ve been drawing or painting every day. It’s making me a happier person and I hope to keep it up. So excited to be doing this class!
My Flickr drawings are here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/jessicanales/
My infrequently updated blog is here: http://jessicacanales.com/
Hi Jessica, Nice to see you here.
Hello, I’m Mike and I live in Roanoke Virginia USA. I’ve worked in local government in the public safety communications sector for almost 30 years. Time for a change as I retire at the end of the year. I’ve always loved art, most any kind, but pen and ink is what I like best. Looking forward to learning and seeing everyone’s ideas and work. I’m glad I found this class looking forward to something new.
Hi Mike,
Thanks for your service. Congratulations on your retirement.
All the best!
Hi,
I’m Ros from Albany, Western Australia and am excited to be joining this group.I work part time in a framing shop. I have always dabbled in art but mainly paint from photos. I really want to speed up my sketching and get away from obsessive details. My blog is here http://rosjenke.wordpress.com/
Hi Ros, great to hear from you 🙂
Cerena
Hi, I’m Zoya from Bendigo, Australia. I used to sketch occasionally. Left my IT job almost 7 years ago to look after my children and tried lots of different crafts before coming back to drawing and painting with watercolour. About 2.5 years ago I started sketching almost everyday, though sometimes I only manage a quick few minute scribble in the whole day.
Hi Zoya, Bendigo is a lovely city. I am in Melbourne, so we are almost neighbours!
Hello. I am Ellen and live in Baton Rouge, LA. I am also an architect and so happy that I “met” Liz on Sketch Book Skool. Excited to take this course and learn new things. My biggest obstacle to sketching is taking the leap to start a drawing. Once I get past that, I’m often surprised by the results! I love to draw and paint buildings – especially old ones.
Welcome, Ellen. I lived in Baton Rouge for a year, attending LSU. Interesting buildings to sketch on campus. Looking forward to seeing your sketches.
Hello! I’m Cookie. I’m a naturalist (a gal who has always looked under rocks). I have worked as a Park Ranger for 30+ years; currently working in Big Bend National Park in Texas (USA).
I have always loved art, but never felt I could jump in and play until I discovered illustrated watercolor journaling. And, boy was I hooked! I love learning new techniques, and looking at others sketchbooks. And I love Liz’s style easy fun-loving style!
Hi Cookie! I am also “naturally curious”. I have been nature journaling for the past several years and having lots of fun learning more about sketchbooks.
Hi! Margie here from Juneau, Alaska. I also heard about you, Liz, from Sketchbook Skool. I loved seeing your techniques in those videos and would like to learn more from you. I’m a retired schoolteacher. So, along with volunteering in schools and used bookstores, I am trying to develop a daily art habit! Along with keeping a watercolor sketchbook, I enjoy quilting, oil painting, making music and reading.
Hello to so many people, I’m another Aussie, I’m from Perth in Western Australia. I’ve been quilting for a while and came across Sketchbook Skool through that. That was my introduction to sketching and I really enjoyed it and am now looking forward to this course. I must say tea cups and building were a challenge for me.
I’m hoping with practice I will improve. I’ve never put anything onto the computer so this will be a big challenge to me as well.
Hi Everyone! I’m Michelle and I live in Madera, CA–which is smack dab in the middle of California and the Central Valley. I’m left brained by day–I run the Medical and Regulatory Division for the largest workers’ comp insurance carrier in the state. By night, my right brain prevails. I was creative as a kid–but for whatever reasons, abandoned most creative pursuits as an adult. About a year ago, the need to create took hold again with a vengeance. I’ve done a little sketching, some watercolor, a bit of art journaling, and most recently, learned all about using watersoluble pencils in Dion Dior’s wonderful class. I’m really looking forward to learning all I can about sketching, and seeing all the wonderful work we create.
Hi! I”m Lin Frye … I’m retired (YEAH!!) and before that taught horticulture and ran a small arboretum. I’ve been painting watercolors for nine years and kept a ton of journals, but my sketching skills have been neglected are in great need of work! I teach watercolors at my senior center (only community center in my small rural community). I really want to improve my sketches — especially in the area of people and buildings! I have a flickr page http://www.flickr.com/photos/linfrye and facebook http://www.facebook.com/lin.frye.56 and a blog http://viewfromtheoak.blogspot.com. I’m excited to be here and continue sketching and journal keeping!!
Forgot to say — I live in a small community outside of Raleigh, North Carolina .. Lin
Hi Lyn!!! Yay! Kate here!
Hi Lin, It’s Jules from the FB AJW group here. Lovely to see you !
Hi Lin! This is Pat Catucci from Sketchbook Skool, EcoGeek’s Journal from Flickr, etc. Nice to see you here!
Hi Lin, good to see you here.
Hello, I’m Kathy and I live in Idaho’s Treasure Valley. I began keeping a sketchbook only 8 months ago when I started Sketchbook School. I am recently retired and excited to take this foundations course. I am hoping to improve my sketching ability and to explore urban sketching. I love to draw people and buildings and am looking forward to learning new things and improving my beginning skills. I also love biking, cooking and landscaping.
Hi Kathy D. I live in Boise. We should meet for sketching. I also bicycle.
Hi Kimberly,
I’m Theresa. Found you as I was scrolling through the introductions. I also live in Boise. Another friend from Meridian and I are taking the class. So there are at least 4 of us in the Boise area. Look forward to meeting and sketching together.
Hi Kimberly. I’m Theresa and I also live in Boise. I know that there are 4 of us taking the class from the Boise area. Hopefully, we can meet and sketch together. This may be a duplicate message. Trying to get the flow of this method.
Hi Kathy D,
I’m Theresa. Found you as I was scrolling through the introductions. I also live in Boise. Another friend from Meridian and I are taking the class. So there are at least 4 of us in the Boise area. Look forward to meeting and sketching together.
I am Winna or E J Mordasky…I live in Stafford Springs Ct. USA…Mother of 5, close to 80 years on this earth, been an artist always, taught mostly acrylic painting for over 30 years and retired at 70…now my life is my sketchbooks and what a blessing that is..I have a flickr site and am on facebook…I am happy to see the Captain is in this class, too….
Hello, Flickr friend! I’m glad to see you are a classmate here!
RJ (artstudio309 at flickr)
Hi Winna, I am always glad to see you!
Hello everyone, my name is Kay and I live in Sydney, Australia. I have been fortunate to join in one of Liz’s classes in person. She is so enthusiastic about teaching and I am sure that we will all enjoy the class. I am a recent convert to sketchbooks, mainly trying to use them as a way to document my ideas for textile art, but also places I have visited. I am a teacher by trade, a quilter by passion. I, too, was a Sketchbook Skool student and I am SO happy that Liz is now doing her own online classes.
Hi, I am Ellie. I live in Portland, OR. Kay French is my dear friend, we went to art school together (PNCA) a long time ago. Kay got me into SKS “Seeing”. It is good to be drawing again.
Hi Ellie — I am also a Portlander!
Hi Ellie,
Oregon is well represented! I am south of you in Lyons, not far from Salem!
Hi Ellie, Kate and Carmel
Hi there!!
Hi, I am Hillary Barnes and I live in New Zealand. I like creating things and I am full of questions about everything. Born 1946, so old enough to be eccentric. I am on facebook, instagram, pinterest, etc and have run a blog for 10 years.
Really looking forward to this challenge with Liz.
Hello! I am Jean and I live in the sky on the 20th floor with a view of New York City in the distance. Also, I ride my horse several days a week in the beautiful Ramapo mountains. While I am very excited about this class, I must warn you that I am a beginner to this kind of work. I do design and stitch needlepoint, and I am looking forward to stretching that to a new direction,
Hi, I’m Leslie from Perth in Western Australia. I took up sketching when I realized it was too difficult to always carry an SLR camera, or pull out acrylic paints, or crafting gear to get a creative fix. Small kits consisting of a sketchbook, permanent pen, tiny mint tin with watercolours and a waterbrush are stashed everywhere so I can capture precious and fleeting memories on the go. I find myself sketching multiple times a day and just staring at unfinished larger paintings that seem to need a lot more time and dedication. I discovered Liz’s blog a year ago, joined Sketchbook Skool and am so excited to finally have ongoing lessons with Liz.
Hi, I’m Cerena and I live in the wheatbelt of West Australia.
Nice to meet you
Hello! I’m Susan, a single mom of a dozen children, living in Olathe, KS. I chase sanity with art, photography, writing and triathlon, and am *really* looking forward to Liz’s course! I blog @ http://www.joyfulmomofmany.com
Hi to Susan! This is Patty from Pennsylvania. My grandmother was born in Olathe, KS. She went to the Kansas City Art Institute. One of her fellow classmates was a little know guy by the name of Walt Disney.
I’m Carrie from California’s Central Valley (but an Oregonian most of my life). I started drawing only earlier this year and discovered how satisfying it is to create on paper. I’ve been a Sketchbook Skool student for Beginnings and Seeing and have loved the experience and exposure to all sorts of other wonderful creative people. I’m looking forward to joining Liz and all of you for this class!
Carrie are you living near Portland now? I’m in Portland, and looking for other people near me! Kate
I live in Hillsboro and am looking for sketchers close to me! :o)
Hello, I’m Dori and I’ve drawn my whole life. I studied art in college and worked as a graphic designer for 10 years. Then went back to school and got my masters in psychology and worked as an art therapist for 10 years. Now I am self employed doing a variety of design work. I am really excited about this class and hope to develop a daily sketching practice. I can be found here:
http://dorimelton.com/
http://instagram.com/mzdori
https://m.facebook.com/dorimelton
Hi all!
I am Lynn Green and I live in Bellevue Nebraska,USA. I am currently working as a graphic designer. A career change from Interior Design/Architectural drafting field for over 25 years. I really love to draw and the career change was a step to more creative drawing instead of technical drawing. I love Liz’s style and enjoyed her Klass in Sketchbook Skool. I am trying to break free of the technical and precise drawing that I did for years into a more spontaneous loose expressive style. I started my own blog, paintspensnpencils.blogspot.com as a way to push myself to get going and drawing. I am looking forward to this class to help with that IC that keeps me from accomplishing that!
Hi to all these lovely people from all over the world! I’m looking forward to not only sketching but learning more about other parts of the globe. I live near San Diego CA, USA with my 12yo and 10yo, husband and cat and lots of birds, 2 tame and the outdoor population that visits my feeders. The cat stays inside and watches – I call it cat TV. Can’t wait to get started! Justine
Hi, I’m Bobbie, and I live on the central coast of California. I love travel, art, yoga, and have always wanted to sit in a cafe and draw what I saw. Now that I am retired, I plan to do just that……. and am hoping to learn how by taking this class. I love Liz’s approach, and her use of watercolor. I am an Urban Sketchers groupie, and definitely a beginning artist-in-process!
Hi Bobbie!! I’ve never met anyone else from the central coast in online classes before! I’m near SLO!! I am also a total Urban Sketcher groupie (great phras)!!
Hi, I’m Pam from Melbourne Beach, Florida near the Space Center. I am excited about this class and learning from Liz! I share many of her same interests and am so happy to have her as a resource. Can hardly wait!
Hi…Jane here. Have lived on both coasts…and chasing grandchildren, I’ve wound up here in Birmingham, Alabama, USA. Have taken 2 Sketchbook Skool classes and have absolutely loved hearing from and seeing the work from around the globe! Looking is mostly still what I’m doing. Being a former art student…my efforts do not meet my expectations. However, I do love watching everyone else’s progress!!
Hi, I’m Leeanne from Brisbane, Australia, a retired Microbiology technician. Discovered Urban Sketchers last year which lead to Sketchbook Skool. Have wanted to do a workshop with Liz for a while as I admire her style and enjoy the teacups. Would like to be able to sketch faster and looser. My other interests are ukulele and learning Japanese.
Hi, My name is Mary and I live in St. Michael, Minnesota. I worked as an oncology nurse for 47 years and have been blessed immeasurably by the experiences working with cancer patients and their families. I am new to sketching and drawing but pulled to enter into and experience the wonder of it. I feel blessed to be a student in this class. Thank you so much. I am on Pinterest and Facebook as Mary Brunk.
Hi Mary, It’s Michelle from Dion Dior’s Water-soluble Pencils class! So nice to find a friendly name taking the Sketching Now course. Looking forward to seeing our work progress. Have fun!
Hi, my name is Katherine and I live in Sydney, Australia. I met Liz when she was guest tutor at a sketch class I was attending a while back. She was so helpful and nice and explained things so clearly to me. I share with Liz an interest in buildings although I find they are not easy to sketch! I started travel sketching about two years ago and really enjoy it. My other long-time passion is quilting. It’s very nice to meet you all and I’m looking forward to starting class 🙂
Hi Katherine, nice to meet you. I also live in Sydney, enjoy travel sketching and am a quilter. Kay
Hi Kay, nice to meet you too. What style of quilting do you like? Originally I wanted to learn to draw to try and design my own pictorial quilts, but when I started sketching I found I enjoyed sketching for sketching! Katherine
Hello, I am Janette Meetze and I live in Bixby, Oklahoma, USA but I am originally from Florida. I am a retired art teacher who has started a little business and am spending as much time as possible with my creative inclinations which include sketching and tapestry weaving. Art history is also a particular interest of mine. I “met” Liz in SBS and discovered an interest in sketching architecture that I never knew I had and would love to grow my skills for sketching on the spot.
I am on Facebook and Flicker and write two blogs, one on sketching
http://www.jmeetzestudio.blogspot.com
And one for tapestry weaving
http://www.jmeetzestudiocommonthreads.blogspot.com
Hi Janette. Nice to see you!
My name is Kate and I currently live in Portland Oregon USA. I started adult life as an architect and was an avid journaler then. I turned to art in my 30’s, acrylics mostly. 15 years ago i was able to take my painting talents into the field of object conservation (restoring museum items.) I missed painting and decided to change to watercolors so I could keep a permanent studio set up (space is smaller) and love them. I’m an urban sketcher, and Liz reminded me of the reasons I loved architecture — drawing it, which no one does anymore. I am looking forward to this class!
My art blog is http://dkatiepowellart.me/ and my flickr name is https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/
Yes, it is good to see you here! I do make it up to Portland. We have boat on the Columbia.
Carmel
Hi!
My name is Barbara and I live in Chicago, IL, USA. I’ve been a graphic designer since it was called commercial art and cut and paste was really cut and paste. I, too, am a great admirer of Liz’s work and hope to learn how she sketches so fast and with such dedication! I contribute to two blogs, barbaraweeks.blogspot.com and urbansketchers-chicago.blogspot.com. Drawing Breath is my flickr presence. I’m really looking forward to this class.
Hi, Cyd and Cathy,
Another Chicago suburbanite here. I joined this class, in part, to get that extra push that comes from working with others towards the same goal.
Look forward to seeing your work.
Ah, the perils of unfamiliar social media interface, iPad mini, and end-of-day eyesight…
Barbara,
My message to you was how nice it is to see you in this class. I love your work on the Urban Sketchers Chicago site and look forward to seeing it here as well.
Marjorie
Thank you!
It’s good to have so many here representing the Chicago area!
Hi everyone, I am Capt.Elaine from Charleston SC USA, I’m a United States Coast Guard licensed boat captain. Usually called a 6 pack license I can take 6 paying passengers for a boat ride. I’m a grandmother and a cancer survivor… and finally a sketcher. I started keeping a sketchbook after my cancer surgery and draw something every day. I’ve admired Liz Steel for a very long time, enjoyed her sketchbook skool klass and now I’m ready for 12 weeks of Liz. I’m CaptElaine on flicker and my blog is here http://captelaine.blogspot.com
I am a member of your club. I started doing drawing waiting for appointments or in the hospital.
Hi. I’m Priscilla in San Ramon California. I learned about Liz through her class in Sketchbook. I love her approach to sketchbook drawing and I’m looking forward to learning more from her and fellow classmates.
Hi Priscilla,
I am Lori Rhodes and live next door in Pleasanton.
Hi Priscilla, nice to see you here.
Hi, I am Trish. I live in a coastal town on the west coast of Australia. I have always been a stay-at-home-mum to four now grown up and left home children. I have a passion for making books and journals and would love to fill them with watercolour sketches…hopefully!
http://trishsweeneyttime.blogspot.com.au
Hi Trish. I’m also on the coast of Western Australia – in Geraldton. That makes two of us so far! I also love bookbinding and am hoping to learn to work in my journals with more spontaneity and less procrastination!
Fran.
Hi, I’m Cornelia and I live in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. I am 36 years old and work as a reference librarian at a small college.
Although I loved to draw as a child, I gave it up at around age 10-12. I got interested in drawing again after discovering Paul Soupiset’s Lentenblog several years ago, and then finding out about urban sketching, but I did not get around to actually following up on this interest until this June, when I moved to a four day work week to allow for better life-work balance. I have been slowly working through the exercises in the book Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain (I’m only about halfway through) as well as taking a 10 week evening class called Drawing and Creative Expression (two more weeks left).
Hi I am Gerry and from Cape Cod in Massachusetts. I became a big fan of Liz Steele in Sketchbook Skool. I am looking forward to learning more about watercolor and pen and ink.
Hi, I’m Linda and I live in a small town west of Boston, Massachusetts. I’m fairly new to sketching, although I have done a bit of mixed media pieces. I taught for thirty- five years and now have more time to get involved in both drawing and photography. Ever since I signed up for this course I’ve been waiting for it to begin.
Welcome, Linda. We are in Acton, MA all the time for Speech and Debate classes. Perhaps we’ll have a chance to sketch together.
I grew up in Waltham, MA. In 1976 I drove my volks wagon to the west coast and have lived in Portland, OR ever since.
Hi, all. I’m Ellen. I live in Austin, Texas. I have been a frustrated artist my whole life. My favorite mediums are watercolor and pen and ink. Urban Sketching and sketchbooks are my new found passion. I started 2 years ago with a concerted effort to keep a sketchbook, learn new techniques and share my art. This class is one more step improve my skills, and stay motivated to paint and draw.
Hi, my name is Martine and I am from Montreal (Quebec, Canada). My 1st language is French. I am 60 and retired and now I can draw & paint anytime I want !
I mostly draw people and enjoy life drawing sessions. I always have a sketchbook in my bag and I sketch almost every day. I am scared of drawing buildings and, therefore, I have great hopes in this course of Liz (so much hopes on your shoulders, Liz;-)
My flickr account is: https://www.flickr.com/photos/mpaquet/
My blog is: http://martinepaquet.blogspot.ca/
Looking forward tomeet all of you in our flickr grou!
Hi I’m Diane and I live in Auckland, New Zealand. I have always been creative but didn’t draw or paint as a child so I’m trying to learn it as an adult. I’ve turned my hand to many things including jewellery making, calligraphy and book binding but I have a great love of illustrated journals. I’m really looking forward to learning in a structured way and hope it all sinks in.
Hi I’m Rita. I live in Mesquite, NV (about 2 1/2 years) prior lived in South Bend, In. I am 68 year old retired lady (loving it!!!!). My art experience started in the early 90’s after signing up for a watercolor class. Didn’t really get back to painting and drawing until I retired.Painting was truly painting pictures to give away to family…never just sketching or journaling. I have taken 3 SBS Klasses….love them. I truly excited to building “Foundations with LIZ” Let’s get going!!!
Hi!! I’m Wendi Wells. I’ve lived on the central coast of California nearly my entire life. I recently turned 41, I’ve been married for almost 22 years, and we have 3 sons who are attending the same university across the country in Missouri (a freshman, sophomore, and junior).
I have been a professional massage therapist with my own small, but thriving, private practice for about 15 years. As physically (and sometimes emotionally) demanding as my work can be I absolutely love it!! When I’m not massaging people I’m working at my husband’s cabinet shop. We work 7 days a week! I am also a part time care giver for my elderly mother.
I don’t remember exactly how I started sketch journaling, but I’ve been dabbling for quite a few years. I do remember that a big part of it was Cathy (Kate) Johnson’s book, Watercolor Pencil Magic. Unfortunately, I don’t do it everyday and I’m not as prolific as I’d like to be. But, I keep at it and try to sketch and journal when I can. I’d like to really work on developing a habit, and sketching quickly in the few moments I do get.
My other creative interests include aromatherapy, and black out/erasure poetry!
You can find me on Flickr and Instagram, as well as Facebook. I only have a website for my business: http://www.awaytbc.com
I’m so happy to be in this class!! Eeeee!!
Hi Wendi, I’d love to drive up your way and do some sketching along the coast! I’m in Santa Monica.
Best wishes,
Heather
Hi Heather! I love your enthusiasm!!
This is the first art class I’ve taken in 20 years and I’m excited about getting out an enjoying living in CA. My grandfather sketched in Big Sur and I’ve been inspired to do the same after looking through his portfolio recently.
Sounds like you have a busy life. This will be perfect for you!
I am in Santa Cruz… where are you?
Hi, I’m Kiyo. Living now in Houston, TX, after growing up and graduating from college in Honolulu, HI. I retired last May from an administrative job at a hospital. My house just sold, and I am in the process of moving to New Mexico. Anyway, one of the things I wanted to do when I retired is to learn to sketch with ink and watercolor, and eventually learn to paint with oils. I’ve been following Liz and Boromini for a long time, love her style of sketching and am excited to take this course.
My name is Jacqueline. Born and bred in London, England but have lived in America for 17 years. I currently live in southern California near the beach. I am an artist and have done some sketching but feel I could benefit from some guidance.
Hi Jacqueline,
I’m in Santa Monica and Claudiacat is in Redondo Beach. I’d love to have a meet up for one of the sketching assignments if we can arrange it! North Laguna Beach is on my list of places to go to sketch 🙂
All the best,
Heather
Hi Heather, I’m recovering from two car accidents so I don’t drive very far these days. However, Laguna beach is only a few miles away from me. I’d be happy to meet up if you make it down this way.
Welcome, Jacqueline from a fellow British person in the US.
Hello Paperblogging. How long have you been here? It’s been 17 years for me.
24 I think, a bit longer if you count time here as a student. Was back in London last spring for the first time in 24 years anyway. The profile pic was taken at the entrance to the British Museum, (sketchbook in hand.)
That is a long time to be away. I try to return every other year.
Jaqueline,
Oh, I’d been back to my hometown, just hadn’t returned to London in those years.
I’m a born and bred Londoner so afflicted with that well-known condition of thinking England revolves around the capital 🙂
Ha … well it sort of does! I love London and really miss it. Hoping to return next year for my wedding anniversary. Crazy expensive though.
Expensive is right. I hope to be there next year. Was supposed to visit this year but other events over took my plans. I have been remiss in asking you where in England are you from?
Sorry, only just found this message, Jaqueline. Actually I grew up in Norwich. Went to Uni in Exeter.
I’ve only been to Norfolk a couple of times and mainly on the coast. People I know tend to end up Suffolk. 🙂 I’ve been to Exeter several times and really liked the area around the cathedral. Plus the surrounding countryside. Though I have a preference for Cornwall.
Hi, I’m Gaynor. I have been living and working in Papua New Guinea for the last 8 years with Mission Aviation Fellowship. My husband, Irwin, is a pilot here. Currently, we’re based in Mt Hagen in the highlands but have also spent 3 years out west in a remote village … no roads, fly in or walk in. When we go ‘home ‘ it is to Canberra, Australia. We have 3 adult children. I am/was a librarian. I have been embroidering and sewing most of my life but wanted to branch out. I discovered Art Journalling but am more drawn to sketching and watercolour than other mediums. I have a lot to learn but that’s all part of why I joined the class.
Hi Gaynor, My Gran when she was alive was a great supporter of MAF and when I was young we used to host a missonary who adopted a child from PNG. I have always wanted to travel to PGN but my husband keeps vetoing it! i hope when you share sketches it will show a bit of PNG life!
Helen Conway
Hi Gaynor…….you arrived in PNG as I left. I was there in Ukarumpa teaching in the High School Campus and taught a number of MAF kids……it’s a very small world!
Hi, I’m Pam and I live on Orcas Island, a small island of the northwest coast of Washington State in the United States. I am a retired musician and a retired registered nurse. I started sketching with the first class in Sketchbook Skool last winter. This is the first drawing or sketching I’ve done and I’ve discovered that I love it. I really enjoyed the week Liz did in Sketchbook Skool, so I’m looking forward to this course a lot.
Hi Pam. I live in Anacortes. We have a sketching group that meets on Monday afternoons. Check out our blog, anacortes sketchers. Blogspot.com and join us sometime!
Hi Missy. Thanks for the info and the invite. I wish it weren’t an all day trip, but if I can ever get over there on a Monday, I’ll let you know and see what’s up. I would love to come sketching with you.
Hi, I am Cathy, and I live just outside of Chicago, Illinois (USA). I am a semi-retired Humanities professor determined to make drawing a regular part of my life. However, I still seem to need a HUGE kick in the butt! Any volunteers?
Hi Cathy,
I live outside Chicago and also need a well-placed boot. I work a flex schedule, so it is hard to plan very far in advance, but let’s try. We will definitely be sketching indoors for the next 12 weeks – and longer! Send me an email: [email protected].
Hi, Cyd and Cathy,
Another Chicago suburbanite here. I joined this class, in part, to get that extra push that comes from working with others towards the same goal.
Look forward to seeing your work.
I live in west Michigan and dream of being a retired professor (soon soon). If you Chicagoans meet up and it isn’t snowing too badly around the bottom of Lake Michigan, count me in!
Hello, I’m Beth from just outside of Holland, Michigan, USA. I earn my living as a college creative writing professor, which I have done for nearly 30 years. I live in the woods near Lake Michigan with my partner, a German Shepherd dog, a Dutch shepherd dog, two cats and a variety of wildlife. I grew up the only one in my family who “couldn’t draw.” So I never really tried. A few years ago, because of a lifelong interest in comics, I began to draw figuring I could learn at least enough to sketch out comic storyboards…and I’ve been working on my drawing ever since. I’ve been in all three semesters of Sketchbook Skool, which is where I “met” Liz and so many other wonder teachers and sketchers. I also do photography, music, some hand-drumming and creative writing–I have a mystery series under the pen name Josie Gordon–but lately all I want to do is draw. Happy to be working with so many people from so many different places
Hi, I’m Carmel I live in the small town of Lyons, in Oregon, USA. However, I am an Aussie who was born in Sydney, Australia. I spent many Sundays on Cronulla Beach. I love art, it has been weaving it’s way through my life. I am now retired. I have tried lots of different media. I like to move about. Sketchbooks make sense, so many different types of media to work in. Just perfect for someone like me. No more getting the perfect photo to work from. It is all there…just in front of me. I was very excited when I found out Liz was teaching in Sketchbook Skool. I want more…so here I am.
I’m in Portland — You are pretty close!
I am in Hillsboro, Oregon. Close to both areas. :o)
Hopefully as the course progresses we can get together in person!
That would be fun! :o)
Hi Jenny,
I live in Belair. Are you nearby?
Clarisa
Hi Clarisa, I live in Highgate, which is fairly closely,
Amanda
I’m Carol and I live in Brisbane, Australia. I moved here from South Africa four years ago. I trained as an art teacher but did many other things, including garden landscaping, book illustration and owning a family retail store.
Thankfully I sold my shares in the business to my son and moved here with the aim of making my living from art.
It’s a been an interesting and challenging experience but Australia has been good to me. I teach in my home studio and paint – my own work as well as undertaking commissions of all sorts.
http://www.carolleebeckx.com
http://www.carolleebeckx.blogspot.com.au
http://www.facebook.com/CarolLeeBeckxArtist
And I love Instagram @CAROLBKX
Hi Carol , I am from Durban South Africa, and heading out to Brisbane next week to visit my son
Carol it is nice finding some one else from South Africa here! I am from Cape Town in SA!
Hi, I’m Pat. I live on Whidbey Island in the Puget Sound, Washington state, USA – a very rural area! I’ve taken a couple of online sketching classes and am looking forward to this one because I’ve admired Liz’s work for a long time. I like the idea of a concept class.
I have a few friends that live on Whidbey!
Hi Pat, My artist daughter lives in Port Townsend. Also on a boat in Ballard some of the time. I love the area. So different from the East Coast where I live.
Hi Pat. I’m wondering if you are the Pat I know that sketches with WISK. I live in Anacortes.
Hi, I’m Anna and I live in Maui, Hawaii. I am a horticulturist that works with rare native plants. I have drawn and painted most of my life and experiment with various media. I am looking forward to Liz’s sketching class. Nice to meet everyone.
Rare native plants would be fascinating to work with! Do you paint and/or sketch them?
Hi I’m Jenny, I live in Adelaide Australia. I now call myself an Art Student after a long career in education. I work mainly in sculpture, but all forms of art interest me. I did a watercolour sketching workshop earlier this year and want to explore this technique a lot more. You can see some of the sculpture works that the group I am involved with does at:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Union-St-Sculptors/746400132067109
Cheers
Jenny
Fascinating stuff Jenny, thanks for sharing the link!
Hi Jenny, Amanda here, I live in Adelaide and have been painting for about 8 yrs mostly in oils. I discovered Liz’s sketch blog when researching how to sketch whilst travelling and love it. I did a watercolour workshop earlier this year too. I wonder if our paths have ever crossed? Because the tools are light and simple I’m sketching a bit at lunchtime in the city
I live in northern California but my husband and I are planning a trip to Australia and New Zealand. We are planning a visit to Adelaide so I can go to Beating Around the Bush at Country Bumpkin. Maybe we can sketch together next fall.
Hello, I’m Chantal. I live in Sydney, Australia and have had the great luck and joy of learning things from Liz in a few workshops over the past 2 years. I’m looking forward to a lot of fun, motivation and inspiration in this class!
My name is Martha and I live in Virginia, but I am originally from California. I have always loved architecture and drawing buildings. I am particularly interested in ecclesiastical architecture. It has been many years since I have sketched with any regularity so I am looking forward to getting back into it.
I work full time and spend much of my free time playing with fabrics creating quilts. That has been NY primary artistic endeavor.
I also love art history — particularly western Christian art. I teach religious education in my parish and use great art as the basis for many lessons.
Hi. I live in Germantown, Maryland in the USA. I am a retired registered nurse and new to sketching. I have been following the Urban Sketcher groups for awhile now and I am so looking forward to this course with you Liz. Nice to meet all of you.
Hi, I’m Diane from Pennsylvania in the USA. II took up sketching (which I had always wanted to do but thought I couldn’t) a few years ago (after reading Danny’s book “The Creative License.”) Although I consider myself a beginner I have been a beginner for a few years.
I have loved Danny’s books and Sketchbook Skool where I came across a lovely lady who paints teacups and will now be teaching me concepts.
Really looking forward to these classes and trying to figure out when Wednesday actually starts….
Hi Diane from Pennsylvania, USA. This is Patty from Pennsylvania. I am also a Sketchbook Skool Skolar. Nice to meet you!
Hi Patty, I’m in State College if you ever get up this way…
I somehow had an email address for my name – changed now – Patty Ruthe. I live in the Reading area.
Hi Patty, I’m in Royersford. Not too far from you.
Hi Diane and Patty,
I’m from PA also! I live near Pittsburgh. So nice to meet you both.
I was in Sketchbook Skool also (all 3 semesters).
Angela Vular
Too bad PA is not smaller so we could try a sketch meetup sometime. But glad to meet you all.
Hi
I’m Patty an live in Perth Australia. I am an Obstetric an and Gynaecologist.
I started watercolour painting about a year ago and enjoy it but my passion is travelling and photography and I thought travel journaling would be a good way to combine these passions. I normally get to travel abroad twice a year so this will be a fantastic way to keep my memories alive.
Hi Patty,
Fantastic to know that there is a sketcher enthusiast that lives near by. Like you I would love to get better at travel journaling. We travelled the Canning Stock Route this year and I religiously wrote in my journal every night. but found sometimes I was too slow to do my sketches. So here I am…..Fun times, much to learn. Great to meet you
Cerena
Hi, I’m Clarisa, I was born in Peru have lived in and out of Australia since I was 18. My husband and I are now 63 and next April we are going to Italy for a month. I have traveled a lot and have always taken photos, but this time I decided I want sketch. My family are all very artistic and I have been exposed to discussions regarding their efforts many times, but I can count the number of drawings I have done in my life on my hands. One of my room in a boarding in Peru when I was 12, one of a plaza in a lovely little town, Villa de Leiva in Columbia, 5 in the little sketchbook I bought this last October, and 3 that I did on Monday (the 3 pre-instruction drawings from Betty Edwards’ book. That is all, well, that I can remember! Since early October, and my decision to learn to sketch, I have discovered, Urban Sketchers and Sketching Skool and found Liz !! and I am enthralled. My husband is a water engineer and although he can draw buildings etc for work he has no interest in doing it himself, so he will stick to his camera and I to my paper and pencils! But he is incredibly supportive of my new interest. And that makes me happy too.
Hi I’m Marie. I live in the UK in Liverpool. I work full time in local government. I love art and I have been drawing and painting off and on for the last few years but in some ways still feel like a beginner. I have recently been participating in Sketchbook Skool 1,2 and 3 which I loved. I want to develop my confidence particularly in sketching outdoors and when travelling. At the moment I am only on Facebook.
Hi Marie. I live in Manchester, not so far away …and I know there is yet another person in Manchester signed up for this course. We both belong to Manchester Urban Sketching group and Yorkshire Urban Sketchers. Might be nice to meet up sometime and share experiences as we go through this course
Hi Anne! It’s good to hear from you. That sounds like a great idea!
Hi Marie, I’m the other Manchester sketcher that Anne mentioned. Would be really nice to get together and share at some point.
Hi Lucie. Good to meet you too. Yes that would be great.
Hi Lucie. Sounds good to me!
I am in St. Helens and work in Liverpool. If a meet up is on the cards can I come and play?!!
Of course! All the more the merrier!
Hello from the South West! The North is obviously the place to be for sketchers in the UK! I’m in Bristol, and a friend and I are trying to get a USk group in action here and finding it hard going! II would be lovely to chat with you ladies, at some stage.
Warm wishes
Jules
http://needleandpen.blogspot.co.uk/
Jules, I think you are my nearest sketching neighbour so far!
Good evening,
I am Roberto from Milan, Italy but currently living and working as a teacher in Manchester, a born again sketcher after many years. Please let me know if you meet up.
All good wishes.
Roberto
Hi Roberto are you aware of the Manchester Urban Sketchers Group? Open to all and this Sunday we are meeting at 2.00pm at Sports City. Look for Manchester Urban Sketchers on Facebook.
“A born again sketcher”, I love it 🙂
Hi Maggie, Waving from across the Severn! What a fantastic place to live. You won’t be lacking for inspiration in beautiful Pembrokeshire!
Good evening Anne,
Thank you for the prompt. Yes, I was aware of the MUS. I shall have a look on FB. Thank you. Roberto
Hey Jules! I hope you spot this I have just enrolled and spotted you here too. So Sharon B from Canberra waving like crazy with a big silly grin on my face.
Hee hee, I have now! Glad you are here and waving back, whilst doing the happy dance!
Hi
My name is Claudia and I live in Redondo Beach California. I was born in Rio de Janeiro and raized in Israel. I have lived in the USA longer then any where else.
I have been painting and drawing since I was a child but only in the last few years have made time to draw more often.
Looking forward to improving my skills
Hi Claudia,
I’m in Santa Monica… let’s get together at least once for an LA sketching outing, if possible.
All the best,
Heather
Hi , I’m Ghislaine, I live in France near Paris. i draw since 2008 and make painting with watercolor. I would like to learn better technic to draw faster outside.
ghislaine
Hi Ghislaine,
Great to have someone from Paris doing the course. I live in Hobart Tasmania Australia, I will be in Paris in July next year for the first time looking forward to it.
Hi Jane,
I live at St Helens near Binalong Bay.
The world is getting smaller hey.
I love Hobart. I visit there a few times each year to see family. I always take a sketch pad but never sketch so hoping this course will change that. X
My name is Willy. I’m Dutch, but I live in Spain (Europe) on one of the Canary Islands, Tenerife. I started drawing 8 months ago. Never too old to learn something new (I’m 68 now). Never draw teacups or buildings so I can learn a lot!
You can find me on Facebook, Flickr, Pinterest and on my blog: willyanderson.blogspot.com.
Willy, I love your MDL journal pages. What a great idea.
Thanks!
You are nearly as old as I am! Looking forward to learning new things…’old dogs’ can learn new tricks;)