A lovely day for our April KC-area sketchcrawl!

We met at Belvoir Winery in Liberty, Missouri, this time...a perfect day, and a good turnout of the day before Easter Sunday!

It was sunny and mild but very windy!  We had a terrific time...

This old place has seen a number of uses over the years--a hotel, the Odd Fellows Home, and now Belvoir Winery!  It's a great place to sketch, and we've been there twice before.  You can see an earlier crawl in these posts: http://urbansketchers-midwest.blogspot.com/2012/09/september-sketchcrawl.html 
and http://urbansketchers-midwest.blogspot.com/2012/06/sketchcrawl-at-belvoir-winery-in.html

Honest, the spatter was on purpose!

Malinda Welte sketched the grounds...

Susan White chose a small vignette.  She found little little watercolor kit in Europe when she discovered she'd left her paints at home!

Susan White and Sue Shelton Habib enjoy sketching on the front patio.

Warren Ludwig takes the long view at far left, while Keith Cobb focuses on the front of the old building.

Looking for line-of-site perspective.

Keith and Malinda, hard at work...

It was SO windy we went inside...this is the view out the back window!

Yes, actually is IS real..

This gentleman donated his body to science with the understanding that his skeleton would return to the Odd Fellows Home; he's part of Belvoir's miniature museum dedicated to the building's past.

After, all but Susan met at Conrad's Restaurant and Ale House, in Liberty, for sharing and great food.

Warren posted his sketches on his blog, here: http://www.ludstuff.blogspot.com/  Wish I had more shots of other peoples' art, sorry! 

KC Area Sketchcrawl is Saturday!

Hi all...

Those of you in the Kansas City area, please feel free to join us at Belvoir Winery in Liberty, Missouri, Saturday the 19th at 12:30!

That's on Hwy 291, the old Odd Fellows Home; not sure where we'll go to meet and eat later, our favorite Mexican food place seems to be gone now, but we'll figure something out.  Conrad's hosted us, last time, and it's delightful.

Check their website, you'll find lots of inspiration! http://www.belvoirwinery.com/ 

(The above is my sketch from a year or so ago--we had a rainy day to work inside...)

Fly a Kite

This afternoon was beautiful so my wife and I headed to downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan. She visited a museum. I took a lawn chair, the dog, my sketchbook, paints and spent the afternoon in the sun. This sketch catches some of the Grand Rapids skyline and the walking bridge that crosses the Grand River. The bridge connects downtown shopping and offices to hotels, museums, high-rise apartments, and the river-side park. The park's a great place to walk along the river or just sit and watch a guy fly his kite.

An Afternoon with the Metro sketchers in St Paul at the Union Depot

WAn afternoon at the newly renovated Union a Depot in St Paul. Well, newly renovated in the relative scale of a train station's life. Great turnout in a beautiful space. So much to draw and such great people. 

This is a monthly gathering organized by the great Liz Carlson

(Above) my wife and son. Yes his boots echoed like crazy in this space!

My sketches - since this was sort of my element I had several. I love this space. 

Make a Super-Quick No-Sew Folding Journal

This is the little folding journal I was telling our sketchcrawl group about on Saturday...quick and easy!

End of winter? St. Louis

Perhaps a patch of sunlight on the gazebo roof that stands at the edge of Lafayette Park is a signal that spring has finally returned. The opening buds of flowering trees elsewhere in the park, clumps of emerging daffodils and other plants as well as the fact that I was able to sketch with water colors seems to confirm that Sunday might have been the day that actually could be called the end of winter. Rejoice!

 

Lafayette Park Gazebo, 03/30/2014; Michael Anderson, 7" x 9", Waterbrush, Watercolor on Canson 140lb cold press.