Sketchcrawl 34

As you may have already read, we held our DC branch of  International Sketchcrawl #34 at the National Portrait Gallery/American Art Museum last Sunday, and we had a pretty good turn out! (Erica had to go before we got our shot!)

We met in the Kogod Courtyard, expecting to head into the museums to start sketching, but we were pleasantly surprised to find it was "Farm to Table Family Day" which included a concert by The Richmond Indigenous Gourd Orchestra. The band actually came over to check out what we had been up to, as they noticed a lot of people listening but with their noses buried in sketchbooks.

Afterwords we headed up to the Modern & Contemporary wing and sketched a bit. We toured the museums for a while also, but eventually most everyone found they had to head out or where tired so we called it a day.  I was happy to get a sketch of Duane Hanson's "Woman Eating" before leaving though.

And here are a couple of sketches I made when our Sketchcrawl group went to the Native American Indian Museum about a month ago.

34th International Sketchcrawl NPG & SAAM

Indigenous Gourd Orchestra playing in the courtyard of the museums

The artists display their sketches of the Indigenous Gourd Band

Artists sketching in the great Lincoln hall of the Smithsonian Amer. Art Museum

Indigenous Gourd Orchestra
pen sketch of them in motion playing

Indigenous Gourd Orchestra
individuals in their unique gourd hats!

artists sketching 

Richmond Indigenous Gourd Orchestra

The D.C. Urban Sketchers met at the National Portrait Gallery for the 34th World Wide Sketchcrawl. As we were gathering, something rather strange was going on in the central courtyard: a band of musicians known as the Richmond Indigenous Gourd Orchestra was setting up to play.



The Gourd Orchestra plays instruments made out of locally-grown gourds - and had some pretty colorful costumes, including gourd hats. They played several lively instrumental pieces, sang songs about gourds, and told stories about growing gourds in their neighborhoods in southside Richmond, VA. Not many orchestras can say that they grow their own instruments, but these guys can. Children of all ages had a good time.



At one point, the band noticed us sketching them - and announced from the stage that they would be critiquing our work after the show. Which they did.

Pennsylvania Avenue

Pennsylvania Avenue, from 15th street near the White House, as people were getting ready for New Year's celebrations.