People Reading

Instead of the usual sketches of people absorbed in their cell phones, this week I found people actually reading the printed word.

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.

‎Frank Ching Lecture

‎Frank Ching lecture at Taubman College University of Michigan Ann Arbor Michigan. Friday 12.02.11.

Francis D.K. (Frank) Ching, University of Washington Department of Architecture from Taubman College on Vimeo.

http://vimeo.com/33296611

Mad Dog 20/20

A walk along the tracks reveals many images near and far.

Frank D.K. Ching Lecture at the University of Michigan

An amazing night last Friday in Ann Arbor, Michigan with a great lecture and a great dinner conversation with Master Frank D.K. Ching. He showed his amazing drawings and the value of this powerful skill. I always learn something new and great from him. "Do not do Architecture just to make money; do Architecture in order to make a positive impact" --Frank D.K. Ching during the N.O.M.A.S. Dinner after the Lecture at Taubman College University of Michigan 12/02/11.

Metro Red Line Riders

This week I worked as a volunteer at Pyramid Atlantic Studios in Silver Spring MD and rode the metro so I would have a better chance to sketch each day and get there without stress of driving the car. I only had three stops on the red line from mine to get something and managed to capture a few interesting quick sketches.

hounds tooth pattern on her coat with a black scarf

bumpy ride gave her a look of anger on the phone

I was pleased to capture his whole figure

checking emails

travelers on their way home for Thanksgiving 

all stretched out on the train

A Concert in Upperville

This weekend I went to see the Winchester Arts Chorale perform at Trinity Episcopal Church in Upperville, about an hour west of D.C. They performed Christmas-themed music from the Renaissance up through more modern pieces by Rutter and Rachmaninoff. My father is one of the singers, which made it especially interesting to me.



The church itself is a beautiful stone church I'd driven by many times on my way to the Shenandoah valley. I'd wanted to stop by there for a long time, but hadn't had a good reason until now.

RI Metro Trail Sketchcrawl

Atop'a Train

Behind Bars

Meet the sketcher: FAIRFAX, VA > Guido C. Seoanes Perla

I spent my childhood in the Colombian northern Coastal Caribbean city of Barranquilla. Since I was a kid I was always involved in drawing competitions and in designing many different things. Currently I am a master student of Architecture at the University of Michigan Taubman College and I am planing to work in this wonderful field. I began my architectural education at the University of Washington in Seattle where I was a student of Master Frank Ching who started my passion for urban sketching. Everyone can use a simple camera in order to take a picture of a place and move on without understanding or caring a bout it.....The importance of sketching is that a person can appreciate the details of a place and he or she will began to understand it by just drawing which it helps the individual to preserve the memory for many years to come.

Guido C. Seoanes Perla