Cactus Monday: Sketchcrawl!

Organ Pipe Cactus under a Mesquite tree - Conté and ink.  

Garden scene with a mountain view - Ebony pencil.

Last Saturday, I attended my very first Sketchcrawl at the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix.  Sketchcrawl is a worldwide event where artists gather from all corners of the world and join in a day of sketching and journaling, and then share their work on the online sketchcrawl forum.  I encourage all of my artist friends to get on the forum, find your city and join!  The next worldwide Sketchcrawl will be on Saturday, July 31st.  

I have met some wonderful people and had great conversations.  We also exchanged useful techniques as well as each others' supplies to try out.  I can't wait to try a new method for the next Sketchcrawl and my idea of sketchbook journaling has since changed forever.  I have been so busy working digitally, that I sort of forgot how it feels to get back to the basics with raw materials and get my hands dirty.  Although I felt a little rusty, it felt great to be sketching again.

I found out about the Sketchcrawl through a drawing group in the Phoenix area called Sketchy Doodle, and I'm looking forward to more drawing sessions.  A big thanks to my new sketch pal, Annie for being the group organizer.  Pop over to her blog and say hello, and check out her art.  Being an Arizona resident, I think she would have fun with the Cactus Monday group as well!