Sketching At The War Museum

The Ottawa urban sketchers group has moved indoors for the months of November and December and we are taking advantage of the Ottawa museum's free Thursday evenings.

Tonight we were sketching at Canada's War Museum from 4 to 8 pm. and I managed to do four sketches.

I was completely distracted by the fantastic World War Women exhibit. It showcased how the First and Second World Wars brought enormous changes to Canadian women’s lives. We actually rushed this exhibit to get to the LeBreton gallery where half the group wanted to start sketching.

George A. Reid's painting "Women Operators" was in the womenès exhibit and I got to see it up close!! I had just blogged about George A. Reid recently so this was a lovely surprise! (Link to my George A. Reid post http://moynahanstudio.blogspot.ca/2015/10/george-reid-1860-1947-art-for-lifes-sake.html)

Painting "Women Operators" by George A. Reid 

There were folks sitting and knitting at a big table. We were able to see the knitting patterns, touch replica samples of the finished product and there was space at the table for anyone to try their hand at spool knitting. This was to showcase the "knitting for the war" effort that women participated in with the Red Cross.

"Knitting garments for soldiers, sailors and airmen was one important way for women to contribute to the Second World War. Knitting helped women at home stay connected to those who had gone off to fight — it was a tangible means of being involved.....After the war, the Red Cross estimated that some 750,000 women produced more than 50 million garments. " (Source: War Museum)

Knitting for the War

There were many stories about mothers and the sons they lost. Nellie McClung's son's war diaries were there too .....I never knew this about Nellie McClung! Quite sad.

Nellie's son - Jack McClung

The radio was playing 1940's news and music in this spot. I would have loved to have sat in the other chair and sketched this gentleman while he listened.

The marketing of the war

There was so much more at the World War Women exhibit, but we were there to sketch so we had to cut it off short and head to another gallery.

The LeBreton Gallery

When we made our way to the Lebreton Gallery, I managed to sketch the Harley Davidson, a field ambulance and a Ford half-truck that was acquired by the Royal Canadian Artillery as part of the process of replacing the horse in war.

My first sketch of a Harley Davidson

My final sketch took place in the WW II gallery. There was so much to sketch but I settled down on a very comfy bench across from the grocers ~ épicerie‎ .

My last sketch: Food rationing at the grocers/épicerie‎ during WW II

Some familiar faces showed up tonight to sketch and there were some new faces which is always really great.

The time period 4-8 pm was pretty challenging for most folks because of work schedules. (I was worried about that). Finding some time for eating is an additional challenge but everyone managed okay.

I am looking forward to December's event at the National Art Gallery and hope the group continues to grow!

Join Ottawa Artists Sketching Mellos TODAY!

With the developments surrounding Mello’s diner the past few days, artist Colin White has organized some Ottawa urban sketchers to get out on Tuesday, November 3, 2015 for a day of sketching this iconic market diner..

Mellos Diner, 290 Dalhousie St., Ottawa
Source: Google Maps

Visit the Ottawa Urban Sketchers blog for details: http://ottawaurbansketchers.blogspot.ca/2015/11/sketching-mellos-today.html

Mellos Diner, 290 Dalhousie St., Ottawa
Source: Google Maps

Let's Draw Ottawa! 49th WW SketchCrawl

Sign up on Facebook here

https://www.facebook.com/events/1643240259261946/

Get more details here:

http://ottawaurbansketchers.blogspot.ca/2015/10/ww-sketchcrawl-49-october-24-2015.html

Read more about WW SketchCrawls here:

http://www.sketchcrawl.com/

48th WW Sketchcrawl - Ottawa Report

The weather forecast looked grim for the afternoon
and so we adjusted our itinerary to include some rain check-in points. 

The good news is that the rain held off until two hours after the sketchcrawl ended!

The Rideau Canal and the Bytown Museum

Seven sketchers participated in the 48th WW sketchcrawl meeting at "Maman"
which is the spider sculpture located in front of the National Art Gallery 

created by Louise Bourgeois (who I have blogged about previously in June 2014).

We sketched at the National Art Gallery location until noon.

Sarah did a sketch of me sketching!

Laurie sketched "Maman"

Michel also sketched "Maman"

Diane sketched the Notre Dame Basilica

At noon, three of us wandered over to the Bytown museum 

to meet up with John and to sketch the canal until 1:00.

Michael sketched the locks

We all met together at the Byward market having 

lunch at Moulin de Provence.

Lunch at the Byward market
(L to R: Diane, Laurie, John, Michel and Michael)

After lunch, a few folks needed to head home. 

The rest of us went to sketch at the beautiful and historic Courtyard in the Market.

The Courtyard with Diane, Michel and Laurie sketching on the benches

It was a wonderful day. 

Folks seemed keen to have regular sketchcrawls in Ottawa 

so we will try to arrange a regular schedule and post it online.

Montreal Urban sketchers do a "Sunday Sketching" outing on the  

fourth Sunday of every month. Perhaps that would be a good start for an 

Ottawa Urban Sketchers group

Stay Tuned!

John "Sketch Journal" Ottawa Sketchcrawl links:

• 33rd WW Schetchcrawl in Ottawa (Oct 2011)
• 34th WW Sketchcrwal in Ottawa (Jan 2012)
• 35th WW Sketchcrawl in Ottawa (April 2012)
• 38th WW Sketchcrawl in Ottawa (Jan 2013)
• 39th WW Sketchcrawl in Ottawa (April 2013)

Other WW Sketchcrawl in Ottawa links:

• 33rd WW Sketchcrawl in Ottawa (Oct 2011)
• 37th WW Sketchcrawl in Ottawa (Oct 2012)
• 39th WW Sketchcrawl in Ottawa (Apr 2013)
• 46th WW Sketchcrawl in Ottawa (Jan 2015)

International Urban Sketching Symposiums

• 1st International Urban Sketching Symposium - 2010- Portland Oregon
• 2nd International Urban Sketching Symposium - 2011 - Lisbon, Portugual
• 3rd International Urban Sketching Symposium - 2012 - Santo Dominigo, Dominican R
• 4th International Urban Sketching Symposium - 2013 - Barcelona
• 5th International Urban Sketching Symposium - 2014 - Paratay, Brazil
• 6th International Urban Sketching Symposium - 2015 - Singapore

"Maman" art journal sketch
(mixed media on 100% cotton paper)

Weather Update : 48th World Wide SketchCrawl - July 25

The weather is looking great for Saturday! There is no rain in the forecast but it will be warm so don't forget to pack plenty of fluids, sunblock and a good hat! (Folding stools or chairs are also a great idea)

If you haven't signed up yet - please visit the Facebook event page at: 

https://www.facebook.com/events/1580624172200916/1595326690730664/

Ottawa 7 day weather forecast at the Weather Network

Sketchcrawl Map

For details on the day's schedule, visit the previous blog post 

at http://moynahanstudio.blogspot.ca/2015/07/48th-world-wide-sketchcrawl-july-25.html

Map for Ottawa's 48th WW Sketchcrawl
Start: National Gallery's "Maman|' (aka the spider)
Move to the canal and Bytowne museum
End in the Byward Market

It's Your First Sketchcrawl?

Sketchcrawls are fun sketching marathons for folks of all ages and skill levels. The idea is to go to a location (indoors or outdoors) and observe your surroundings and sketch what you see: your coffee cup, a tourist looking at a map, the architechture of an old building, a tree, a cloud - whatever you choose.

All that is needed is something to draw on and something to draw with. Use any kind of media you would like. Pen, pencil, watercolour and sketch on a pad of paper, a clipboard, a sketchbook or anything you like.

The Urban Sketchers' Manifesto

The most important aspect of the urban sketchers manifesto is that we cherish our individual styles and we support each other and draw together.

The urban sketchers manifesto is available in other languages at the link below
http://www.urbansketchers.org/p/about-usk.html

Show the World Our Ottawa Sketches

At two points in the day we will gather and do a "show and tell". This is not mandatory. It's a great way of seeing each others interpretation of our surroundings and seeing the different styles.

Likewise, the point of a World Wide Sketchcrawl is to share our sketches with other cities participating in the event. There is a dedicated "Forum" on the official website (click this link: http://www.sketchcrawl.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=75) where you can share your sketches with other sketchcrawlers around the world!

Here are a few of the cities that have signed up:

Montréal, Québec, Canada

Los Angeles, California 

Orlando FL

Tallahassee Florida

San Francisco "City"

Olympia, WA 

Stevens Point, Wisconsin

Helsinki, Finland  

Belfort, France 

Bordeaux France

Martigues, France

Montpellier, France

Rouffach, France

Saintes, France 

Strasbourg, France 

Cologne/Köln,Germany

Roma (Italy) 

Zierikzee (The Netherlands) 

Svolvaer, Lofoten Islands, Norway

Lisboa, Portugal 

Rotterdam

San Vicente de la Barquera (Cantabria, Spain)

València, Spain

Göteborg (Sweden) 

Bern, Switzerland 

Lviv, Ukraine 

Sydney, Australia

Seoul, Korea

Taipei, Taiwon R.O.C.

Tokyo, Japan 

Share your photos on the SketchCrawl Forum. If you are not sure how to do that, there are detailed instructions at this link: http://www.sketchcrawl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=2224

Everyone is encouraged to also post their sketches on 

• the Ottawa 48th WW Sketchcrawl facebook page
• the Ottawa Sketchcrawlers Flickr site
• the global Urban Sketchers Flickr site.

48th World Wide SketchCrawl - July 25

The idea for a world wide sketchcrawl originated with Enrico Casarosa of San Francisco in late 2004 . Enrico is an  Italian storyboard artist and director who works at Pixar Animation Studios.

Since 2004, SketchCrawl has become a worldwide phenomenon participated by artists around the world armed with sketchpads, pencils, watercolor and other sketching materials.

Join Us - In Ottawa - July 25

So - put your pen to paper on July 25th for as long as you can (be it 20 minutes or 6 hours) drawing, sketching, journaling about your day and what you see around you. For one day, slow down, look around you, see ... and draw or write. Record your day. No specific level of skill is expected ! Anyone is welcome.

Sign Up On Facebook!

Click here to sign up on facebook for Ottawa's 48th World Wide Sketchcrawl 

10:00 

We will meet at the National Gallery near the sculpture "maman" (aka the spider). 

There is plenty of parking. 

We can gather, get to know each other and sit and sketch "maman", 

the Basilica or head to the next spots: Major's Hill Park, 

Parliament Buildings or the Bytowne Museum (canal locks)

12:00 

Show and Tell:  Bytowne Museum (canal locks) 

Before lunch, we will have a quick show and tell 

for the benefit of folks who are sketching for only a half day. 

By meeting at 12, artists could decide where to have lunch together

and even sketch their lunch location!
RAIN CHECK-IN LOCATION
We will meet under the bridge: Sussex & Rideau Canal
(There is a large sheltered area directly beside the canal to meet)

The Bytown Museum

2:00 

The afternoon could be spent in the alleyways and/or the colourful vendor areas
of the Byward market. 

There are plenty of places to sketch
RAIN CHECK-IN LOCATION
Byward Market Building
(We can meet indoors at the Moulin De Provence Bakery end)

The Byward Market

4:00  

Show and Tell: Farewell
We will meet at the corner of York and Sussex
at the western end of the Byward Market

RAIN CHECK-IN LOCATION

Byward Market Building

(We can meet again indoors at the Moulin De Provence Bakery end)

World Wide Sketchcrawl Links: 

Want to know more about World Wide Sketchcrawls? 

Visit the links below.

• Sketchcrawl website 
• Sketchcrawl Forum for 48th Sketchcrawl 
• Sketchcrawl Facebook Group 
• Enrico Casarosa's Blog
• Sketchwhat? For folks that have never heard of WW sketchcrawls
• Sketchcrawl flickr group

Other Canadian Urban Sketching Groups

Want to now more about Urban Sketchers in other provinces? 

Visit some of the blogs below:

• Kitchener-Waterloo Urban Sketchers
• Toronto Urban Sketchers Blog
• Urban Sketchers Edmonton Blog
• Urban Sketchers Montreal Blog
• Vancouver Urban Sketchers Blog

48th World Wide SketchCrawl Ottawa Report

Read the 48th worldwide Sketch Crawl Ottawa report here:  http://moynahanstudio.blogspot.ca/2015/07/48th-ww-sketchcrawl-ottawa-report.html

Let's Do Some Summer Urban Sketching

There is a world wide community devoted to urban sketching . You can find urban sketchers on flickr and facebook and Twitter.

There are world wide sketchcrawl days and even an urban sketchers manifesto!

Urban Sketchers (USk) History

From the website:

"Urban Sketchers is the brainchild of Spanish-born illustrator and journalist Gabriel Campanario, a staff artist and blogger at The Seattle Times. After seeing an increasing number of people sharing their location drawings in the blogosphere, Campanario started a flickr group in November 2007 as a showcase of urban sketches. A year later, he decided to expand the flickr initiative with a by-invitation group blog where correspondents would commit to posting on a regular basis and also sharing the stories behind the sketches."

Gabriel Campanario,
the founder of Urban Sketchers and
author of The Art of Urban Sketching,

"In a short period of time, the Urban Sketchers blog and sister flickr group have become popular online outlets for people to share their location drawings. Thousands visit daily for inspiration or to travel vicariously through the visual dispatches from hundreds of contributors on six continents."

Nina Johansson is USK correspondent
and lives and works in Stockholm .

"Drawing a city isn't just capturing it on paper, it's really about getting to know it, to feel it, to make it your own," says Nina Johansson, a correspondent in Stockholm."

"To better serve this rapidly growing community, Campanario and other blog correspondents established Urban Sketchers as a nonprofit organization on December 6, 2009. The nonprofit aims to organize educational workshops and raise funds for artists' grants and scholarships."

Check out the urban sketchers FAQ here: http://www.urbansketchers.org/p/faq.html

Ottawa Urban Sketchers?

About one in every twelve Ontario artists resides in the City of Ottawa (4,600, or 8%). Those numbers represent folks who make their living from creating.

We know that EVERYONE is an artist. There are many more artists working at other jobs and finding time to do some art in between. With so many artists in Ottawa, wouldn't it be great if there was a community of urban sketchers?

There are Urban sketcher chapters in  Kitchener-Waterloo, Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver. Wouldn't it be great to build a community here in Ottawa!

Sign Up for the
48th World Wide SketchCrawl 

If you live in the Ottawa area and love to sketch, consider signing up for the 48th World Wide SketchCrawl - July 25, 2015 - Ottawa