ONWARD TO JANUARY 2021

   As the new year started a new project could take my mind off the never ending news of Covid. Creating something in any medium is good for the soul. Using ones own energy to produce something is positive and beneficial. What better way than getting out my little canvases and soluble oils to create some tiny gems!

Day 1-4, Strada Easel Challenge, paint from life! (Jan 1-31, 2021).

 All are painted with oil on 6 x 6 inch gallery wrapped canvas. 

Some are available with free shipping at Libertosgallery.com.

  

Not available

If I haven't covered it yet, I have to mention Urban Sketchers Wilmington North Carolina. After moving from the Mid-Atlantic developed a plan to start a sketching group in the Cape Fear Region, mostly in and around Wilmington, and the counties of New Hanover and Brunswick. My goal was to start a chapter of urbansketchers.org, a global community of sketching chapters.

Cape Fear Sketchers group was started on Meetup and the 1st sketch meet was announced for March 2018. To my surprise 13 strangers show up to participate for a 2 hr sketch event at New Hanover County Arboretum.

1st sketch meet, March 2018. 


 This was the start of something new in the area. What makes urban sketchers different than other art groups is that we meet together, sketch from observation and share our art with each other and on social media. Two additional volunteer administrators were added who host and help plan sketch meets occurring at least twice monthly. We became an official chapter, Urban Sketchers Wilmington NC in September of 2020, after a long wait. 

The connections of like minded artists of all skill levels, endless sketching opportunities, being part of a community and global individuals has been a blessing. I am so thankful for the success and friendships this has created.

During the restrictions created by Covid, we needed to find a way to keep the group intact. This was important to our continued success. I searching the internet to find out what other chapters were doing to address the issue. We had no idea how long restrictions would last. Everything was becoming virtual, so myself and another administrator took turns creating semi-monthly sketching challenges, from observation, that we created at home.

JANUARY 6 INCLUDED A ZOOM MEETING AND CHALLENGE:

"AND – in order to help keep us connected as we continue our safety measures, we’re proposing a challenge …. AN ILLUSTRATED RECIPE! "

Here is my creation at home from observation:

It was a fun a challenging time for all of us, but a positive part of who artists are!

See you later when I continue my long and never ending artful life I am so blessed to share!!

                             Maria