Ready, Set, Sketch: Duncans Mills!

Come join us this SATURDAY July 13 at 10am-1pm in Duncans Mills for the next “Ready, Set, Sketch” meet-up! All you really need is something to draw on and something to draw with but it’s also nice to have a chair to sit on. The weather promises to be cooler (50°-75°) so you might want to bring a jacket for those early morning hours. Duncans Mills is, of course, a great place to explore, shop, eat, and most important, sketch. Hope to see you there!

Ready, Set, Sketch: Preston (Cloverdale)!


We have a special location this month, a historic home and church located in the community of Preston.
Preston was a small community located on the Russian River just outside of Cloverdale back in the late 19th Century.

Emily Preston (the founder of this community known as Madam Preston) at the age of 52, had an epiphany. As she described it, “Something fell from my eyes and suddenly the world was enveloped in a brilliant light.” From that moment on, she claimed a gift for diagnosing and treating illness. Some considered her a quack; others credited her with saving their lives. She had such a magnetic personality that patients followed her when she moved from San Francisco to Sonoma County. Even after recovering, many patients didn’t want to leave the community, so she let them build houses and live on the ranch rent free. A community began to grow. Eventually there was a school, railroad depot and general store.

We’ll be sketching the home and garden of one of the historic Victorians built on this property in 1899 and the old church too!

WHERE: Preston (Cloverdale) 204 Geysers Rd. Cloverdale.
DATE: Saturday May 11 (always the second Saturday of the month).

TIME: 10am-1pm
BRING: Hat, sunscreen, water, chair, and sketching supplies.
PLEASE: Carpool if you can. There will be limited street parking.
Hope to see you all there!

Sonoma County Plein Air Paint Out June 20-23

The Ready, Set, Sketch Group in Conjunction with The Healdsburg Art Atelier Presents: Sonoma County Plein Air Paint Out – A Four Day, Plein Air painting event and Wet Paint Gallery Show!

• Join in four days (June 20-23) of painting/sketching fun around Beautiful Sonoma County.
• Mingle with other like-minded artists. All Experience levels welcome!
• Participate in the fresh paint gallery show with Reception June 23 at The Healdsburg Art Atelier.
• Participation is free but Registration (on eventrbrite) is required and space is limited.
• *Optional* “Sketching Out-of-Doors for Beginners” class (taught by me, Richard Sheppard) offered June 15 in Healdsubrg, CA (separate registration and fee required). 

How to Participate:
Register on eventbrite (only 50 places available).
• There will be no instruction during the event (an optional class is offered the weekend before the paint-out). 
• Locations will be selected and emailed to participants in May.
• Participation all four days is not required but if you feel you’ll miss more than two days, please let another artist who will attend more days sign up.
• Each day we’ll meet at the designated location at 9:00am. After a meet-and-greet, we’ll head out to paint. At 3:00pm we’ll return to the original meeting place to share the day’s work. We’ll wrap up about 3:30pm.
• On Sunday, after our daily painting, we’ll gather at The Healdsburg Art Atelier to set up for the evening’s “Wet Paint” show.

Wet Paint Show:
• Reception 5pm-7pm, Sunday, June 23.
• Since this is an impromptu, wet paint show, no work will be framed.
• Each artist can select 1-2 of their new paintings to exhibit. Watercolor paintings will be carefully taped to the wall for viewing. Other work may sit flat on tables, etc. The public will be invited to the exhibit.
• Artists will price their own work. All sales are final and will be handled through HAA with a 20% commission to the gallery.

Paint Out Registration: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sonoma-county-plein-air-paint-out-tickets-60267861797

Class: Sketching Out-of-Doors for Beginners: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sketching-out-of-doors-for-beginners-saturday-june-15-2019-tickets-60502779442

Ready, Set, Sketch: Petaluma Sheraton!

Hello sketchers!
I’m thankful for the tons of rain we received this winter but I’m even happier that sun is forecast for this Saturday! Woohoo!
This month I’ve scoped out a great new location, the Sheraton Sonoma County near the Petaluma river. This hotel/business park has a lot to offer. Boats, the Petaluma River, a marsh trail, the overpass, even the hotel itself is worth sketching! So don’t miss it!
We’ll meet at the north end of the business park on the west side of the parking lot. From the 101 head east on 116 and take a quick right at Baywood Dr.For those of you that need some quick fuel, Bright Bear Bakery is just up the road and looks fantastic. And of course, Starbucks is also just a little further along the 116.


When: Saturday April 13, 10:00am-1:00pm
Where: Sheraton Sonoma County/Business Park
Who: Anyone who has a desire to sketch can join us.
Why: Because we love to sketch!

Ready, Set, Sketch: Santa Rosa Plaza Mall!

Sorry folks, looks like mother nature has more rain in store AGAIN this Saturday , so instead of ducking into a super crowded coffee shop (because they are jammed), I thought we could spread out at the mall and stay dry in the process. There are lots of window displays, people to draw, storefronts, etc. And if the weather permits, we have 4th street shops to spill out on to.

Who: Anyone who has a desire to sketch can join us.

TIME: 10am

DATE: Saturday March 9 (always the second Saturday of the month).

WHERE: Santa Rosa Plaza Mall (the mall on the east side of the 101 freeway).
Meet at the food court at 10am (near Sears).

Hope to see you all there!

Ready, Set, Sketch: Healdsburg!

The weather is looking dry (fingers crossed!) for this Saturday, Jan. 12 so let’s Ready Set Sketch: Healdsburg!
It’s been over two years since we sketched the downtown area and there’s so much to sketch, it’s worth revisiting! We’ll meet at 10am at the gazebo in the plaza then disperse to sketch. We’ll meet back at 1pm to share our sketches.
All you need is something to draw on and something to draw with (it’s also nice to have a chair to sit on).Please watch the limited time parking closer to the plaza. I recommend parking on North St. just East of Vine/Grove street. Hope to see you there!!!

Ready, Set, Sketch: Penngrove!

Looks like the wet weather is going to break long enough to enjoy some outdoor sketching for our December meet-up!
We’ll meet in front of JavAmore Cafe at the Grove Plaza shopping center in Penngrove at 10am.
Please join us! No experience is necessary. All you need is something to draw on and something to draw with. The event is free.

TIME: 10am-1pm

DATE: Saturday December 8.

WHERE: JavAmore Cafe at the Grove Plaza shopping center in Penngrove

Hope to see you there!

Ready, Set, Sketch: Downtown Healdsburg (and craft show at the farmers market)!

 

******Ready, Set, Sketch: Downtown Healdsburg CANCELED DO TO SMOKE FROM THE FIRES!!!****

Sorry to have to cancel our meet-up but I’m hearing the smoke is just not going away anytime soon and it’s just too awful out there to sketch.

Hopefully we’ll have better weather in December!
**************************************************************************

Join us SATURDAY November 10, 2018 at 10am-1pm in Healdsburg for the next “Ready, Set, Sketch!” group outing!

I’ll be showing my work at the holiday arts and crafts part of the farmers market this year and will be manning my booth at our scheduled meeting time. Please meet at my booth at 10am. From there we’ll disperse to sketch around town. At 1pm we’ll meet at the fountain next to The Bear Republic to share our sketches.

Anyone is welcome to join us. All you need is something to draw on and something to draw with (though it’s nice to have a chair, hat, and plenty of water).

Please remember to mind the parking limits on the streets!

Ready, Set, Sketch: Redwoodhill Farms

We’ve got a real treat this month because the next “Ready, Set, Sketch!” group outing is Saturday October 13, 2018. 10:00 am – 1:00 pm at Redwoodhill Farms ( you know, the goat cheese people! ), just outside Sebastopol.
Owner and fellow sketcher Sharon Bice will give us a quick tour of the farm so folks can get the “lay of the land.”
***Please carpool if possible***

Directions:  From Sebastopol, or the stoplight at Occidental Rd. & Gravenstien Hwy: head north on GRAVENSTEIN HWY, 116 (towards Graton and the Russian River)  Just past Graton Rd, turn left onto GREEN VALLEY RD. (there will be a gas station on the right as a landmark)  Travel about 1.5 or 2 miles, then turn right on THOMAS RD.  Travel up THOMAS RD until you see large rectangular sign then turn right into the parking area. There’ll be an A-frame at the entrance and Sharon will be there to direct traffic . Any overflow will park in the orchard.

About the group: Ready, Set, Sketch!” meets at a different location around Sonoma County the second Saturday of each month.  To participate, all you need is something to draw on and something to draw with (it’s also nice to have a chair, hat, sunscreen, and water). The event is free. Come on out and join us!

Ready, Set, Sketch: Shone Farms!

This month we have a special sketching location, Shone farms. I have never been there but I’ve been told by more than one person, it’s a great place to sketch.
Info from their website:
Shone Farm is a 365-acre outdoor learning laboratory for the Santa Rosa Junior College’s Agriculture/Natural Resources Department. The farm provides students with hands-on experience that cannot be duplicated in the classroom. The farm is located about 12 miles from the Santa Rosa Campus, between the towns of Forestville and Windsor, in the heart of the Russian River Valley AVA (American Viticulture Area). It was named in honor of Robert Shone, a very active leader in Sonoma County agriculture, in addition to being a Santa Rosa Junior College trustee and President of the Sonoma County Farm Bureau.
TIME: 10am-1pm

DATE: Saturday Sept 8

WHERE: Shone Farms (meet at The Dutton Pavilion).
Please join us, no experience is necessary. All you need is something to draw on and something to draw with (it’s also nice to have a folding chair, some bottled water, and a hat).

Hope to see you there!
DIRECTIONS
Shone Farm is located at 7450 Steve Olson Lane near Forestville, approximately 12 miles from the Santa Rosa Campus.From Highway 101, take River Road exit and head West
Go approximately 6 miles and turn right onto Trenton-Healdsburg Road
Go approximately 1.5 miles to Eastside Road, turn left onto Eastside Road and then make an immediate right onto Steve Olson Lane and the entrance to Shone Farm
Follow the driveway which will lead you to the Farm gate.

We’ll meet at The Dutton Pavilion