Sketching on East Coast USA
This is all about the terrific Workshops we did this year, plus those we could do next year in August 2025.
In fact if you wished, you could do some or all of the Workshops I’m going to talk about as we make our way up the coast next year.
We’re starting in Bluffton SC and ending in New York. Own car needed. What an amazing adventure this would be.
Anyway, Let’s start at the beginning. Our flight was to Orlando, Orange County, Florida.
This was the start of our several weeks in the USA, and driving our way slowly up East Coast USA over the next 2 weeks or so till we reached Natick Massachussets - where our family reside.
I had already planned several stop-offs especially to do Travel Sketching Workshops with some delightful sketchers on our way north.
It’s going to be 3Day Workshops next year. We get a chance to really develop our skills that way.
I’m hearing from people who live on the coast that they’d like me to do that.
I’m being distracted again! The amazing classic 50’s style beach house right on the water in Ponte Vedra in Florida was our first stop a day after getting off the plane, courtesy of our very kind friend and sketcher, Mary Ann.
We were here at last and tonight we’d be sleeping in a proper bed.
Right on the beach, so private and all to ourselves after flying from Australia. Positively the best way to recover from travel.
I did the coffee cup sketch the next morning as it’s my favourite way to capture that calm moment, when you breathe in and just unwind.
Mary Ann had been asking even before Covid if I would do some Sketch Workshops in Savannah, Georgia.
Somehow my touring between Australia, France and the USA hadn’t quite worked out to do the promised Savannah Workshops - but this year - 2024 - it all came together.
On the night we were leaving the sunset was spectacular, and that inspired the sunset sketch while standing on the beach, almost in the water. What a wonderful start.
Old Town Bluffton South Carolina
I haven’t yet been to Bluffton but the word is that I should add it to my ‘East Coast Sketch Workshops’.
I’ll definitely look into the old and historical part of this very picturesque part of South Carolina.
Let me know if this one would interest you.
Savannah Georgia.
This was the 3 Day Sketch Workshop we’d all been waiting for.
About 2 hrs north from Ponte Vedra. It was wonderful to meet our very keen group of sketchers who’d all come a long way to do this.
Rained like mad the first day but at Foxy Loxy Cafe, we had the ‘Chandelier Room’ as our studio on the top floor.
I’d discovered it 5 years ago, the last time I was here. Very quirky, lots of interesting decor and great coffee. I knew I wanted to bring a group here, and I was right, they loved it.
We began our foundation sketching and learning the all important tips and techniques.
The architecture in Savannah is highly decorative with parks on every other corner. Known too for the old Oaks with the famous Spanish Moss hanging softly on the trees.
Our days were joyful and our sketches reflected that.
The Paris Market in downtown Savannah is one of my favourite places to sketch.
Begin with a great coffee and croissant and you’re ready to start your vignettes. This way you can sketch as many of the antiques over your pages as you can fit in. Our last day was spent sketching at the Telfair Museum which has the famous ‘Bird Girl’ statue. If you’ve read the book or seen the movie ‘Midnight in the Garden of Good & Evil’ you’ll know the mystery that surrounds her.
Time too to sketch the wonderful old oaks and their hanging Spanish Moss.
Definitely another 3Day Workshop in Savannah in August. Dates to come. Register your interest.
On the road again and our next place was Charlotte, North Carolina.
This is a major city compared to the delightful little towns we’d been in. However it’s very nicely laid out, very walkable and has some impressive art galleries, sculptures and parks we could well sketch in. Very big in finance too it seems.
Trouble was, it poured the whole two days we were there. Still managed to find lovely corners and places we liked. Rain actually doesn’t stop one seeing great sketch spots.
I’m planning a 3 Day Workshop here in Charlotte in August 2025. Actual dates to come. Let me know if you’re keen.
Time to stop over in Washington DC. Capital city of the United States.
We were keen to see the WW11 Memorial park, the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool with the Washington Memorial at one end. I found a quiet spot on the lawn and sketched away happily. My version of this famous place is below.
We actually came once again a little later to DC with Urban Sketchers NYC.
This was a 3 Day Sketch Getaway with 40 really lovely and likeminded folk. This gave me a great chance to explore even more locations , some of which you’ll see in the pics below.
I’m planning a 3Day Workshop here in August 2025. Dates to come. Interested?
Princeton. New Jersey
We do love Princeton. Small and contained. Great architecture and history. A university town with a great student vibe. Established large family homes in park like estates. Just delightful.
We had a one day Workshop and a very positive small group traveled from quite far to be here.
Our morning meetup was at Chez Alice Cafe. Very beautiful table settings of fine china, and very sketchable cakes and pastries - just what we were after. Later in the day we tried ‘flat perspective’ - a simple way to sketch the character of a building. It seemed that everyone really felt they’d become more confident in their sketching and were heading off home feeling very happy.
This one is a definite for August 2025. 3Days. August dates to come.
New York City. New York
This year my 3hr Workshop for USk NYC. was at the waterside venue of Brookfield Place.
Our subject was ‘Vignettes’. Always a great one to get people confident in doing little sketches of things that catch their eye. In a big expansive venue like this, it can be terrifying if you're not confident. But even those who were a little bit anxious soon had lovely little sketches scattered over their pages. A whole story right there on their page. We then added colour to give them a connection.
I’ll check if they’d like me to do something next year.
However, I’d like to add a 3Day Sketch Workshop around Greenwich Village with its Italian influence.
It’s all about me getting a great coffee😆 Love the little buildings and laneways and narrow winding streets. It does feel like a village and so many gorgeous spots for us to capture our stories.
What do you think?
If you’d like to do a 3Day Travel Sketch Workshop, let me know
Westchester New Jersey
The day following NYC, we made our way to Westchester for a 3hr Urban Sketchers Workshop.
My subject was ‘Action People’ which is sooooo much fun. Our wood mannequins parade down the table and everyone sketches all the angles and proportions they can over their pages. Overlapping, big, small, nothing matters.
Followed that with short people poses and everyone got to model while we all sketched madly - but no faces. Absolutely not needed. What a great morning we had. Lunch outside followed and we laughed and enjoyed our time together.
I’d definitely add this subject to the 3Day Greenwich Village Workshops.
So there we are. All my thoughts for Sketching East Coast USA are above. It will be August as I’ll be coming after being in France and Europe. Any ideas you have which you’d like to contribute will be considered.
See you in 2025 everyone.