Wrapping Up Some Summer Sketches

Well, it’s now Labor Day weekend, which I think for many of us means “Summer is over.” Although in Minnesota, the last couple days in the Twin Cities have been at or near 90 degrees, so it hasn’t really hit me yet. I have a few sketches that I’ve done these last weeks that I’d like to share.

I’ve enjoyed being around water this summer, both beaches and lakes. The Lake Elmo preserve has camping areas, hiking trails, a lake, archery range, and a swim beach. I found a spot under a shady tree and watched people for a bit. I liked the blue and white striped umbrella, so sketched that and added more people as time went on. Many families were swimming and enjoying the day but I noticed a family that was not having fun. The mother was yelling at her small child and I was shocked to hear several F-bombs coming out of her mouth. This added a lively dimension to my sketch, and was part of the story unfolding before me.

On a lighter note, my hubby and I enjoyed going to the town of Afton, near the Wisconsin border, and while he watched boats, I sketched the Windmill Marina that sits on the St. Croix River. I found a sunny spot where boats were coming in and out, and after sketching and ice cream, we got a special treat of a boat ride from my husband’s co-worker!

Here is the finished sketch once I got home and had a little more time to work on it…

From boats to urbanscapes… My family enjoyed eating at Cossettas in St. Paul. This wonderful Italian restaurant has delicious food, an amazing store, and a bakery with luscious desserts. We ate on the rooftop and I had a yummy stromboli, which is like a calzone, but more of a sandwich, and served with marinara sauce to dip it in.

After a quick sketch, I ate my dinner, and after getting home, I added watercolor and finished up the sketch.

Our Urban Sketchers Twin Cities group did a 4-hour sketch walk in Lowertown St. Paul. Our first stop was at the St. Paul Farmer’s market, a bustling, busy, and exciting place to find that perfect vegetable, flower, gifts, or delicacies. I sat on a corner across from the action, and sketched a flower stand on the left side of a two-page spread in my sketchbook. A young girl of the family selling flowers also helped customers, so I included her in the sketch.

We next moved on to the Union Depot, a couple blocks away. I did not sketch the Depot, but focused on a man dressed in black with green shoes sitting on a step. I also sketched the First National Bank building. I have always admired that building in the skyline of St. Paul, it has a gigantic number “1” on top that lights up red at night.

Our final stop was Mears Park, a lovely urban park. I sketched a man on a bench and the beautiful birch trees by a man-made creek and mini waterfall. I enjoyed being there and listening to the water. A wedding party came to the park to take pictures and videos, which made it even more lively and interesting!

The final layout over two pages looked like this:

I hope you’ve enjoyed these sketches, and I hope you’ve found some fun things to add to your sketchbook this summer. As fall moves in, look around and sketch your world, one sketch at a time!