Last weekend, I had the opportunity to attend the 2024 Plein Air Experience–Sketch Winona. Winona, Minnesota, is a lovely college town on the Mississippi River, and River Arts Alliance, the MN Marine Art Museum, and several urban sketching groups coordinated the event. After a breathtaking drive from the Twin Cities along the bluffs and river views, I attended 2 demos on Friday the 20th. The first one was held on the property at the MN Marine Art Museum. The museum had stunning galleries and artwork but we sketched outside. As I watched demo artist Daniel Greene work with watercolors to capture the light in the landscape, I decided to sketch the people around me who were watching the demo. People are easier to sketch when they don’t move!
Our second demo was outside the J.R. Watkins Medical Co., which is know for its spices, tonics, and other goods. A stunning exterior was sketched by Bill Beaupre, and I sketched only the left rectangular column with carvings. I liked the way the sunlight hit the building in the late afternoon. I saw another sketcher in a lawn chair and decided to add him to my sketch too!
By now, it was late afternoon and we had one more place to sketch– St. Stanislaus Basilica, an amazing structure whose interior could rival that of a European cathedral. I was getting tired and hungry so I sketched an exterior tower. I’ve learned to not tackle a whole building, but to choose one part that interests me. I loved the deep blue sky and rusty brick colors, and the stark white intricacies of the exterior and its shadows.
Finally, we went to Two Fathoms Brewing for a Drink and Draw. This is where sketchers gather to eat, have beverages, socialize, and sketch. I chose to sketch some people sitting down the table from me who were working with paint. I added a bit of wall with cubbies for background interest.
After a late night hanging out with sketcher friends, I was up for the Saturday morning demo at the Levee Park Farmer’s Market. I enjoyed watching leader Pam Luer as she used watercolors to demonstrate strategies for painting a still life with fresh beets and flowers. I enjoyed sketching a canopy in the market, people, and brightly colored veggies and flowers. People don’t stick around long, so I captured quick sketches of all ages.
One of the reasons I attended was because I was invited to be a demo artist for sketching street fronts and alleyways. I led a sketch walk around 2 blocks, pointing out places of interest for sketchers– textures of walls, brick arches over windows, electrical wires between buildings, the fronts of banks, awnings of coffee shops, even pets in the store window! I demonstrated how to sketch Toppers Pizza which was in an ornate building with a turret. I love turrets!
I also sketched a store doorway I had noticed– I like the stairs and arched windows!
I had a great weekend! Winona is a fun town to visit, and there was plenty to sketch. I only scratched the surface. It will be fun to return another time and find more interesting things to sketch!