The room is crowded. People mill about looking at the variety of local goods available. But some stand back, taking in the scene. With bound books in arm and hands moving with purpose, they sketch.
Island Sketching, a Victoria artist meet-up group, was started in June of 2013 by Brian Hebb and his wife Cheryl. The two organize gatherings every other Saturday morning at interesting locations both indoors and out.
The group, which currently hosts 180 members, has a wide variety of ages, skill levels, and styles, from young students to those in their late eighties; from professional artists to those who have never sketched before.
Anyone can join Island Sketching at any time, says Hebb. “Bring your brain and your tools. That’s it,” he says.
Island Sketching never meets at the same location twice and encourages people to continue attending the meet-ups.
“The more you do, the better you get, and the better you get at observing life,” says Hebb. “It’s an evolution of getting better.”
The Island Sketching initiative is part of a global art movement called Urban Sketchers, originally called Seattle Sketcher, created by Seattle Times artist and blogger Gabriel Campanario in 2006. It became an instant hit, with groups quickly forming and connecting around the world and sharing their artwork online.
“If you’re going travelling somewhere, you can email the urban-sketching people in that area and ask to draw with them,” says Hebb, recounting a visit to Toronto when he did just that. “Urban Sketchers is a total revolution in art. It has gotten so many people together over the internet and around the world.”
Hebb says that the sketches turn into quite an impressive and memorable personal portfolio over time. Everyone is encouraged to exhibit their sketches and post images on the Island Sketching meetup.com site and other urban sketchers group sites. Last June, the group even had their own exhibit at the Oak Bay Library.
These sketching groups not only provide opportunities for the individual but also create a community gathering of likeminded people to share lived artistic experiences. After Island Sketching meet-ups, the group converges at a coffee shop or restaurant to discuss and share their perspectives and inspirations. This aspect, coupled with the frequency of their gatherings, is essential to improving as an artist, says Hebb.
“You learn by doing it,” he says. “It’s the only way.”