Donar’s Sketchbook

Asheville Late Summer

Asheville is always a welcome sight when you live in the rural south.  Art deco is prevalent all around and always great people to sketch.

City Bakery is a nice independent bakery/coffee house right on the edge of downtown.  I like it for good pastries and a relaxed place to sit and draw.  They come to you!

I had lost my sketch book after this drawing and was real disappointed that I almost filled it up and now lost a years worth of work.  Thank goodness that I put my e-mail info and a nice gentleman contacted me and reunited me with it.  This sketch is a down shot which is rare for me as I don’t look down much…which is important as an artist to get all point of views and perspectives.  Though I love how I drew the tire on the car closest to us in a different perspective.  I always loathe drawing cars as they require such precision and detail.    Often I can only draw boring boxy cars and when I try to get sleek or interesting, they fall apart.  That’s why I guess I was never a automobile designer.  I do respect those designers as it is my weakest trait.

The Grove Arcade is a wonderful Neo-Gothic style with some interesting shops.  This is the first time I just sat and drew inside.

This is the Old World or Old European Cafe or something like that.  It’s usually crowded and the service is slow, so it’s rare that I go in.  But it has a great window seat as you are literally sitting in a bay window elevated so you can see everything.  This was a quick night sketch which is always a challenge since you have to render lights and subtle darks with quick cross hatching.  It was a hot humid night and a nice quick down pour came in.  When I feel lonely and isolated, sitting in a nice comfortable seat in Asheville helps alleviate the blues.